Wolf Bane (The Anthology Novella Series Book 3)

by Darlene Kuncytes

  “Duly noted, Angel.”

  “Max, I thought I told you to behave yourself.” Colin growled as he walked into the room. He headed over to where Melinda sat and plopped down next to her, resting his hand on her thigh.

  “I am. We were just discussing the finer points of…wood working.” He laughed and Melinda couldn’t help the grin that started to curve her mouth.

  “See, Angel,” Max said with a wink. “I’m not that horrible.”

  “That’s debatable, Boris,” she mumbled and Colin gave her leg a squeeze as a smile twitched at his own lips.

  “Sorry, love,” Max laughed. “Boris was Frankenstein. I think Bela Lugosi is more appropriate.”

  “Well, whatever,” she retorted, a full-fledged smile breaking out on her face now. “Just remember the no biting rule. It stands firm. I’ve had enough of that for once lifetime.”

  They spent the next few hours discussing the game plan for keeping Melinda safe. Both Colin and Max agreed that staying at Colin’s cabin was their best choice. He had charmed the area so that no one could track them, and Max promised to keep them up to date with whatever information he found. He also promised Melinda he would keep an eye on her father, to which she was deeply grateful.

  She found herself warming up to the vampire as the night progressed and before she knew it, it was almost three in the morning and she fought hard to bite back a yawn.

  “I should be heading out,” Max said, standing. “I want to make it home before first light.”

  “How far from here do you live?” she asked as she took Colin’s offered hand and stood also.

  “Just a few hours,” he replied with a grin. “It’s a local cemetery with large mausoleums that are perfect for my needs. It’s like a condo complex.” He burst out into a deep, rich laughter when her mouth dropped open in shock, and Colin shook his head, trying hard to hide his amusement.

  “Geez,” Melinda huffed in what she hoped sounded like disgust. “You two really need to team up. You could be the new Abbott and Costello for our generation.” With that she bid them goodnight and headed upstairs. She could hear their laughter drifting behind her and smiled.

  Chapter 11

  The weeks that followed were some of the happiest Melinda had ever known. Even though she was afraid to admit it…she felt at home here. She and Colin had fallen into a strange, yet comfortable form of domesticity that she never would have thought possible. They would take long walks in the cool November air and just talk. Not to mention that she felt like a kid again when the first snow came, covering the area in a beautiful blanket of white.

  Max would come to the cabin from time to time, and she found herself forming a cautious, yet deep friendship with the vampire. Once she had finally accepted the fact that he wasn’t going to chomp down on her neck, she found that she really liked his witty sense of humor and his loyalty to the Were-witch, as she now jokingly referred to Colin.

  She was finding herself beginning to care for Colin way more than she probably should, but there was just no stopping it. She trusted him, and cared for him and it was out of her control. There was just no containing it. He was kind and considerate…yet was a force to be reckoned with that made her feel safe, and she found herself telling him things that she hadn’t even told Stacy. Her heart ached when she thought of her friend. Max had found no sign of her and it hurt Melinda much more than she was willing to admit to either of them.

  Yes, her friend had betrayed her, but they had been inseperable since they were fifteen years old, and if what Max had told her about vampires was true…perhaps she hadn’t been in her right mind. Perhaps they had done something to her. At least, that was her hope. There was still so much she needed to figure out and Colin was doing his best to teach her.

  There were times when Colin would need to meet up with Max to follow up on a lead that the house would become so quiet and lonely, and Melinda worked hard to keep herself busy so her mind wouldn’t dwell on things she couldn’t change.

  She would clean, or wash, and had even tried her hand at learning to cook, but her surprise Thanksgiving Day dinner had been an enormous and embarrassing miss. She cringed when she thought about the turkey that she hadn’t known needed to be defrosted before cooking and the look on Colin’s face as he tried to force the disgusting meat down his throat as Max laughed and joked that for once, he was glad he existed on a liquid diet.

