Rhylan

by Emilia Hartley

  She was theirs.

  No one else’s.

  His hand lowered over her throat, pinning her. She stirred but didn’t push against his grasp. His fingers tightened, slightly. He bent and captured her mouth. Her lips didn’t part, not at first. He had to work and fight his way inside, two forces battling one another. As they had since the beginning.

  The wolf inside him took over. It pushed to the surface, grabbing Thalia. Her eyes snapped open, her surprise giving him an opening. He caught her mouth again, his tongue sweeping deep. She moaned into him. The wolf would make her cry. Make her beg.

  ***

  Her heart raced.

  Would she do this? Should she do this?

  It seemed her body did not want to wait for the answers, arching into Rhylan’s touch. She ached for it, the feeling sinking into her body and setting her ablaze. Her lips parted to let him deeper and deeper. She reached for his shoulders, trying to keep herself upright.

  Water splashed over her hair and shoulders. It was nothing compared to the heat between them, steam rising and curling through the room as it hit them. Her head fell back, and his tongue slipped free of her mouth only for his lips to discover the arch of her neck. Powerful hands lifted her from the tub floor. She wrapped her legs around him, feeling the strength of his own need.

  This had begun with her knee between his legs. It’d been a defiant act of violence. Now, she was inviting him between her legs. He slammed her against the wall again, grinding against her. In his eyes, she could see the glow of the beast inside him. It grinned at her before nipping her skin and sending a plume of flame through her.

  Thalia had a man heading in her direction, one who she should be preparing to spend the rest of her life with. He was renting a car and driving from the airport. Through the foggy haze of her lust ridden mind, she calculated how far the airport was, calculating how long it would take Miles to get to her.

  She had time.

  She needed time.

  Thalia growled, her own beast rising with more joy than she’d felt in months. The beast tossed its head and howled. The sound ricocheted through her body, filling her with shivering delight. Rhylan smiled, all teeth and lust, before grabbing her jaw and forcing her chin up. She liked the way he grabbed her, the dominance in his movements. She shuddered as he ran kisses down her neck again.

  “The water is going to get cold if you don’t hurry up.”

  He laughed into her skin before pulling back and finding her entrance. Her nails bit into his sides, excitement and fear rocketing through her. Should she do this? Would she do this?

  The decision was made with one, hard thrust. Rhylan filled her, stretching the unused space to the point of pain. She gritted her teeth and waited for her body to adjust, stinging and biting pain bleeding into thrums of pleasure. Rhylan didn’t wait. His beast surged forward, already rocking his hips with a steady and sure rhythm.

  Each thrust was a ripple in the pool of pleasure building inside her. The ripples grew into waves. The waves became consuming until she thought she would drown. Thalia fought to breathe, fought to remember where she was.

  She gripped Rhylan’s shoulders with biting nails. She pulled his mouth down to hers. He responded, offering his lips as sacrifice. She bit and nibbled. Her moans and groans were swallowed by the kisses. Each stroke of her tongue brought him deeper.

  The growls in his throat grew wilder. He slammed into her, as deep as he could go. Each thrust made her cry into his mouth. She was getting close. It was unlike anything she’d experienced with anyone else. Not even with Miles.

  Thalia hugged him close. She buried her face in his neck as the orgasm exploded through her. Her body shook, her fingers trembled on him, but he wasn’t finished. Rhylan thrust, over and over. The sound of his growls filled her mind.

  He was strong. He was smart.

  He was mate material.

  The idea flitted through her already addled mind. It floated there, echoing until she shoved it aside and sank into her orgasm. Each thrust caused a new shock to flutter through her. It caused waved to crash over her and pull her deeper.

  “Rhylan,” she moaned.

  The sound of his name on her voice drove him wild. Once more, he thrust hard and hit home. His shoulders shuddered, and he dropped his head onto her shoulder. Suddenly, he pulled back. The evidence of their love making dribbled down her leg. It was warm as his cock throbbed against her skin.

