That had been two beers ago. Ryne still wasn’t here and she’d given up looking expectantly at the door every time it opened. Sighing, she knew she should just leave, but some small part of her held onto the hope the he would still come; that he’d just been delayed.
What kind of a masochistic person did that, she wondered. Here she sat, alone in a bar, waiting for a man who didn’t have the decency to tell her he’d be late or unable to come at all. Not only that, but he’d lied to her about the wolf by the stream, and she strongly suspected there was something fishy about the wolf attack on her first day in Stump River. On top of those sins, there was the fact that he had given a ridiculous answer to a very basic and harmless question about his background.
‘Didn’t exist before photography’ indeed! He’d been mocking her, just as he’d done so many times before. Why did he have to be so difficult? And why had he been all in a snit about those stupid pictures she’d accidentally downloaded? Why had he suddenly walked away, just when things were getting interesting between them? He’d had sex with her, then brushed her off, then teased her by getting into her bed, all naked and hunky. Mel felt herself getting aroused, just at the thought of the man being between her sheets. She shifted on the bar stool, trying to ignore the excitement building low in her belly.
“You okay, little lady?” The bear was back, leaning against the bar and staring down at her from his incredible height.
“Sure, I’ve never been better.” Mel tried to put on a happy face and lifted her glass to take another sip, only to find it empty. She set it down and pouted. Darn, it was all gone, just when she was starting to actually like the stuff.
“No problem. Have another.” The bartender placed another beer in front of her and Mel smiled up at him. What a nice man, even if he did look like a bear! She told him so and he laughed. It was a booming sound that filled the whole room, causing several patrons to turn and look their way. “Thank you. So, if I’m a nice man, care to tell me all your troubles? I’m a good listener.”
Mel considered the idea while eyeing him up and down. He was big and hairy, but in a friendly, overgrown teddy bear kind of a way. “Well, you see—”
“Mel!” A friendly voice spoke behind her and an arm encircled her shoulders. Mel looked up wondering who was behind her and saw Bryan grinning down at her.
“Hey Bryan!” She peered around him, spotted Daniel as well, and waggled her fingers at him.
Bryan slid into a seat beside her. “What are you doing here all by yourself?”
Mel felt her mouth droop. She didn’t want to bad-mouth his friend, so just shrugged.
“That’s what I want to know.” Armand added. “She’s been sitting here for over hour, all alone and drowning her sorrows.
“An hour? You mean you didn’t read Ryne’s message?” Bryan stared at her quizzically.
“Message?”
“Yeah. I left it at the Gazette for you when I went to pick up a copy of the paper. Beth said you weren’t in yet, so I… ” His voice trailed off and he got a funny look on his face. “Oh man, I’m in deep trouble now.”
“Why? What’s wrong?” Mel, Daniel, and Armand spoke simultaneously as they watched Bryan dig frantically in his pocket, finally pulling out a crumpled bit of paper.
He handed the paper to Mel, then folded his arms on the bar and buried his head in them. “I am so dead.”
Mel opened the note and blinked at it. The scrawl that passed for writing was hard to read given the dim lighting and the wrinkled state of the paper. Nor was the legibility improved by the way her eyes kept going in and out of focus, as the effects of the beer she’d drank took further hold.
Armand plucked the note from her hand and read it out loud. “Melody, I have to go out of town. Meet me at six.”
“Oh, well that explains it.” Mel glanced at the clock on the wall and frowned. It was a typical round-faced time piece except for the fact that all the numbers were a five rather than the accepted one to twelve. Underneath there was a caption declaring “this bar opens at five.’ Huh. She supposed that was funny. Right now, however, it was just annoying, because it really was five, or at least she thought so. Scrunching her face, she studied the clock carefully; the big hand was at the…
Obviously noticing her confusion, Daniel reached over and patted her shoulder. “Yes, it really is five o’clock, so Ryne won’t be here for another hour.”