  Now, here she sat, trying to concentrate on the book open in her lap as she waited for Colin to return from meeting Max yet again, and thinking about her life.

  Colin had been amazing at helping her to harness her powers, and she was actually beginning to control them…to a point. There were times when they were making love that the streams of light still appeared and Colin would just smile, almost as if he were proud of himself.

  She missed her father, but he was safe. Max had done his vampire mumbo jumbo on the people she had worked with and implanted the thought that she had met someone on her getaway and had moved across the country with him. She snorted to the empty room. That really wasn’t too far from the truth. Who would have ever thought?

  Her thoughts were interrupted when she heard a strange ringing and realized that it was her cell phone. She jumped from the sofa and dashed up the stairs.

  She searched the room, looking for her purse, which she hadn’t even given a second thought to in weeks, and found it on the floor in the corner of the closet.

  She pulled her cell from it and looked at the screen, her body tensing up when she saw that it was Stacy’s number.

  Melinda’s hand trembled as she looked down, her heart racing. Should she answer it? What if she needed help?

  “Stacy?” she choked out when she finally hit the button, and was greeted with only an eerie silence. “Stace?” she whispered, her heart pounding in her chest so hard that it was knocking the air right from her lungs. “Are you there?”

  “Mel…” She could barely hear her, but it was her friend. She sounded weak…frightened, and Melinda’s eyes filled with tears as she choked back a sob.

  “Oh, God, Stace! Where are you?”

  Again…silence. Deep, deafening silence, and Melinda fought back the urge to scream. “Stacy?”

  “I…I’m here,” she heard her croak and breathed a shuddering sigh of relief. “Mel…you need to get away from him.” Melinda knew in an instant that she meant Colin and she felt her body instantly go rigid.

  “Where are you?” She repeated, much more firmly this time.

  “Hiding.” It was no more than a whisper, but Melinda heard her loud and clear. “Before…before I ran, I heard them talking,” she rasped. “He’s going to…to betray you, Mel. He’s going to sell you to the highest bidder.”

  Melinda felt her world come crashing down around her ears. No! This had to be a lie. It had to be. Stacy had betrayed her once before. Colin wouldn’t do that. He…what, she silently questioned herself. He had never said that he cared for her. Yes, he treated her with kindness, but there were times when she had caught him looking at her with a look that seemed to be regret. Was it regret that he was going to do this to her?

  Melinda fell to her knees inside the closet as the air rushed from her lungs and she looked around through the tears swimming in her eyes at their clothes surrounding her. He had insisted that she unpack and put everything in his room. Was that only to keep a close eye on her? She shook her head violently from side to side, trying desperately to clear her head. No! No! No! This wasn’t true! He protected her. She trusted him!

  “I’m so sorry, Mel,” Stacy wailed, although the words came out stilted and somewhat robotic. “I…I don’t know what…why…” She broke off, sobbing now, and Melinda tried to keep herself calm. She needed to think.

  “I don’t know what to believe,” she gasped, her throat feeling like she had swallowed sandpaper.

  “Where is he?” Stacy asked her, her voice growing stronger now.

  “I…he’s downstairs,” Melinda lied, not kn
owing what to do. Not knowing who she could trust. She knew that in the past few weeks, she had slowly but surely fallen in love with Colin, but she couldn’t let her heart rule her head. She needed to figure this out before she went flying off the handle. She needed to keep her wits about her.

  “Don’t let him know that I called,” she begged. “I don’t want him to contact them.”

  “Stacy... ” Melinda sniffled, then heard the line go dead and realized that her phones battery had given out on her. Shit!

  She curled onto her side, hugging her knees to her chest as she let her tears flow in earnest… feeling as if her heart were being ripped out of her chest for her friend.

  She didn’t know how long she lay there, but when she heard the door open and close and Colin’s steady footsteps stomping through the house, she jumped up and ran to the bathroom. She turned on the water in the sink and tried to wash the redness from her eyes, not wanting him to know anything. She ran her fingers through her hair and tried to calm the racing of her heart. She needed to think.