  Her own core pulsed with aftershocks. It made her shake in his arms. Their union had been a whole new experience. The sensations she felt with Rhylan were multiplied, blown into something otherworldly.

  “We should finish cleaning up,” he whispered into her skin.

  The water had already gone cold, washing away the heat of the moment. It whirled down the drain with the evidence of what they’d done. Reality came crashing back into Thalia. Miles was on his way and there was a naked man in her shower. She gripped Rhylan’s shoulders, finding it hard to let go. Her body wanted to curl into him and relish the warmth of him against her back. The wolf whimpered for it. She seemed to like the liar.

  But, she found herself and pushed away from him. A look much like regret rippled over Rhylan’s face, but he hid it by reaching for a bottle of body wash. He squeezed a small bit of it into his hand and made a quick job of washing before stepping out of the shower.

  Alone and aching, Thalia raised her face into the cold water. It filtered down her cheeks, through her hair. It couldn’t wash away the memory of his touch. She could still feel his teeth on her neck, the way his cock filled her, their bodies slamming into one another.

  Chapter Ten

  That happened, Thalia thought. Her core ached, and her legs wobbled, but she wouldn’t have it any other way.

  Take that, Miles.

  She looked over her shoulder as she tied the laces of her boots. Rhylan the man had been shoved aside during the shower. His wolf had taken over and now they fought for dominance within his body. She could see it in the flash of his eyes and the way he prowled around the trailer. The wolf had done things to her body she’d never felt before, but now she wanted sweet and caring Rhylan back.

  If the wolf hovered much longer, she was likely to punch him in the throat and that wouldn’t end well for anyone. Rhylan caught her watching. She raised her brows, silently expressing her annoyance. Rhylan sighed.

  “Why don’t you shift? It will be easier to get a wolf back to your room at the Lodge. I can call your friends.”

  The wolf growled, the snarl turning Rhylan’s face into something animal. His possessiveness surprised her. All they’d done was have sex. That didn’t mean she belonged to him. It didn’t mean she was his mate. She cursed her plan. She would have to live with it if she was going to get his help. He knew things she didn’t, had dealt with these people at least once before.

  Rhylan struggled against himself before rolling his shoulders and cracking his neck. The wolf had pulled back and the man was in control. He nodded, agreeing with her. A naked man was hard to hide, especially one as fine as Doctor Rhylan.

  As she watched him wander away to shift, she wondered what it would like to be the doctor’s wife. It was the kind of future she’d never foreseen for herself, filled with steam if the past hour was any indication. Thalia wasn’t sure if she could trust him, but she couldn’t exactly trust her betrothed either.

  Before shifting Rhylan looked over his shoulder. He studied her in a way that made her feel like the naked one. In defense, she put her hands on her hips and narrowed her eyes. To her surprise, a blush spread across his cheeks. He stammered to find words, breaking eye contact.

  “What is it?” she snapped.

  “I enjoyed… what we did in there.” He jerked his chin toward the bathroom.

  This time, it was her turn to blush. She shoved it aside, reminding herself that Miles was on his way. She couldn’t have him arrive while Rhylan was still here and still very naked. She urged him to hurry, but her efforts seemed t
o fall on deaf ears.

  “Did that…” He fumbled. “Did that mean nothing to you?”

  Thalia fought the urge to roll her eyes. It couldn’t mean anything, but she didn’t have the voice to tell him. All the words she could have spoken balled up and stuck in her throat, suddenly dry and raw. Her life was promised to another. This mission, finding Javier, was only a way of biding her time until the inevitable.

  The world was suddenly closing in on her. There was no deadline drawn in the sand, but there would come a day when they dragged her back. Her parents had turned their backs on her brother. They wouldn’t let her stray.

  With a start, she realized sending Miles to check in on her was the first sign of that coming deadline. Her chest tightened. She didn’t want to go back. Not now that she was so close. Not now that she knew what it was like to be her own person.