“Well, that’s just great. I’ve sat here for a whole hour for no reason and now I have to wait an hour more.” Mel growled in frustration and lightly smacked Bryan on the back of the head.
“Hey, that’s not nice.” He lifted his head and glared at her.
“Neither was forgetting to tell me.” She propped her chin on her hand.
“We’ll make it up to you, won’t we, Daniel?” Bryan sat up straighter and glanced at his friend.
“Sure, but just remember when Ryne shows up, none of this was my fault.” Daniel threw up his hands, indicating an abdication of responsibility.
Bryan scowled. “Glad I have your support.”
“Any time.” Daniel grinned and then guided Mel off the bar stool. “Come on, Mel. Let’s go wear off some of that beer and play some pool. Armand, can we have some food?”
Chapter 24
Ryne hummed under his breath as he approached the Broken Antler. Damn, but it had been a good day. New pack members, what more could he want? They seemed like a nice family and were staying in Timmins for a while until temporary housing could be found in Stump River. Marco’s mate was Olivia and the baby was Angelo. The sister, Tessa, seemed quite nervous, but Ryne supposed given the fact that the last Alpha had been trying to force a union, it was understandable.
At first, Marco had wanted to come back with Ryne, but there weren’t enough rooms prepared at the house just yet. Also, in order to keep people from wondering too much about the new arrivals, Ryne had decided that they should appear to not really know each other at first and then gradually develop a friendship.
“Otherwise, the townsfolk might become suspicious as to why I’m suddenly importing families to Stump River and housing them at my place.” He’d explained. After checking that the family had all they needed, he’d given Marco the job of contacting the registry. Soon the underground Lycan network would be in motion, working on the necessary documentation to smooth over immigration laws. No one would ever be able to question the family’s sudden appearance in a new country.
Ryne spotted a familiar pickup truck parked nearby. The boys were in town. Bryan and Daniel would be pleased with his news. He hadn’t told them why he was going to Timmins, though he suspected Bryan had a good idea. The boy might enjoy a good time, but he was no dummy, able to read his Alpha’s mood with a high degree of accuracy. Ryne appreciated that quality. It saved time, not always having to explain himself.
Pausing outside the Broken Antler, Ryne went over his plan, if you could call something so simple a plan. He was going to explain to Melody he’d changed his mind and the interview was now cancelled. She’d protest, but he was sure he’d be able to get her to comply. For some reason, she bowed to his Alpha will almost instantaneously.
He felt a tinge of regret at having to cut off their relationship this abruptly, but it was for the best. Now that he had even more pack members to watch out for, the need to remain out of the limelight had intensified.
As he contemplated Melody leaving, he felt a wash of anger flow through him, strong enough that he stopped in his tracks. What the… ? Giving his head a shake, he leaned against a nearby building and rubbed his hands over his face in frustration; this was happening too often. His wolf was forgetting its place, which meant lurking in the background and only coming out when called. The rough texture of the wall dug into this back and he welcomed the feeling and the distraction it provided. Keeping his senses busy, kept his wolf busy. If the beast was sufficiently occupied with assessing the sensations around it, his logical human self could regain control.
; Slowly, he felt himself calming and relaxed his tightly coiled muscles. He took a deep breath and began to analyze the situation. Okay, what was upsetting the balance inside him? This had been happening on and off all week, his inner wolf fighting for dominance, affecting his moods, leading him into actions he would normally think twice about, such as bedding Melody even though he knew she was a potential threat.
If he didn’t know better, he’d think his wolf was a tad love-sick; all moody emotions and more randy than ever. But Mel wasn’t a werewolf, so that explanation fell short. To be sure, weres and humans occasionally met and fell in love, but it followed a more slow, mushy, ‘human’ pace.
When werewolves met, the attraction usually grew quickly, though not always. He recalled that his brother, Kane, claimed he and Elise took a while to form a bond. Mind you, that was an arranged mating, so Ryne suspected that circumstances skewed events a bit. Of course, in the end the two fell in love and were now inseparable.
