by Amanda LeMay
“Uproar? Really? Dad, he hasn’t spoken one single word to me since we left the feed store parking lot. Uproar?” I rolled my eyes. “That is the damned quietest uproar I’ve ever heard. I thought he was just giving me the ultimate in silent treatments.”
“Well, you gotta give the male credit, when he doesn’t know what to say, he just doesn’t say a thing. Pretty smart if you ask me.”
“And here I was thinking all his surliness was because he might actually be embarrassed or...” Jealous?
I laughed. No way. He’d walked into the store with girls pawing all over him, competing for his attention. If anything, I should’ve been the one giving him the silent treatment. But Dain wasn’t mine, never would be mine. And wow, that hurt, too.
“Have you tried to talk with him since we got back?”
“Well, I asked him why he was so pissed off, but that other wolf, Seff, came up, so Dain never gave me an answer. But since we’ve been home, no—I don’t know what to say. I mean, he’s a wolf.”
Of course girls would be all over him. And damn, I had never felt so freaking jealous in my entire life.
“Maybe it would be better if I just kind of avoided him until he cools off. I’m only going to be here for two weeks, so...”
Avoiding Dain was the last thing I wanted to do. I’d avoided him for the last two years, the two most horrible years in my entire life.
“Jessica Maccon.”
I closed my eyes and shook my head. Here we go: a real scolding this time.
“You look at me when I’m talking to you.”
And I did. It was unfair with him being way up on the back of a horse, looking down at me like a naughty pup.
“I have done nothing but encourage you to go after whatever you wanted in life and have never once been disappointed in you until right this moment.” He leaned down and lowered his voice. “Dain’s a good male. An honorable male. I love him like a son. I couldn’t wish for a better mate for my only daughter and, just like everything else in your life, you don’t sit back and wait for him to cool off or make the first move—you go get him or figure out some way to get him to come to you, because, let me tell you, there is no way in hell you two will survive without the other.”
He clicked his tongue, rode off, and left me standing there. Alone. In the dust.
Well, what the hell I am I supposed to do now?
CHAPTER NINE
OFF IN THE DISTANCE, the low, rumbling sound of a heavy-duty truck engine traveled to the house from the main road.
Maygan swiped a flour-covered hand across her forehead. “Hay’s here.”
She scooped up a handful of flour, tossed it on the lump of dough on the counter, and continued to push and fold the pale, elastic mound. Soon, we’d have some of the most delicious bread I had ever eaten.
“Would you run on out and let Chuck know I’ll be right there with a check as soon as I get this dough in a bowl?”
“You still write checks?”
“Yeah, your dad’s having a hard time catching up with technology, as far as bill paying goes.”
“Why am I not surprised?” I laughed as I headed out the kitchen door.
The broken rooster had woken me well before the sun came up and I’d flown out of bed, jumping at the chance to sit down to breakfast with Dain. I had hoped he’d worked out whatever was bugging him and might finally talk to me again.
I was wrong.
All I saw of him that morning was his tall, black silhouette against the bright orange dawn as he rode off toward the rising sun. If he needed to avoid me until he figured out what his next move might be, that was okay with me.
But I wasn’t waiting forever. Like Dad said, I would either have to face Dain or get him to come to me. One way or another, I would lay my feelings out there for him and if he wasn’t interested, then...I didn’t know what I’d do.
I’d think about that later.
I had to admit it, though, Dad might be correct—there was no future for me without Dain in it somehow.
Besides, he’d have to come back for lunch.
THE BARN DOORS HAD been shoved aside so the big hay truck pulled right in. A young man jumped out of the cab and adjusted the cowboy hat on his head. The company name on the side of the truck read Balfore Sanders & Sons, Hay & Feed.
“Sanders?” I’d seen the name at the feed lot and not really put the two together. “As in Bobby Sanders?”
“Yes, ma’am.” He smiled politely as he stuck out his hand. “How y’all doing? You must be Jessy. Chuck Sanders, nice to meetcha.”
