Chapter 6
Naythan watched the caravan make progress from the cover of the tree line. Morning had come way too soon and he hated unwrapping himself from Sandra to relieve Mac for the day's patrol. More to the point, his wolf hated unwrapping from Sandra and sneaking out of the tent just before dawn, but his human side was glad to be away from her so he could think.
He'd informed his Alpha about Sandra, only explaining as much as he absolutely had to, as the last thing he wanted when he was already this confused was to try to explain to his Alpha what he couldn't quite explain to his wolf, or even himself.
He was grateful that Bane hadn't said much, or really asked any questions, only raising his eyebrow at Naythan's glossed over and evasive mention that there was a woman in his tent that was under the pack's protection until she married Allen.
Bane, knowing exactly what Allen's persuasion was, and also making it known that he could smell Allen's fiancé's musk all over Naythan, had just grinned at him, raised said eyebrow, and said, "Allen's mate. Gotcha. No worries, she'll be taken care of."
Naythan didn't even stick around to defend his story, he just nodded his thanks, walked away from the caravan not yet starting to stir or pull up stakes, shifted into his wolf form, and ran toward the trees to find and relieve Mac's bear.
One good thing about pre-dawn duty was that since he helped set up camp the night before, and had patrol, he didn't have to break down camp and help the caravan get back on the road. He was grateful since stirring drunks and getting this lot moving this morning was not going to be easy.
Once he'd relieved Mac, Naythan watched from afar as the camp woke up and got going, following behind and keeping an eye on things as the group slowly made its way.
Naythan loved his wolf form, and he cleared his mind and stretched his wolf muscles, running in wider and wider circles as he patrolled, glad to give himself over to his animal for a while and avoid his human thoughts.
He reveled in his wolf, testing his speed and quickness, scenting the air, and letting his wolf gloat about bedding his mate just a few hours before.
See, I told you she was perfect. She likes us too, did you scent how wet she was for us last night? You aren't really still thinking of letting our mate marry another, are you? Not after we tasted her and took her and slept beside her.
He didn't respond to his wolf, which seemed to be an answer in itself.
How? How can you possibly let her go? What is wrong with you? His wolf roared the words as he ran, digging deeper and running harder out of pure frustration and anger.
That's exactly what I'm afraid to find out, he answered back quietly.
You are not your father! His wolf growled.
* * *
Later on as the afternoon got colder and the first snow of the season started to fall in fat, wet, heavy flakes, the scent of fear on the wind got Naythan's attention. He raised his muzzle into the air and followed the trail. As he got closer he could hear a woman's screams and a man's voice rumble, "Scream all you want, bitch, no one can hear you out here. The caravan has moved out of range, making so much noise of its own that no one even knows you're gone."
Another male voice added his own words, "All we want is your money. Had it over and we'll let you go to chase after the crowd."
"Speak for yourself, Lance. Just because you're too old to get it up doesn't mean the rest of us don't want a few minutes of her time."
The one who spoke last was holding the woman from behind. He had one arm wrapped around her waist while the other hand was trying to undo the ties of her pants to shove his hand down inside them.
Her eyes were wild and she was alternating between screaming loudly and begging for them to leave her alone while they ignored her or laughed at her efforts.
Naythan saw red and started to growl.
The men's attentions were still on their prey, it was the woman who saw him first.
Her eyes widened even more as she stared at his wolf. He approached slowly, growling louder and more threateningly as he got closer.
The man holding her saw him before the others did and grunted, "It's a wolf, and a big one. My guess is he's a werewolf. Somebody kill it, my hands are full."
The other two turned on Naythan, one holding a knife out in front of him, the other pulling back on a bow, already pointing an arrow at his heart.
Naythan lunged at the bow first, aiming for the man before he could release the string. Since the man's arms were raised to shoot, Naythan stayed low, protecting his heart and sliding into the man's personal space. He bit hard, sinking his teeth into the man's tender abdomen and then tearing, yanking his head hard to rip as much as he could.
He felt the other man bury his knife into his hindquarters, and almost yelped but he didn't dare let go of the man with the bow. Not while he was still moving anyway.
Naythan tasted blood but above that he smelled the rich, metallic brine that told him he'd succeeded in spilling the man's intestines. He felt the rush of warm gut-blood and knew that the man was dead, or would be in seconds.
Only then did he turn to the other man, now weaponless, as his knife was still deep in Naythan's furr and muscle.
He bared his now bloody teeth at the man and watched as he lost a few shades of color. He didn't run though, instead shouted to his friend, still holding the woman.
"Toss me something!"
Naythan turned his head and growled at that man, daring him to even reach for a weapon to throw.
The man holding the woman shook his head no as he stared at Naythan.
"Sorry man, you're on your own!"
He let go of the woman then, shoving her hard toward Naythan and running even harder the other way.
Naythan was tempted to run after him, as fleeing prey was so much more fun to catch than standing prey, but then he saw what the running man hadn't yet- Mac.
