The Wolf Siren

by Karen Whiddon

  “I’ve got one cabin available.” Looking bemused, Kyle scratched his chin. “Though I told Muriel we had no vacancies. I knew there was no way we wanted those three on our premises.”

  “So we don’t know where they’ll be staying?”

  Kyle shrugged. “Who knows? Maybe, since there’s no room at the inn, they’ll just move on and leave us alone.”

  “I wouldn’t count on that.” Truth be told, Kane hoped they wouldn’t. Once his colleagues swept in, they’d take care of everything, removing the threat that had hung over Lilly’s pretty head ever since she’d been freed.

  “Kane’s right.” Standing, Lilly walked to the front window and peeked through the blinds as if she expected to see them strolling up the path at any moment. “Not these people,” she said, her tone flat and emotionless. “They don’t give up so easily.”

  From her tone, he could tell she was remembering the unspeakable horrors the followers of Sanctuary had already visited up her.

  His brother’s opinion be damned. Kane crossed the room, went up behind her and wrapped her in his arms, holding her close. “Don’t worry, I won’t let them get anywhere near you.”

  “I’m not worried,” she said, her stiff posture contradicting her words. Her heart beat a frantic tattoo under his palm.

  Behind them, Kyle made a sound, low in his throat. Kane turned to find his brother eyeing him, a concerned expression on his face.

  “What?” Kane asked, even though he knew.

  Kyle shook his head. “Never mind.” Picking up his coffee, he drained the mug and set it back on the counter. “Thanks for the java. I’m heading back to the main house to enlist help getting that last cabin ready for our guests.”

  “Thanks, man.” Though he didn’t want to let Lilly go, Kane released her, taking a step back. She didn’t turn from the window so, after a moment, Kane crossed to his brother, and walked with him out the door and onto the porch.

  “I really appreciate this,” Kane began.

  “Yeah. You got a minute?” Kyle asked, his tone still pitched low. Serious. “There’s something else I need to talk to you about.”

  Kane looked up, and the worried expression in his brother’s gray eyes caused his gut to clench. “There’s more, isn’t there?”

  “Not about the three strangers. I told you everything I know about them. This has nothing to do with them.”

  “Then what’s wrong? Kathy’s all right, isn’t she?” Their sister and her husband had tried for a baby for a very long time. If something happened to mess this up, Kane wasn’t sure how Kathy would take it.

  “Kathy’s fine, as far as I know.” Kyle waved his concern away. “Calm down. Let’s go for a walk.”

  Glancing back at the cabin, Kane shook his head. “Not right now. I really don’t want to go too far from Lilly. She’s freaking out.”

  “I understand.” Kyle glanced at the still closed door and grimaced. “But I don’t think you want her to hear what I have to say. How about we go to the edge of the yard?”

  “Okay.” Perplexed, Kane fell into step beside his brother. “Are you sure this couldn’t wait? We’ve got enough going on right now as it is.”

  With a shrug, Kyle conceded the point. “It probably could. But I can’t think of a better time for us to discuss it.”

  Kane nodded. “Fine. Though I can’t imagine what it could be, I’m game. Go ahead.”

  “Just a minute.” When they reached the spot where the circular drive went into the main path, Kyle stopped. “I wanted to talk to you about Lilly,” he said, his expression tight. He held up his hand before Kane could speak. “Now you might tell me to go to hell, or that it’s none of my business, but I feel I have to speak my piece.”

  Though Kane nodded, he had no idea what his brother could possibly have to say about Lilly. “Go ahead.”

  “From what you told me, you promised Lilly’s brother you’d be her bodyguard, right? That you’d protect her from whatever people are searching for her?”

  “True.” As they continued walking, taking the trail up to the high ridge where as boys they’d often played, Kane thought he knew where Kyle was going. “Look, until now no one has surfaced looking for her, but believe me, if these three who just showed up are who I think they are, they’re extremely dangerous. The Protectors have been actively searching for them. We need to bring those nut jobs from Sanctuary in—dead or alive. But I promise you, Lilly will never be in any danger.”