He had that lazy, friendly Texas drawl and a wide, honest smile. I hesitated for a second before I shook his hand and held it as I searched his face. Nothing. No warning signals, no nausea, nothing to make me want to jerk my hand away in disgust.
“You and Bobby are brothers?” Stupid question, since the family resemblance was so strong.
“Yes, ma’am, not that I claim him as any kin of mine.” He smiled again, let go of my hand, and moved around to untie ropes on the truck bed.
There was nothing odd about his touch and it didn’t fill me with unexplainable nausea. He was as normal as humans come.
“Your brother is a dick.” The words just flew right out of my mouth.
Chuck burst into laughter and nodded. “Yes, ma’am, he sure is.” He turned, then offered me a curious look. “Has he been out here already?”
“Oh yeah.”
“Checking out his competition, huh?” He winked at me and continued untying the ropes.
“Oh, he has definitely let me know he’s interested.” I rubbed my hands together, trying to rub away the feel of Bobby Sanders from my skin.
Chuck resembled his brother, but where Bobby had hard sharp lines to his face that made him handsome in a dangerous, bad-boy sort of way, Chuck’s face was soft, happy, content.
He pulled a pair of leather gloves out of the truck and in the sunlight streaming into the barn, a gold wedding band flashed on his left hand.
“Are you married?”
He looked at the ring on his finger. “Yes, ma’am, happy about it, too.”
And he was. He almost glowed with happiness.
“How old are you?”
“Twenty-one. Got three of the sweetest little boys at home.”
“Triplets?”
“No, ma’am, my oldest is three, middle’s two, and the baby is six months.” He beamed as he pulled out his wallet and showed me a picture of his boys.
“Wow, you started out young.” Young for humans, and wolves. I envied him and his wife. Mated couples would love to have so many children at such a young age. It was hard enough for females to get pregnant more than a one or two times during our long lives. Unless one of the pair was a Breeder, it was extremely rare for young, mated couples to produce more than one offspring before their thirties. My mom had been a Breeder and blessed my dad with four children. I was the youngest and the only female.
“Yes, we did, and not on purpose, I’ll tell ya. You never think it’s gonna happen the first time, but damn if it didn’t. My daddy wasn’t real happy with me at first. Gave me the big lecture on responsibility and such, but he came around. It helps that my wife, Cindy, is a great gal and daddy is a sucker for my boys.” He shook his head as he threw the last of the ropes over the hay. “Bobby ever wants to get in Daddy’s good graces, he needs to stop dickin’ around. With all the girls he’s been with, it’s a wonder he doesn’t have half a dozen little Bobbys running around Comfort. Not that anything he spawned would be worth a shit, if he had anything to do with raising them.” He shook his head.
Through the aroma of hay and alfalfa, the scent I enjoyed most drifted in on the breeze—clean skin, soft cotton blankets and, yeah, that was it, sweet alfalfa. I sucked it in deep, tasting it on my tongue.
My mouth watered. I closed my eyes and tried to beat down the flame that threatened to become a full-blown fire again. But really, what was I supposed to do when the irresistible urge to strip him naked an
d kiss every inch of Dain’s body always slammed into me like a freaking freight train?
Ignore it.
Plain and simple.
I had plans. I wasn’t staying here. I didn’t want to lead him on and, hell, the thought of having him just once was never going to slake my lust.
Dain stormed into the barn a second later, breathing hard like he’d just run a couple hundred miles. He glared at Chuck, then locked his dark eyes on mine. I shuffled back a few steps as he stalked my way. The stern look on his face, the thin line of lips, the way his shoulders bunched up like he was getting ready for a fight all told me he did not want me there.
I opened my mouth to say something—anything—but I didn’t want to fight, argue, or let his foul mood push me away.
“Hey, Dain, you ready to rock this here hay?” Chuck was already up on the top of the bales, looking down at us.
Dain nodded sharply without speaking. In three long strides, he stood in front of me, crowded me, his jaw set, his eyes full of fury and—hunger.
And I still couldn’t find my voice. Especially when I had two other voices inside my head arguing back and forth.
Run.
Stand your ground.
Run!
Do not run. It’s his problem, not yours.