Mac's bear was ambling this way, no longer in any real hurry since the man was running straight at him in a panic.
Naythan's gaze swung to the woman instead. She was as still as a spooked rabbit, staring back at Naythan from where she'd fallen.
He turned back to the knifeless third man and lunged.
* * *
After they'd seen the woman back to her family, and once Naythan had been relieved of duty, he and Mac walked and talked as the caravan slowed down, looking for a place to stop for the night. They were another full day's travels away from the castle where they were aiming to spend the Christmas holidays, so it would be another night in the tents, and Naythan's mind was on Sandra, wondering if she would come to his tent again tonight or stay in her own.
Naythan was glad they were slowing, he knew his wolf blood would heal his body quickly. There would be no sign of his wound by morning, but he was getting tired of hiding the slight limp as he walked. He'd already gotten enough grief about getting stabbed in his ass to last him a lifetime. He was still a bit tender, so a slow walk was better than sitting, but if Mac made one more crack about the placement of his wound he was going to find himself with a matching one.
"So, about this 'I'm not good enough to take on a mate' bullshit..." Mac started.
Naythan changed his mind.
"Can we go back to talking about my ass instead?"
"When I went to that stream this afternoon to chase salmon for lunch and saw you out there taking care of things, I watched you. You didn't need my help, but when one of those assholes came right at me I wasn't going to throw him back to you. He became all mine, but you had things under control. You saved that lady. I know it's part of your job, but you would have done that even if it wasn't.
I've know you many years Naythan, since your pack adopted me as a small cub, and I can honestly tell you that not once have I ever thought 'that Naythan's just like his dad.' Not ever. I knew your dad, remember? He died about five years or so after you all took me in."
"He didn't 'die.' He was killed. He was killed after being caught by his lover's mate, in another wolf's den,
when he was supposed to be with my mother."
"I know. I was trying to be delicate about it."
"There's no need. I know what he was. Everyone knew what he was, except his own mate."
"I heard something else about the night that your dad was killed."
"What?" Naythan asked, on edge.
"I heard your old man was sporting a hell of a shiner that night, before that guy laid a hand on him."
Naythan laughed in spite of his thoughts, "I got lucky. I was just a kid myself, he ducked wrong trying to evade me while I nearly missed, two mistakes resulting in a lucky punch."
"You stuck up for your mother. You dove in there today. Those are just two examples out of many years of examples that I could list. You're a good wolf, Naythan. And you're a good man. Lots of guys like to play the field until their mate comes along, just because you enjoy the ladies does not mean that you would ever mistreat a mate. You're loyal. You were loyal to your mother and you're loyal to your pack. You don't get to be second in command to the Alpha with loyalty issues.
Now, you can do whatever you want, obviously, but the smart move is to trust your wolf. Whether you intended to stay single forever or not, your wolf has other ideas, and far be it for me to say but I'm thinking your wolf has made the smarter decision here.
I'll admit it, I'm jealous as hell. I'd love for my bear to scent my mate, I can't imagine anything better than curling up to the one who's right for me every night, having someone to go home to, someone to raise a whole den full of cubs with, someone to live and fight and die for. It seems like it would give more of a purpose to my life than just the pack, but I get that it may just be me. Us bears, as far as I know, are more homey than you wolves. I need a sexy, curvy goddess to keep me from getting grumpy all winter. I may be half human, but the pull to hibernate all winter with a soft, warm, willing woman is still there.
I'll just come out and say it, you're crazy to even think about letting your fated mate get away, let alone helping tie her to someone else. But if crazy is how you roll, so be it. Don't settle down if you don't want to, that's between you and your wolf. But don't avoid a perfectly good chance at happiness because you don't think you're good enough, or cause you think you'll turn out like your father. Your father never stopped to think for a minute about how his ways affected his mate, the fact that you haven't even claimed yours yet and you're worried about her happiness just proves you are nothing like him."
As Mac talked Naythan spotted Sandra. He saw that she'd gotten new clothes from one of the wagons that sold such things. He'd left her a set of his clothes to wear when he slipped out of the tent this morning, so she didn't have to put her wedding dress back on, but he'd known when he laid them out for her that they were way too big, so he'd left some coins on top of the pile so she could pick out whatever she wanted for herself once she woke. She'd chosen well, he noticed, as his eyes followed every curve the simple tunic and pants clung to.
His wolf had been seconding every word Mac spoke, and was urging Naythan to go to her and tell her that he wanted her for his own, and as Naythan watched her smile as she visited and talked with people, already making friends, and preparing to help make camp, he had to admit that the thought of taking a mate was no longer as scary as it had been just the day before.
The day before he hadn't scented her yet, or kissed her, or felt her naked skin under his as they filled his tent with the scent of their joining. Before yesterday he hadn't slept with her against him through the night. Before yesterday she hadn't existed for him at all, but now- after all of those things- everything had changed. He had changed.