A car passed by and honked its horn. Automatically, Ryne raised a hand and waved, not really knowing who he was waving at, but Stump River was friendly that way. The noise had brought his focus back to the immediate situation, Melody, and his wolf’s attachment to her.
It wasn’t safe. It made no sense. There was no future in pursuing a relationship with the girl, so his wolf might just as well give it up. They were not having Melody, not anymore, no matter how much growling and protesting went on. An unsettled feeling roiled around inside him, but he set his jaw and pushed off from the wall. Covering the remaining distance to the bar in a few steps, he grasped the door handle and entered.
All the usual scents and sounds swirled around him. Sweat and beer, oil for frying, colognes… The room was dimly lit, the glow from the big screen TV casting a bluish hue over the people and furniture near it. It was a typical Wednesday night crowd, not packed, but still sufficient bodies that it took a few minutes to find whoever you were looking for.
Ryne narrowed his eyes, scanning the crowd and searching the scents. Was Melody here yet? He was a few minutes late and she’d been prompt last time. Ah-ha! She was by the pool table with Bryan and Daniel. Pushing his way through the crowd, he made his way over to his friends.
As he drew nearer, he could hear Melody’s excited voice accompanied by Bryan’s laughter and the guffaws of other males. He frowned. What was going on?
Quickly covering the last few yards, he shoved between the shoulders of the gathered crowd and stopped short. Melody was playing pool. That in itself was not so shocking, but her appearance was. With a practised eye, Ryne scanned her and concluded that she was more than a little tipsy. Her face was flushed, her eyes a bit unfocused. She was giggling away, as if there had never been anything funnier than leaning on a pool cue and wobbling back and forth with a distinct lack of balance.
Before he could move, Melody leaned over the pool table to take a shot and the crowd erupted in approving catcalls. She looked up at her fans and smiled, batting her long lashed and giving her ass a little wiggle, which elicited even more cheers. Then, frowning in concentration, she stuck the tip of her tongue out of the corner of her mouth and lined up her shot. Ryne took in the angle and arrangement of the balls. It would be difficult, but a skilled player could feasibly clear the board. Somehow, he doubted Melody fell into that category. Ignoring the game, he looked at her instead.
Her hair was pulled up on top of her head in some form of knot though quite a few strands had escaped and fell about her face in interesting little ringlets. She exhaled, arranging her mouth so that the poof of air went upwards and lifted the curls for a moment before they settled back in place. Ryne noted that she wet her lips as her arm drew back, ready to strike the ball with the cue. She was wearing that red top he’d admired the other day, the one with the draw string around the neck.
He shifted his gaze to the neckline and stiffened. The tie was undone and the top was gaping open, giving everyone assembled an unrestricted view of her bountiful assets! Little wonder they were cheering! A rumble rose in his throat. No one should be looking at her, except him. Stepping forward, intent on hiding her from prying eyes, Ryne didn’t even notice that she’d made her move and the balls were rocketing across the pool table before tumbling into the pockets.
The crowded cheered and Melody stood up grinning, raising her arms in victory.
“Way to go, Mel!” Bryan whooped in obvious delight. “All right everybody, time to pay up!” He pulled a piece of paper and pencil from his pocket and looked expectantly at a disgruntled looking group of men.
Daniel grabbed Melody by the waist, gave her a congratulatory peck on the cheek, and then spun her around. “I knew you could do it, Mel! Three games in a row!”
“Daniel!” Ryne’s voice cut through the general air of jubilation like a knife, his fury a tangible thing.
Despite the noise of the crowd, Daniel seemed to have no difficulty hearing his Alpha’s voice; his response was immediate. The boy froze and unceremoniously let go of Melody who stumbled at the sudden lack of support.
“Ryne! You’re here.” Daniel winced even as he spoke and took a step back, his expression wary.