The second his arms wrapped around me, nothing mattered anymore. His body heat and scent engulfed me. My heart fluttered behind my ribs. His hard chest rose and fell against mine with each deep breath. One big hand supported the small of my back and the other cupped my ass. Shocked, all I managed was a tiny gasp of surprise. He stared into my eyes with an animal hunger I hadn’t seen shining there before. And the way he touched me was like he’d touched me a thousand times and memorized every line and curve of my body.
As he walked me backward toward the barn wall, his lips touched my ear. His breath blew strands of my hair and raised goosebumps all over my skin.
“Stay here.”
It wasn’t a whisper so much as a deep, rumbling growl vibrating up through his chest and into my muscles and bones. His breath heated a path down my throat. Sharp teeth nipped at the tender skin at the curve of my neck and shoulder. His arms squeezed tighter, his fingers dug deeper, his teeth scraped over my skin and left no doubt of what he intended.
My blood caught fire as I melted into him.
I couldn’t breathe. Couldn’t think.
Yes...more...please...
I gasped as Dain’s sharp teeth sliced into my flesh. A bolt of lightning shot straight down between my legs and spread throughout my entire body like fireworks bursting in my blood. When he released me, my arms were around his waist, holding on to him for dear life as my jelly legs threatened to buckle beneath me.
Dain marked me, performed a primitive rite claiming me as his prospective mate. To complete the bond, I’d need to mark him as well, preferably while having lots of wild sex.
“Mine.” The slow swirl of his warm tongue over my skin made me shiver as the punctures sealed. The soft kiss of his lips lit me up. “Mine. My sakana.”
Sakana.
That ancient word wasn’t something you whispered lightly or threw around just to get into someone’s pants. A sakana bond was a rare and precious gift from nature. In finding your sakana, you found that one wolf that would hold your heart, your body, and your soul for as long as you both lived.
And he believed we shared this bond.
He stepped back, his eyes soft, almost apologetic. I sure as hell wasn’t sorry he’d marked me. If we’d been alone, we would’ve finished the business of marking each other in private.
Calloused fingers stroked my cheek and lifted my chin. Dain tilted his head and gave me a shy little smile. Oh, I wanted more of those lips, those teeth, and that tongue.
Kiss me. Please. Kiss me.
But he didn’t. His fangs slipped into place as he backed away, pulled a pair of worn leather gloves from his pocket, and slipped them on. He disappeared around the other side of the truck. Chuck heaved bales off as if they weighed only a couple of pounds apiece.
The world rushed back in. Standing in the barn with the bright white light of sun shining through the slats, every dust speck floating on the air, the fine grain of every post and pillar and board, all seemed clearer, more defined. The aroma of good earth, sweet hay, and horses seemed more pronounced than only a moment ago. Above it all, Dain’s distinctive scent filled the air.
My eyes prickled with tears. Those two voices in my head started arguing again.
Don’t cry.
But I’m happy.
It means nothing.
Yes, it does.
He’s just a male. They’ll mark anything they can get their teeth near. Besides, he caught you alone with another male.
No. That’s not true. Dain wouldn’t and Chuck is not a threat. He’s human. He’s married.
Don’t get your hopes up. Look at Dain! The girls practically crawled all over him at the store! He’s probably screwed more than a few of them.
So what! I don’t care. He’s a wolf.
Yes. He’s a wolf, and you’re not staying here.
I interjected my own voice in there with a big “shut the fuck up”, effectively ending all internal conversation. I stared down at the dirt, attempting to hide the conflict tearing at my heart. Once settled, I looked up to catch Dain gazing back at me. A soft smile spread his lips, just enough to flash his dimples. Unfortunately, catching his eye broke his concentration and with Chuck’s bale tossing rhythm, the next one almost hit Dain in the head. Chuck busted up laughing.
“Well, I’m happy to see you two getting along so well.” Chuck’s eyes glanced at my neck. Dain’s saliva would have closed the punctures, but a nice red bite mark would still be easy to see by wolf or human. A slight eyebrow lift was Chuck’s only reaction before he continued, “You know, Dain’s been sweet on you since the first time you two met.”