Before Sandra he didn't sleep beside his conquests, he left them as soon as was polite, sometimes even sooner. Before Sandra the scent of a woman aroused his libido, but she was the first to arouse his wolf. Before Sandra, once he had gotten his prey into his bed, he didn't feel the need to do so again unless he was just bored or lonely, but now getting her back into his tent was all he could think about. His wolf howled his agreement and he made his excuses to Mac, leaving his friend in pursuit of his mate.
Before there was no Sandra, and now Sandra was everything.
Chapter 7
Sandra ducked around the parked wagons to find Bane and ask what she could do to help set up camp before she was supposed to meet with Allen again for dinner. They had already spent a large part of the day traveling together as Naythan patrolled. She'd met Bane, shopped for a few basic sets of clothing, and rode for a long while with Allen, discussing what would be expected of each of them once they went through with the wedding.
He'd said that after Christmas she would go home with him to meet his parents and see their lands, but he would send a message ahead as soon as they reached the castle late the next day so his parents would have the holidays to start preparing for the wedding.
She'd tried to focus on all of the things he had told her, but she found that her mind kept returning to Naythan.
She'd slept in longer than she had in ages, warm and cozy in his bed, but eventually the sounds of the waking caravan had stirred her. She laid there for a few more minutes, still in shock at the turn of events of the day before.
Yesterday when she woke she had been engaged to one man, and this morning, just twenty-four hours later, after climbing out a church window and making a break for it, she was engaged to a different man, and had spent what was supposed to have been her honeymoon in a tent, having amazing, toe-curling sex with a third, completely different man.
Funny how life turns out, she thought as she stretched sore body parts still under warm blankets and furs as the winter wind danced against the tent she was snug and content inside of.
She remembered thinking that she wished her soon-to-be new husband's home wasn't so far away from here, as she'd love to be able to visit Naythan on occasion. Although, from what she'd learned about him already, he might not be interested in that kind of arrangement even if they were to live close by, since he seemed to detangle himself quickly from any woman he did happen to find himself tangled with.
Such a shame that he wasn't the marrying kind. I could get used to seeing his face over breakfast every morning, and tucked between my thighs every night.
She giggled at her own naughty thoughts. If only he was willing... and rich. But that would have been way too perfect, she sighed.
And then she sat up and looked around. Her gaze fell first to the mound of clothes that seemed to be set out for her, and then her eyes focused on what was glowing dully on top of that mound.
No! He didn't! Did he? What the hell? No one leaves cash basically on the bed side table after a night like last night unless...
That asshole! He paid me for sex like I was some whore!
She stood up quickly then, yanking her wedding dress back on in a rage and leaving the cash and the clothes behind.
She still burned with the rage and embarrassment of it hours later as she looked for Bane, hoping she could help him set up and be gone before Naythan got back. Bane had told her this morning that her un-slept in tent was hers for the duration of the journey, if she wanted it. She did still want it, since she didn't quite have the nerve yet to ask Allen if he could put her up as his fiancé, but she knew she just needed it for one more night.
They'd be at the castle the next night, although she wasn't quite sure where she'd be sleeping there either. She resolved to address that with Allen at dinner here in a few minutes, if she could just find Bane and see where he wanted her to set up- away from Naythan's tent this time. Far away!
She heard a muffled footstep behind her in the thickening snow and turned, grateful that Bane must have come looking for her as well.
It was Naythan though that she found herself facing in the small space between two wagons.
Damn, but he looks so sexy!
She found herself thrown by his sudden appearance, forgetting for a minute that she was pissed at him.
He looked like he was on a mission, his eyes all focused and
direct, and his mouth set in a line.
"I'd like to talk to you," he started speaking as he walked closer.
"I have a few things I'd like to say to you, too!"
He came closer, only stopping when they were practically toe to toe.
She started to give him what for, but the angry words were tripping over themselves in her brain, all vying to be the first ones out of her mouth. She fisted her hands at her sides, stepping toward him, unsure if she was going to yell at him or punch him, but he must have mistook her attack for something else cause he stepped to her as she advanced on him, and before she could kill him he was kissing her hard.
He'd taken her own momentum and used it against her, meeting her mid-stride, slipping his hands between her arms and her waist, wrapping around her and pressing their bodies together as he spun her.
He turned her and lifted at the same time, one arm around her waist and the other sliding under her ass to both hold her weight and cop a feel as he backed her up until she felt her back hit the sides of one of the wagons.
Her legs came around his hips out of instinct, holding on and squeezing him close. She locked her ankles together behind him without thinking. The seeking, sensuous kisses of the night before were nowhere to be found, instead he kissed her with a hunger she couldn't help but respond to.
Their mouths and tongues did battle as she gripped him between her thighs and hugged his neck. The wagon was hard against her back and he was hard against her front.
If she'd been wearing a dress she had the feeling he'd already be buried inside her, taking her hard. Like he had a right to. Like he owned her.
She turned her head, pulling her mouth from his and yanking his face further from hers by pulling his hair.
"No! Stop it! You don't get to just... I left your money where it sat. I'm assuming Bane has it, he took down your tent this morning."
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