“And not a moment too soon. Did you forget my instructions?” Ryne snarled and flashed his eyes towards Melody before staring at his pack mate again. Daniel gulped and nudged Bryan who was busily collecting money from one of the patrons, not having noticed the general stillness that fell around the pool table. Bryan looked up, paled, and backed away.
Good. Get away from the girl. Ryne nodded in a brief acknowledgement of their obedience before focusing his attention on Melody. She was still looking a bit tipsy, but smiling happily none the less at the small group of men gathered around her. One was shaking her hand while another congratulated her, patting her on the back. Someone pressed a kiss to her cheek— No! They had no right. Without caring what the crowd might think, Ryne reached out and grabbed her by the arm, yanking her to his side. Despite the protests of those gathered, he strode across the bar, hustling Mel along with him.
He moved swiftly down the long dark hallway that led to the employee’s washroom, but when he reached the door his hand hovered over the handle. No, not here. Moving farther along, he opened another door and stepped inside. The sign proclaimed it to be Armand’s office, but he didn’t care. Kicking the door shut, he flicked the lock and turned with a growl to face the surprised woman by his side.
“What the hell do you think you are doing?”
Melody blinked at him owlishly, and then frowned. “Are you angry with me?”
“Angry? I’m… ” He clamped his mouth shut unable to put into words the multitude of emotions he was feeling at that moment. She’d put herself on display, let other men touch her. On top of that she’d been drinking and who knows what might have happened with her inhibitions all… un-inhibited! Breathing heavily, he fought to remain in control.
“Ryne? Don’t be upset. I didn’t lose any money. I won all the games.” She was sliding her hand up his chest while staring up at him earnestly. He closed his eyes as delicious little frissons of electricity erupted along the pathway her hand had travelled. “What’s wrong? I was just waiting for you.” A hiccup escaped her lips and she giggled.
Ryne wrinkled his nose at the smell of beer on her breath. “You’ve been drinking.”
“Uh-huh. Armand gave me beer. Lots and lots of beer because you didn’t come at four like you said and I was waiting and waiting and waiting.” She shook her head disapprovingly and made tsking noises before ruining the whole effect by giggling again.
Letting go of her arm, he ran his hands through his hair while trying to remember that he was angry with her. Melody was adorable when she was a bit drunk. Ringlets swished back and forth as she shook her head and he longed to wrap them around his finger. He forced himself to remain stern. “I left you a note, saying I’d be late. It’s your own fault if you arrived too early.”
Her lips formed into a pout. “No, it’s not. Bryan never g
ave me the note. Oops!” She clamped her hands over her mouth and stared up at him wide-eyed. Whispering between her fingers, she continued. “I wasn’t supposed to say that, ’cause we don’t want you to be angry. You won’t yell at him, will you?”
Suppressing a growl, Ryne agreed. “No I won’t yell at him.” Kick him in the ass maybe; put him on the night watch for a month, possibly. But yell at him? No.
“That’s good.” She grinned at him, happy once again. “See? You can be nice when you want. You’re not always an ass-hole.”
“Oh really?” He folded his arms and stared down at her. If she wasn’t acting so cute, he’d have ripped a strip off of her for that comment, even if there was a grain of truth to it. “And how have I been an ass-hole?”
“Well you won’t talk to me about your work, and when you do, you give stupid answers. Then you lied about Harley and you keep getting me all worked up by being nice and sexy, and then suddenly you’re cold and sarcastic. And you left me sitting in the bar by myself for hours and hours… ” By now Melody’s happy mood seemed to have faded and she was scowling at him. She ended her statement by shoving against his chest and turning to leave.
“Oh, no you don’t.” Ryne grabbed her arm and hauled her back. “You’re not leaving yet. We have to talk.”
“We have talked. Now I remember why I was mad at you and I want to go.” She huffed and blew a strand of hair out of her eyes.
“No!” His wolf was stirring restlessly again. The female was defying him, trying to leave. He pulled her closer to him so that their bodies were touching.
The Keeping Page 25