  “I don’t doubt that.” Kyle shot a sideways glance toward him, his gray eyes troubled. “This isn’t about you keeping Lilly safe from them.”

  “Okay.” More puzzled than ever, Kane eyed his brother. “Then what?”

  “This is about keeping her safe from you.”

  “From me?” Stunned, Kane stared. “I’m not sure what you mean.” But he knew. Deep down inside, the sinking in his gut added weight to the possibility Kyle was right. He’d already taken advantage once. Still, he felt he had to protest. Kyle didn’t know about that. He couldn’t. “You’re not making sense.”

  “Bear with me and let me finish. You also told me you wanted to train her how to be self-sufficient, how to take care of herself once she is on her own.”

  Again stumped, Kane nodded. “And I am. She’s had a self-defense lesson, and I’m planning to teach her how to feel comfortable with a pistol. We’ve only just gotten started, but by the time she leaves here, I’m confident Lilly will be able to handle herself in any situation.”

  “Will she?” Kyle stopped, lightly squeezing Kane’s shoulder. “I have eyes, Kane. I see how you are together. Don’t you think she’s becoming a little too dependent on you?”

  Dependent on him? How could his brother not see it was the other way around?

  Kane couldn’t help it—he laughed out loud. “Come on, Kyle.” He shook his head. “Enough playing around. What did you really want to talk to me about?”

  A muscle worked in his brother’s jaw. “Dude, I’m serious. I know you’re trying to help Lilly, but she relies on you for everything. I think once you bow out of her life, she’ll be lost.”

  About to argue, Kane swallowed back the words. Kyle’s particular phrasing had given him pause. Once he bowed out of Lilly’s life. As he’d always planned to, as he’d known he’d have to eventually.

  Then why did the thought make him feel so hollow and empty?

  His churning emotions must have shown on his face.

  “Hellhounds,” his brother said, incredulous. “You’re in love with her.”

  “No.” Kane denied it without hesitation. “I care about her, but...”

  “You should have seen your expression,” Kyle persisted. “You love her. I recognize love when I see it. I’ve been there, brother. You can’t stomach the idea of life without her.”

  Kane opened his mouth, and then closed it. “I...”

  “Damn.” Kyle clapped him on the back, suddenly gleeful. “Forget I said anything. Turns out I was worried for nothing. If you’re not going to bail on the girl, then it’s all good.”

  “What do you mean?” Kane narrowed his eyes. “Of course I’m not going to bail on her. I’m simply going to return her to her family once the danger is eliminated.”

  “Sure you are.” Grinning from ear to ear, Kyle rolled his shoulder, shaking himself out as if he was in wolf form rather than human. As he moved away, he lifted his hand in a wave. “My work is done here. I’m heading back now.” He quickened his steps, glancing back over his shoulder, still grinning. “I can’t wait to tell Kris.”

  “Wait a minute.” Kane hurried to catch up. “Tell him what? The way you’re talking is crazy.”

  Increasing his speed, Kyle kept going. “Is it? I’m married, remember? I recognize the symptoms.”

  When his brother sprinted away, Kane let him go. Though he’d been away awhile, he should be used to his brother’s teasing. Yet something about this cut too close to home.

  Was Kyle right?

  No. Not
just no, but hell no. Kane had never been in love, nor did he intend to start now. What he felt for Lilly was protective, wasn’t it?

  An image flashed into his mind of her naked, writhing beneath him. Maybe more. Maybe just a little bit more.

  He cursed. He didn’t need this muddling up his thought processes right now. He had other, more important things to worry about.

  * * *

  Lilly wished she’d been able to catch some shut-eye, because with the tension so high, taking a nap would be damn near impossible. She drank a third cup of coffee and then regretted it. She really didn’t need the caffeine. Her nerves were thrumming, and the constant adrenaline made her constantly battle the instinct to run away. She wanted to put as much distance between the sadistic doctors from Sanctuary and herself as possible. Even the possibility of seeing them again terrified her, making her want to retreat back inside her shell. A long time ago, she’d learned how to hide without going anywhere. She might not have been able to entirely keep her body safe, but at least she could throw up some kind of protection for her mind.