“Chuck.” It was a warning Chuck chose to ignore with a grin.
“Yes, ma’am, I tell you what, it must have been love at first sight.” Chuck tossed another bale over the side.
“Chuck.” Dain growled a bit louder.
I’d lost the ability to speak once again. Dain, sweet on me since we met? This shy wolf-boy who, until a minute ago, seemed to have a difficult time looking me in the eye? If what we shared really was a sakana bond, then yeah, he would’ve been lovesick when I left.
“Oh, yeah,” Chuck kept talking, seemingly oblivious to Dain’s growling protests. “In all the years Dain and I been friends, I ain’t never seen him so taken by a pretty little girl and here you are in the flesh. I was kinda wondering why I hadn’t seen or heard from him since you been here.”
“Chuck!” Dain’s dark eyes widened as his cheeks turned red.
“What? She’s totally into you, man. Believe me, I know what it looks like, I’m married for crissakes!” Chuck wiped his brow on his sleeve then grabbed another bale. “Did he tell you about that time me and him and Bobby and a couple of Bobby’s goons all took a road trip down to Corpus Christi on New Year’s Eve for a bonfire and fireworks party? And Bobby is bragging on about how many girls he’s banged and how many more he’s gonna bang and he asks Dain here if he’s ever done it. You remember that, Dain?”
“Yeah, I remember.”
The fierce warning left Dain’s voice. Was he shocked at what his friend pointed out? Was what I felt for Dain that obvious to everyone but him?
“Bobby asks Dain if he even likes girls and Dain says, ‘only one’. Well, Bobby won’t stop pesterin’ Dain about who that one girl is and when Dain won’t give up your name, Bobby crosses the line and says he’s gonna find out and when he does, he’s gonna bang that girl his self and let Dain know if she’s worth a fuck.” Chuck shook his head and tossed another bale over the side. “Asshole.”
Dain’s muscles rippled as I heard the sudden change in the deep growl coming from inside him. It wasn’t aimed at me or at Chuck, but at the memory of that night on the beach
.
“I tell you what, Jessy, I ain’t never seen anyone move so fast in my life as when Dain jumped on Bobby. I mean, he was sitting there one second and the next he had Bobby in the sand with his big hands wrapped around Bobby’s neck and I thought for sure he was gonna kill him. We all just sat there in shock. When one of Bobby’s friends shouted out Dain’s name, he looked up at him across that bonfire and the way the flames danced in his eyes—well, that was some scary shit.” He heaved another bale over, Dain caught it and stacked it up on the others. “A’course, he let Bobby go. Took off down the beach and I tried to catch him, but he runs as fast as a damn mustang so I gave up. He answered his cell phone, though, and said to go on home without him. I told him I wasn’t leaving him there unless your daddy was coming for him. Told him I’d ditch Bobby there before I’d leave him. I called your daddy to make sure he was on his way and he was. I didn’t tell him why Dain needed a ride. Left that up to Dain.” Chuck smiled down at me. “Bobby wore those bruises around his throat like a damn diamond necklace for about three weeks, showing ’em off to anyone who wanted to see like they was one of the trophies he’d won. SOB got the biggest kick outta getting his ass handed to him by Dain.”
There were four bales left on the truck and within a minute, they too were neatly stacked in the barn. Both men took off their hats, wiped the sweat from their brows first on one shoulder and then the other, then readjusted the hats, Dain tugging his down on his forehead and Chuck tipping his back up a bit.
“You know what I remember most about that night was you sitting by the fire, playing guitar and belting out ‘La Bamba’ and any other song that came into your head.”
Chuck laughed and beat his gloves against the leg of his jeans. “Yeah, good times.”
He jumped down from the truck bed as Maygan walked into the barn with a check. She handed it over to Chuck with a “thank-you-so-much”.
“How’s your dad doing?”
“Havin’ the time of his life being a grandpa.”
“I bet he is. You and Cindy heading up to the dance tomorrow night?”
“Yes, ma’am. Christmas Eve is Grandpa’s night to put the boys to bed. Y’all heading up that way too?”