Untamed (The Amoveo Legend 3)

by Sara Humphreys

“I’m pissed, and a walk isn’t going to cut it.” Her green eyes glittered with determination. “Come on, counselor. We’re going for a ride.”

  She’d saddled the horses with the ease of experience, and in no time they were on horseback and headed along a well-worn trail. William was riding a massive gelding with a chestnut coat named Mudpie, and Layla led the way on a brown and white-spotted mare she referred to as Freckles. The irony was not lost on him. They walked at a steady pace along the narrow path through the dense woods, and the horses seemed to know the path by heart.

  Layla glanced over her shoulder at him, the reins comfortably held in one hand. “How you doin’ back there?”

  William smirked. “Quite well. Mudpie is a good, strong horse. He reminds me of one of the horses we had when I was growing up. I enjoy a ride in the woods, but riding in the snow is my personal favorite. It’s invigorating.”

  She hadn’t even asked him if he could ride a horse and had been visibly surprised when he put one foot in the stirrup and swung his leg over with ease. He liked that he wasn’t the only one getting a surprise or two.

  “You had horses?” she asked as she ducked under a low hanging branch. “Where did you grow up?”

  She wanted to know more about him. This was a good sign.

  “On the outskirts of Nome, Alaska.” William watched for her reaction, but she kept her back to him. Her energy waves remained calm. So far, so good. “As you know, I am a gyrfalcon. My father is as well, and my mother is in the Wolf Clan—the Arctic Wolf Clan.” He shrugged. “We are partial to cold weather, and the remote area allows us to roam in our clan form. It’s quite liberating really. I am always fascinated by Amoveo who choose to reside in cities.” He furrowed his brow. “It seems to me it would be quite stifling to have to limit being in one’s clan form so often.”

  She agreed absently. “I guess.”

  William sharpened his focus. Something wasn’t right. Layla seemed detached, as if she had no idea what he was talking about. She must know that feeling of freedom to run in clan form. It was when they felt most alive—most connected to who they really were under the skin.

  “Don’t you think so, Layla?” he asked. “You must love running through these woods in your cheetah form.” He looked around the woods, and recognition crept in. “This is the place you have been creating in the dream realm. I would imagine you shifted and indulged in these woods often.”

  Layla said nothing, but her energy waves skittered subtly, and William’s senses went on high alert. Even her posture on the horse had gone from relaxed and easy to stiff and on high alert. She was wound as tightly as he’d ever seen her. She was clearly bothered by the mention of shifting. But why? Why would it bother her to—?

  Realization washed over him as he put the pieces together.

  Layla had never shifted before.

  Last night in the dream realm she cut him off as soon as he mentioned shifting in the physical world, and now the mention of shifting pissed her off. He suspected she’d never been able to shift and didn’t want him to know, or at the very least, didn’t trust him enough to tell him.

  He kept his focus on her as they approached an opening that led to a wider path in the woods and noted that her energy waves pulsed nervously. William heard the ripples of a stream flowing nearby and felt her energy in perfect time with the sounds of the water in the distance.

  Her connections to this property were yet another aspect of her Amoveo heritage. She had imprinted on this place the same way he had imprinted on his home in Alaska. It was this psychic muscle memory that allowed them to use visualization for travel, among other things, but given the latest revelation, he suspected she didn’t realize the extent of the power she held.

  Lost in his own thoughts, it took him a minute to realize Layla was staring at him over her shoulder. Her green eyes twinkled mischievously, and a challenging smile spread over her peaches-and-cream face. “Try to keep up, counselor.”

  Before he could ask what she meant, Layla clucked loudly at Freckles, and the two took off at a gallop. William watched his mate ride away as her red hair flew wildly behind her, and laughter peppered the air. He reached out to her with his mind, and his body hummed the moment he connected his energy signature with hers. No problem, Firefly.

  “Yah,” William barked loudly, kicked, and urged his horse forward.