  She heard him enter the bedroom and took a deep breath, trying her best to remain calm. She had to act normal…at least until she figured this all out.

  She turned as he entered the bathroom, plastering a smile on her face as her heart jumped to her throat at just the sight of him. Oh, God. Why did he have to be so devastatingly handsome? Why did that grin that came to his lips as his eyes met hers melt her in an instant? Because no matter what, deep down, she knew that she trusted him.

  “Hi,” she got out, and then silently cursed the tremor in her voice.

  “Hi, yourself,” he replied, walking over to where she stood and brushing his lips against hers as his strong hands settled themselves at her waist. His thumbs brushed the undersides of her breasts and she felt herself shiver with longing. God help her.

  Colin kissed her, craving the sweet taste of her mouth more than the air he breathed. He had been gone most of the day, following a lead on Roland and his group that had frustratingly been another dead end. He had been away from his mate longer than he had anticipated, and now…he just needed to taste her.

  He leaned back and looked into her eyes and was taken back by the pain he saw in them. It was raw, powerful, and he knew she was trying desperately to hide if from him.

  “Melinda, what’s wrong?” he asked and watched as she shook her head.

  “Nothing. I…I was just beginning to worry. You were gone so long. I got…scared.”

  He pulled her into a hug as he wrapped his arms around her. Burying his face in her hair, he inhaled her scent greedily.

  “I wasn’t planning on being away this long,” he apologized. “But Max had a lead and it took longer to check out than expected.”

  She nodded against his chest and he pulled her tighter. His body was responding in a big way at having his mate in his arms.

  “Are you certain you’re all right?” he asked against her temple, the gnawing feeling that something was wrong nibbling at his insides.

  “I’m fine,” she murmured against his chest, and he felt her shudder. Damn it! Something was definitely bothering her.

  Without thinking, he swept her up into his arms and headed into the bedroom. She protested quietly, but her words held no conviction whatsoever. He set her down beside the bed and caught her gaze. “You would tell me if something was bothering you, wouldn’t you?” he asked softly, and she nodded once again.

  Colin took a deep breath. Something wasn’t right. He could feel it. He didn’t know if he should push it or just let it go for now. He decided that he would give her some time, but keep a close watch on her.

  He leaned back and gave her a smile. “I brought something home with me,” he said. “Come on.”

  He took her by the hand and headed downstairs.

  Melinda followed him, her heart racing as she tried to get a grip on her emotions. She was fighting an inner battle with her heart and her head, and no matter what had happened…she trusted him.

  As they walked into the living room, Melinda gasped when she spotted the enormous tree standing in the corner of the room. The scent of pine hit her with a delightful slam and she couldn’t stop the smile that twitched at her lips. He had brought her a Christmas tree!

  “Colin…” she breathed, not knowing what to say. He had to know that with Christmas just a few weeks away, she was feeling homesick, and the thought of him doing this for her made her eyes shine with tears.

  “We’ll have to get some decorations,” he explained, “but I wanted you to feel more…at home.”

  Melinda turned and looked up at him, not knowing what to say. It was as if the last few hours hadn’t happened…almost.

  “Thank you,” she croaked.

  “Melinda,” Colin said, taking her hand and leading her over to the sofa. They sat down and he looked into her eyes, and she saw it again, that look as if he was guilt ridden by something. It was just a flicker, but it was there and Melinda couldn’t help but wonder if it was because…she stopped the thought short. No! He wouldn’t lie to her. Stacy had been the one who had set her up. All so that she could become one of those creatures! She trusted Colin. He had protected her. He had comforted her. He was teaching her to use her powers. He wouldn’t betray her. He wouldn’t!

  Without thinking, she leaned forward and kissed him…hard. She just needed the contact. She knew it was crazy, but this man made her feel safe. No matter what was going on around them…she knew deep down in the recesses of her soul that he would keep her away from those monsters. She would figure out the rest in time.