  Now, even though Kane had done his best to show her how to be self-sufficient, and she’d made some real progress, she felt as if she’d lost significant ground.

  Pretty much in combat mode, Kane ignored her, making her feel even more lost. He spent a lot of time on his phone, talking to his agency. When he finally called her brother, waking Lucas and Blythe despite his attempt to wait until a decent hour, he didn’t even offer to let Lilly talk to her family.

  Which was okay, she supposed. She wasn’t exactly sure what she would have said anyway. She certainly didn’t want her brother to decide she needed to leave here. Despite the threat, she trusted Kane implicitly to protect her.

  Finally, he put his phone down. When he raised his head to find her watching him, the fierceness blazing from his eyes made her want to go over to him and let him wrap her in his arms and kiss her fears away. She longed to hang on to him, grab him by the shirt, and demand he promise her that she’d be safe.

  With difficulty, she stifled the notion. She didn’t want him to know how quickly her newfound self-assurance had disappeared. “Are you okay?” she asked instead, hating that her voice came out quavering.

  He blinked. “Shouldn’t I be asking you that?”

  “How was my brother?” she asked instead of answering.

  “Alarmed.” Standing, he held out his hand. “I didn’t let you talk to him because I didn’t want him to get you all worried, even worse than you probably are.”

  “I’m not.” Blurting out the false words, she slipped her fingers through his, wondering if he’d notice how badly she trembled. To distract him, she gave in to temptation and placed her lips in a soft kiss on his neck, inhaling the masculine scent of him. “I trust you to take care of me.”

  He shuddered, every muscle going tight, making her pull back in surprise. When she looked at him, he smiled at her, a tight smile that did nothing to soften the flat expression in his eyes. Gently, he unwound her arms from around him, taking a stiff step back.

  “Me and six others,” he said, the harshness of his voice at odds with his pleasant yet remote, expression. “Remember, the Protectors are coming in. They’ll round up those three Sanctuary crazies. I won’t have very much to do with it.”

  “And then I’ll be safe?” Wrapping her arms around herself as if by doing so, she could find comfort, she leaned her head back. She held his gaze, feeling almost belligerent. She didn’t understand exactly why it felt as if he withdrew more with every second that passed.

  “Yes. Then you’ll be safe.”

  She wanted to ask what would happen after that, but didn’t. She wasn’t sure she wanted to know. Ideally, he’d keep her around until he’d finished her training, but she had a feeling that once the threat had been eliminated, he’d return her to the care of her brother and disappear forever out of her life.

  Why this made her feel like her heart were hollow, she didn’t even want to know.

  “Let’s go get some breakfast,” he said, abruptly breaking into her thoughts.

  She nodded. “Okay. Where?”

  Again he flashed that generic smile. “The main house. Where else?”

  This time, they drove instead of walking. Judging by the number of vehicles parked out front, everyone else had had the same idea.

  Though nerves had her stomach churching, Lilly squared her shoulders and lifted her chin. She walked in to the crowded room trying to make herself feel as if she belonged.

  The entire family had gathered around a restaurant-quality buffet. Chatter briefly ceased when she and Kane walked in, but picked up almost immediately. Lilly was glad to see there were no outsiders there. Evidently any guests had already been fed.

  “What’s the plan, son?” the senior McGraw asked eagerly, smoothing a lined hand over his shiny bald head. He wore his customary button-down short-sleeve shirt and jeans.

  “No plan, Dad.” Kane smiled, a cold tight smile that told Lilly he was back in what she thought of as his Protector mode. “The rest of the Protectors will be here soon. They’ll take care of this.”

  “We want to help,” Kyle said firmly. Kris and his father echoed the sentiment.

  “I appreciate that, but...” Though Kane smiled, his silver gaze had turned to steel. “They’re a team, specially trained to handle this kind of thing. The rest of you will need to stay out of their way.”

  His father and brothers looked as if they wanted to argue, but after Kane eyed them one at a time, his stare unflinching, no one else commented. Even the Senior McGraw finally grimaced and continued munching on his bacon.