  The gelding did as commanded and took off like a shot after Layla and her mare. He caught up to her quickly, and with the wider path, was able to gallop alongside her—but not for long. Layla threw him a wicked grin, kicked the mare, and shot out ahead of him again. William laughed and maneuvered his horse directly behind Layla’s, looking for the first opportunity to get next to her again.

  The path narrowed, curved to the left, and the trees gave way to a rippling stream, which ran next to the path. The horse’s hooves thundered loudly through the quiet woods, and William felt his excitement rise.

  There was nothing more exhilarating than the chase.

  The path and stream curved to the right just as Layla cast a glance over her shoulder, looking for William. As a result she didn’t see the enormous oak tree that had fallen and blocked the path. What happened next happened in a split second.

  William pulled back hard on the reins and barely kept Mudpie from running into Freckles. He watched in horror as Freckles came to a screeching halt, and Layla was thrown head over feet through the air, before landing with an audible grunt on the other side of the log. William’s heart pounded and dread swamped him as he lost sight of her.

  He jumped off his horse, and with unnatural speed, scrambled over the enormous tree trunk. He landed on the ground next to Layla’s motionless form, squatted, and pushed the mass of curls off her face. Dirt smudged her fair skin, and blood trickled down from a cut on her left eyebrow. His heart hammered in his chest, and he linked his energy signature instantly with hers—scanning her life force, searching for other injuries she might have suffered. To his great relief, she seemed to be relatively unharmed, and he let out the breath he didn’t realize he’d been holding.

  He slipped his arms beneath her, and as he scooped her up with minimal effort, she mumbled something inaudible and grimaced in pain. William sat down as gingerly as possible and leaned back on the fallen tree trunk with Layla’s delicate form cradled safely against him. Her soft bottom nestled in his lap, and her spicy scent surrounded him. William kissed the top of her head as it rested against his shoulder, and she moaned softly in response.

  “Layla,” he said in a shaky whisper. “Please wake up.”

  He studied her face and sent out a silent prayer that she would awaken unscathed. He was furious with himself for being so reckless. It was not like him to be this careless and throw all caution to the wind, which only further proved that this woman had him completely off his game. In the middle of scolding himself, those big green eyes fluttered open and latched onto his.

  “You know,” she breathed. “There are easier ways to get me on my back.” Her pink lips curved into a weak smile. She laughed softly but winced from the pain and tried to touch the cut on her eyebrow, but he took her delicate hand in his. Her warm fingers felt like silk as they tangled with his.

  Holding her gaze, he pressed her hand to his chest and shook his head. “Don’t touch it,” he said gently as he inspected the injury. “We’ll clean it up back at the house.” William’s gaze slid over her lovely face, and his heart thundered in his chest. “I’m sure Rosie has something that will do, and you should heal quickly,” he whispered hoarsely.

  It was pure torture to have her body against his and not claim her. Wrestling with his desire, he squeezed her hand tighter and stroked her arm with the other. Layla’s eyes widened. She squirmed in his lap, which only served to make every inch of him harder than a rock.

  He’d never wanted anyone with such intensity, and it took every ounce of self-control to keep from throwing her on the ground and ravaging her like some kind of crazed animal. Struggli
ng against the driving need to devour her, he held her tighter, and his heart skipped a beat as Layla’s fingers dug into his chest in response. Silence hung heavily between them, their energy signatures mingled in the air, and the rapid thrumming of their heartbeats tumbled in sync with one another.

  Layla’s tongue darted out, moistening that sinful-looking mouth seductively. The instant William’s heated stare zeroed in on those luscious lips, his eyes tingled and shifted, causing every part of him to harden to the point of pain.

  Memories of their kiss in the dream realm battered him as he let his gaze wander over the beautiful landscape of her face, wanting to commit every inch to memory. The tiny, upturned nose, the creamy skin with caramel freckles, and those glorious, high cheekbones that looked to be carved from the finest china.

  However, nothing compared to the mesmerizing eyes of her clan, which glowed brightly at him with the intriguing prism of colors so distinctly hers. William cradled her in his arms, but when their eyes met, he was the one held captive. He had to taste her. It was no longer a matter of want. He had to. Trapped by those glowing pools of gold and green, his last shred of restraint snapped.