  She looked back at Rhylan. Even if she did make poor decisions.

  “What is it?”

  The concern in his voice made her stomach twist. It brought bitterness to the surface, as if wringing it out of her.

  “Don’t talk to me like we’re old friends,” she snapped.

  This time, he turned around. Her eyes begged her to take in the beauty of him, the finely carved musculature and the cock that she’d ridden only minutes ago. Instead, she sucked her teeth and set out toward the road.

  But, Rhylan marched toward her, uncaring that he was still in the nude. If anything, he caught on to how it distracted her. He stepped into her vision and smiled as her cheeks reddened again. Gently, he reached and caught her wrists, pulling her to a stop.

  When he spoke, his voice was soft. “What’s bothering you? We’re going to help your brother. I promised you I would. What’s the matter?”

  His concern cut her in half. No matter how many times she reminded herself this man was a liar, her traitorous heart would not stop aching for him. It whispered to her, told her to throw herself into his arms. The thought made her reel back and yank her wrists from his grasp. She would not throw herself at another man.

  She’d use him for what he was good for, but that was about as far as her relationship with Rhylan would go. At least, that was what she told herself. What good was it to trade one man for another? What good was it to toss away her freedoms?

  The distant rumble of an engine touched her ears. She shot upright, eyes wide and wild. She’d wasted too much time. They’d lingered in the shower too long. They’d argued on the lawn for too long.

  “Now you’re scared. Tell me what is going on. I can’t help if you don’t speak!”

  She snarled at him. “Shift. Now.”

  His lips flapped, but she didn’t give him a chance to argue.

  “Shift and hide in the woods. Don’t argue with me on this. Not now.”

  He seemed to hear the engine heading toward them. Maybe he couldn’t put the pieces together, but after searching her face, he nodded. The tension in her shoulders released, not completely, but enough.

  Thalia looked back at the driveway and cursed her lack of a car. It was still parked in the Lodge lot. If she could have, she would have shoved Rhylan into her car and sped away from her trailer.

  But, before she could do anything, an oversized vehicle pulled into the short driveway. The man who spilled out of the driver’s seat was long limbed and wide shouldered. He looked like a sports playboy, his bag thrown over his shoulder as he tossed a smile in her direction. She hated that cocky smile, the one that gave him everything he wanted in life. He tossed his blond hair out of his eyes before scenting the air. Confusion rippled over his brows.

  She crossed her arms over her chest. Words would not come to her. All she could think of was the feel of Rhylan inside her. She hated her brain sometimes.

  “Well, this is a bit of a shithole,” Miles commented as he took in her situation. His eyes roved over the rusty trailer, the tilted shutters, and the empty flower planters before sliding back to her. “What are you doing standing in the middle of the yard.

  She licked her lips. No excuse came to her. If she’d been like Rhylan, a lie would have come easily to her lips. It would have saved her from the way Miles studied her. He smelled like new car and another woman. He hadn’t even bothered washing her away before visiting. While her heart dropped, she wasn’t angry. If anything, his philandering had bought her time, too.

  “What did father send you all the way out here for?”

  “Why do you think?”

  “He wants me home.” Her voice cracked, falling apart in her throat. “I can’t leave now! I’ve just now found Javi. Don’t make me do this.”

  Miles shrugged. She waited for him to tell her it didn’t matter. That Javier was dead to him, but what he said surprised her. “I’m in no big rush to go back. It feels nice to see a bit of the world.”

  “Wait. What?” She stuck a finger in her ear, cleaning it out in case she hadn’t heard him correctly.

  “You heard me. Go get your brother. Just don’t die while I’m here. Your father will skin me alive.”

  “You aren’t dragging me back to California? You aren’t in some rush to slap a ring on my hand and claim a better spot in the Pack?”

  “I never asked to marry you, Thalia. I’m in no big rush, either.”

  She let out a breath she’d been holding, feeling all the fight flee her body. She’d been ready to kick and scream. She’d been ready to run if it came to that. This was… unexpected. A thanks touched her lips. Miles told her not to bother.