  After the brief moment of tension dissipated, everyone went back to piling food on their plates and eating. As Kane moved away, Lilly stared at the buffet, not only amazed at the sheer amount of food, but the variety. There were scrambled eggs, pancakes, French toast, hash browns, sausage, bacon and ham, as well as two kinds of toast—white and wheat. On a table near the food, she spied a coffee urn, and pitchers of what appeared to be orange juice and tomato juice.

  Glancing at Kane’s mother, Lilly wondered if the poor woman had cooked all this herself, or if she’d had help.

  Kathy came up beside Lilly, touching her arm and making her jump. “Hey, you. Are you all right?”

  Heart in her throat, Lilly nodded. She couldn’t help but wonder what Kane’s sister would do if she told her the truth: no, she wasn’t all right. She was scared and lost and on the verge of becoming a total mess. “I’m fine,” she said, choosing to continue to lie. “But I’m so glad to have all of you around me. It helps, a lot more than you know.”

  Apparently, she’d said the right thing. Kathy beamed. “Go ahead and get something to eat.” She pointed at the buffet. “You’ve got to keep your strength up.”

  Despite the beautiful array of beautifully cooked choices, the idea of food, any food, made Lilly’s stomach roil. “I will,” she lied again. “I just need to wake up first.” This despite all the coffee she’d already consumed.

  As Kathy moved away, Lilly watched as Kane strode over to the buffet and loaded up his plate with scrambled eggs, pancakes, sausage, bacon and hash browns. When he turned, he met her gaze and came over, holding out the plate. “Here.”

  She made no move to take it. “What’s this?”

  “Breakfast. For you,” he said. “You haven’t had anything to eat since we hunted last night.”

  “I couldn’t—”

  “Please. At least try.” Now, he seemed relatively normal, as if the old Kane had returned. He leaned in close, nuzzling her ear, making her shiver and sigh. “Unless you want me to tell everyone how you shape-shifted last night,” he murmured. “And what we did after.”

  The contradiction of the delicious delight brought on by his closeness and his actual words had her briefly speechless. “You’re blackmailing me?” she asked, uncertain whether he was serious or not.

  She glanced up. His teasing smile still seemed at
odds with his flinty eyes, which had not yet begun to thaw.

  “Yep.” He nodded. “For your own good.”

  She gave in and accepted the plate, which felt surprisingly heavy. “Thanks,” she said.

  “Thank you,” he replied. “Why don’t you take a seat and let me get my own and we’ll eat together.”

  Though the scent of the food wafting up to her made her think she might be sick, she only nodded.

  There were two empty chairs next to each other at the end of the long table. The instant Lilly took one, Kris’s wife Debi dropped into the empty seat next to her. Today she’d wrestled her wild dark hair into a ponytail, though curly strands had escaped to frame her olive-skinned face.

  “Hello there.”

  “Hi.” Lilly gave her a weak smile, unable to keep from looking to see what was keeping Kane.

  “No worries,” Debi said, her brightly painted lips still curving in a smile. “I just need a second. I wanted to apologize to you for what happened when we had girls’ night.”

  Lilly had just opened her mouth to try a forkful of scrambled egg. She nearly choked. Chewing, she managed to swallow. “You didn’t do anything wrong,” she protested, as soon as she could speak. “I drank too much and wanted to walk home.”

  “Sharon and I shouldn’t have let you.”

  The small bite of eggs sat like a rock in her stomach. “Let me?” Lilly asked, mildly. “Last time I checked, I was an adult. Neither of you is responsible for me.”

  Her firm declaration apparently startled the other woman. Debi started to speak, and then winced as Kane came up next to her. “I think I’m in your seat,” she said, jumping to her feet.

  She wouldn’t meet Lilly’s eyes as she hurried off.

  “What was that all about?” Kane picked up a piece of crispy bacon and began eating it with obvious relish.

  Lilly told him, trying another forkful of eggs when she’d finished. This time, she managed to swallow without gagging. Progress.

  “Did you accept her apology?” Kane asked, his own fork poised over his towering stack of pancakes.