  A low growl rumbled in this throat as his mouth crashed onto hers. White-hot desire blazed brighter as she opened that succulent mouth and touched her tongue to his. She tasted like honey, bubble gum, and spice. Their lips melded. She moaned and clutched him closer to her. Teeth nibbling. Tongues tangling. Tasting. Touching.

  He couldn’t get close enough.

  Lips firmly fused, Layla reached up and removed the leather tie holding his hair back. His long blond hair fell over their faces, and he felt for a moment as though they were hidden from the world. That’s what he wanted—to take her and hide her away from anyone or anything that could harm her.

  William sighed into her mouth when she tangled her fingers in the pale strands and pulled him close, deepening the kiss. It was an erotic and intimate sensation to have her fondle his tongue with hers, urging him to the brink of madness.

  He almost came apart right then and there.

  William took her head in both of his hands and devoured her mouth with his. She sat up, and in one swift motion, she straddled him. He smiled against her mouth. Someone is feeling better.

  She grabbed fistfuls of his hair and suckled his lips. Better? I’m way beyond better. When her lusty voice breezed into his head, it intensified the entire experience, and desire swamped his body and mind.

  William reveled in the handfuls of curls that flowed through his fingers, while he paid thorough attention to the velvety cavern of her mouth. She was fire to his ice, but somehow, they fit… perfectly. Her tongue stroked the roof of his mouth, and her sweet lips fused exquisitely with his.

  Food? Sleep? Not necessary. He knew now that kissing this woman and holding her in his arms was all the sustenance he would ever require. He could kiss her forever.

  A deafening crack of thunder shattered the silence of the woods, and within seconds rain poured down and soaked them to the bone. The horses whinnied and shuffled nervously at the sudden change in the weather. Layla suckled his bottom lip and held it between her teeth for a moment before releasing it.

  “That’s not me this time. It’s good old Mother Nature,” she said. Laughing, she threw her head back and caught the cold, pelting rain in her open mouth. Those were some lucky raindrops.

  He ran his hands down her slim back and rested them on her hips, which were nestled snugly against his. He smiled as she reveled in the rain, but his happiness was short-lived when he saw the rivulets of water tinged with red that marred her lovely skin. The cut above her eye was still bleeding, and the blood was now running down her cheek.

  He cursed silently. The woman had just been thrown from her horse, and he was mauling her like some kind of beast. Shame washed over him as Rosie’s words of warning rang through his head. He needed to earn her trust and her heart, before he tried to get in her pants.

  God, he felt like a jackass.

  “We should go,” he said above the thunder and rain.

  Layla stopped laughing and gave him a look that hung somewhere between hurt and confusion. Her hands rested lightly on his broad shoulders, and her body stiffened beneath his hands. “What’s wrong?”

  “You’re bleeding.” William’s mouth set in a hard line, and his eyes shifted back to their human form. “You were just thrown off a horse for Christ’s sake, and I’m molesting you, instead of helping you.” His fingers dug into her hips through her soaked sweatshirt. He held her tighter, afraid she would disappear.

  Layla’s lips curved into a lopsided smile, and her eyes glowed back at him brightly. She slid both hands up his neck and did that tantalizing thing with his hair. She leaned into him, her mouth hovering temptingly above his. “You were helping,” she breathed the words against his lips.

  She licked rainwater from his mouth with her satin tongue, while she rocked herself against his enormous erection. William growled, and his eyes shifted harshly back into their clan form as his entire body hummed with both desire and restraint.

  Layla leaned back, so she could look him in the eyes. “I want you.”

  He’d been with women before, plenty of them, but he’d never had a woman be quite so direct. He wanted her too. For the love of God, he wanted her more than he’d ever wanted anything in his entire existence, and based on where she was sitting, there was no denying it.

  But something about this situation gave him pause.