  She felt him respond instantly, and his arms wrapped around her as he leaned back on the sofa and pulled her body on top of his. She wiggled against his erection as it strained against his jeans and heard him groan deep in his chest. She moved back so that she could unfasten the button and slide the zipper down, and Colin sucked in a deep, shaky breath.

  “Christ,” he growled as his eyes slid shut. She loved the effect that she had on this man. It was sexy as hell and had her forgetting everything…everything that was except the feel him beneath her. Satan’s shoelaces, she thought with a small giggle, she had it bad.

  She pushed his jeans down over his hips and gave him a saucy little smile before leaning down and taking him into her mouth, pulling another sexy as hell growl from him.

  Melinda felt him slide his fingers through her hair as she slid her tongue around him, loving the taste and feel of him. He lifted his hips slightly as she moved and she took him deeper. She knew he was close and when he tried to pull her up, she held fast, shaking her head slightly. She wanted all of him, no holding back.

  She heard him suck air into his lungs between clenched teeth a moment before he exploded with a deep shuddering hiss of breath.

  She looked up into his eyes and she saw such tenderness in his expression that all thoughts of his lying to her fell away in a heartbeat. Trust.

  Colin looked down at this remarkable woman and opened his mouth to tell her. Finally tell her that she was his. But something stopped him. Maybe it was the look that had been in her eyes when he found her in the bathroom…or maybe it was because he was a coward. All he knew was that he was in love with this woman, yet was terrified of telling her.

  He pulled her up and took her mouth, trying to convey everything he felt. He had never expected that he would find his mate. And to think that this amazing woman was his, scared the ever loving shit out of him. He had never had to worry about anyone other than himself before, but now…

  He broke away and shifted. Getting off of the couch, he lifted her in his arms and headed back upstairs where he intended to show her how he felt, over and over again…even if he was too much of a coward to say the words out loud.

  The next few days Melinda tried her hardest to forget what Stacy had said. She cursed herself for not grabbing her phone charger when she had packed and tried to convince herself that Stacy was just freaking out. Please let her have run, she thought, desperately wis
hing that she could talk to her friend. Just to make sure that she was all right. No matter what had happened, she knew that deep down, Stacy was a good person.

  She was sitting on the sofa staring at the Christmas tree lights when Colin came over and sat down beside her. They had decorated the tree and she loved just sitting and watching the lights as they glowed and twinkled. It made everything seem a bit more normal.

  “Max is on his way,” he informed her softly as he pulled her against him and nuzzled her neck.

  “Another lead?” she asked wistfully. She hated to think about being left alone yet again. She couldn’t explain it; she just felt on edge. It had been weeks and they seemed no closer to finding this band of merry bloodsuckers than they had at the start.

  “We shouldn’t be gone long,” he said with a sigh. It was just past dusk and she knew it would be another long, sleepless night.

  “I know,” she whispered. “I just feel like this is all because of me, and you and Max…”

  “Stop,” he husked, cupping her chin and lifting her face to his. “It’s what we do,” he chuckled. “Besides, a storm’s coming and we want to make sure we check the lead out before it hits.”

  She nodded, knowing it was useless to fight him on it. Colin took his promise to her mother seriously, and he was too honorable a man to just sit back and do nothing.

  He closed the distance between them and pressed his mouth against hers, his tongue sliding against hers and staking claim.

  “Don’t you two ever give it a rest?”

  Melinda pulled back and glared at the vampire. “Don’t you ever knock? “she bit out, and he graced her with a smile before blowing her a kiss.

  “Not usually. Part of the job depends on the element of surprise, Kitten.”

  “Ugh,” she huffed and Colin grinned. He took her lips again a moment before standing with a groan.

  “Get some rest, Sweetheart,” he said with a wink. “I should be back by first light.”

  “Well, let’s hope so,” Max chuffed. “I’d really prefer not to become a pile of dust.”