  He sniffed the air again. “It smells here. Are you sure there isn’t another pack?”

  “Oh,” she said, grasping for her new knowledge. “One just formed. They’re small and I’m not sure if they’ll be staying in Fangway.”

  Miles nodded. She knew he could smell Rhylan, but her body wash must have muted his scent. He had no idea that she’d just fucked another shifter in her shower. Not that he should care from the way he acted, but she didn’t want to find out if he did.

  ***

  Rhylan growled.

  He wanted to tear the man apart. He towered over Thalia’s small frame. She looked like a child next to the man. The way he leaned into her, the way he spoke made Rhylan angry. His wolf was moments away from breaking out of the brush and racing toward her.

  Why should he care, Rhylan asked the wolf? Who was Thalia to him?

  It was such a stupid question. He’d watched Jax fall head first for the blonde cop. He should have seen the signs. Rhylan could not bear to peel himself away from the woman. He couldn’t bear to see her anywhere near another man.

  Thalia was his mate.

  And she believed him to be nothing more than a liar. He cursed himself. The war between the human part of him and the wolf needed to end. It pulled him in too many directions. It shattered him and turned him into someone he didn’t recognize.

  The earth spirits whispered to him as he crouched in the brush. They ran their invisible fingers through his fur, reaching for his attention. They whispered secrets, unwarranted advice. It was too bad he couldn’t understand them yet. All he could hear were the whispers of wind and rustle of leaves.

  Rhylan ached to ask his mother questions. She would have known how to help him find balance. But, she was in another state, wondering why her good son had disappeared. He wasn’t sure if he should be around family just yet, the beast inside him making him prone to moods that would have upset his mother. He couldn’t bear the reality of disappointing her.

  Now, another woman had entered his life and the thought of disappointing her filled him with dread, too. He laid down in the brush, only barely keeping his wolf in check as he watched the blond shifter speak to his Thalia.

  His Thalia.

  No other words had ever been more humorous or distressing. She would fight him every inch of the way, a mate in his hands that had no trust or faith in him. And, now it seemed she might already have a relationship. They way she spoke with the blond shifter sent a searing jealousy through his throat
and into his chest. It was a green flame he could barely fight back.

  What had he gotten into? Rhylan knew he should walk away. Thalia deserved every bit of happiness the world could offer her. He didn’t know if that included him, but the wolf reminded him there was no fighting such a bond. Eventually, Thalia would relent to them. The wolf was a patient hunter. It would get what it wanted, no matter what.

  If Rhylan could have, he would have sighed. He did not want a relenting Thalia. He wanted her fiery and vibrant. He wanted the woman from the shower, who knew what she wanted. Who wanted him.

  As he lay in wait, the blond shifter climbed back into his obnoxious car and left. It seemed the man was not staying with Thalia. Questions rose like a consuming wave inside him, but he had no voice to speak them as he emerged from the brush. All he could do was walk with Thalia along the side of the road as they made their way back to the Lodge.

  It was a long walk, one filled with silence. Rhylan snuck glances at Thalia, wishing he could beg her to speak. He wanted to know who that man was, why he’d been at her home, and so much more. He clearly was not a local, if the sun-kissed tan of his skin had been any indication. Rhylan would have guessed Arizona or California. One of those sunny states.

  Was that where Thalia was from, too?

  She glanced down at him and quickly looked away again. If anyone passed them, it looked as though the short woman was walking a rather large dog. That was, if they didn’t look too closely.

  “What?” Thalia snapped.

  He shook his head. Her fingers found the fur at the base of his skull, scratching like a dog. He had to admit, it felt good. He didn’t know if it was because Thalia was touching him, or if it just felt nice in general. If anything, he understood dogs a bit better.

  “He’s no one.” Thalia’s voice was distant, her eyes on everything other than him. “At least, no one you should concern yourself with.”