  His gut instinct told him that if he took her now, she would write him off as only doing his duty, succumbing to fate as if he didn’t truly desire her for who she was. It would merely confirm her suspicion that their mating was a purely physical thing—and it wasn’t. Because staring into those glowing orbs, he realized that somewhere along the way, he’d fallen in love with her.

  He loved her.

  William swallowed hard and held her burning gaze as the gravity of his feelings for her washed over him with the rain. He didn’t know how, why, or when it happened, but it sure as hell had happened. The truth was he didn’t even think he was capable of it.

  He’d been prepared for the physical attraction, but not for the emotional cost, and he’d be damned if he was going to let her off the hook. Even if it took him the rest of his life, he was going to get her to open her heart.

  “Did you hear what I said?” she challenged. “I want you.”

  Holding her gaze, William reached up, encircled her wrists, and brought her hands down to his chest. Layla’s eyes shifted back to their human state, and her brow furrowed in confusion.

  “We should go back to the house and get you cleaned up,” he said as evenly as possible.

  Layla’s eyes narrowed. She shoved at his chest and scrambled off his lap to her feet. Her energy waves thumped furiously into him.

  Embarrassment.

  Fury.

  Confusion.

  Without a word, she turned her back on him, climbed over the log, and went to the horses, who were taking shelter from the rain under the canopy of leaves. She clearly had the quick healing abilities of their people, and he was incredibly grateful for it. William followed in silence, but kept his energy linked with hers, looking out for other signs of injury. He tried to help her onto the horse, but she shoved him away without looking at him.

  “I don’t need you or your help,” she ground out.

  William put his hands up in defeat and stepped back, allowing Layla to do it on her own. He pushed his wet hair off his face and let out a sigh of frustration. How could he make her understand? Dammit. He knew he was making a bigger mess of things, but he had absolutely no idea how to fix it.

  He cursed softly, gathered his horse, and climbed into the saddle with ease, all the while keeping one eye on Layla. He knew she felt weaker than she let on, and he didn’t want her passing out and injuring herself further. He had half a mind to throw her over his shoulder and carry her back home, but he suspected that would do nothing to help
his cause.

  Layla, clearly picking up on his concern, swiped at the cut on her forehead with the soaked sleeve of her sweatshirt, leaving a streak of red behind. Reins in one hand she turned Freckles back toward the house but cast William one last parting blow.

  “I just thought you might like to fuck and get it over with,” she snapped, her green eyes flashing wildly. “But don’t think for one minute that I need you. This thing between us, whatever it is,” she said, jutting her chin out defiantly. “It’s chemistry, not love. This is some stupid matchmaking scheme from the universe, and obviously, the universe sucks at it. You had your chance and passed, so I’d say that this whole mate business is over.”

  Before William could utter a single word of protest, Layla kicked Freckles and took off down the muddy path. Undeterred, he urged his horse forward and followed closely behind. As they galloped through the sheets of rain back to the farm, he touched his mind to hers.

  Don’t bet on it, Firefly.

  Chapter 8

  Layla had never been so mortified in all her life. First she gets thrown off her horse, which was something that hadn’t happened in close to twenty years, and then she gets thrown off William.

  After their rain-and-lust-soaked ride, she needed time alone, a cold shower, and a snap back to reality. This place was real and solid—this house with the walls covered by many of the pictures she’d taken and rooms filled with love. Rosie, Raife, and Tati—they were real and true. They would never leave her or betray her, and they were the only people she could trust. She certainly couldn’t count on William—not even for a quick romp in the woods. It would seem that she could depend on him to embarrass and humiliate her.

  She took the clip out of her damp hair and ran her fingers through the tumble of long curls. Her face burned at the memory of his rejection. She was bewildered. It just didn’t make sense that he would stop what they had both started.

  He’d kissed her.

  She could sense how much he wanted her, and it wasn’t just from the enormous hard-on he had—it wasn’t just his body’s reaction to hers. Every ounce of his energy called out to hers, his eyes seemed to bore right through her, and his energy waves were ripe with lust and desire.