“So stop wasting your time and get over here, both of you.”
“Why—”
“Crissy’s gone. René’s taken her.”
He snapped his phone shut and peered into the night once more, hoping to see her, even though it had been hours.
It was barely five minutes later that Chad and Marcus drove up in Marcus’ Porsche. Chad had the door open and was climbing out of the low-slung car before the engine died.
“What the hell happened?”
* * * * *
The sky was just starting the subtle lightening shift away from night to morning when René returned. Making his way quickly down the tunnel, he breathed a sigh of relief when he entered the bedroom to find his command to Crissy had held and she was still sleeping soundly.
Weary beyond belief, he stripped off his clothes and climbed in beside her. As much as he wanted to, he dared not disturb her by pulling her closer. To his surprise, she turned to him and snuggled in without waking, nestling her head under his chin in the way she always had before.
Pain ripped through his heart as he wrapped his arms around her.
If only he could have stayed away. He’d lost count of the times he’d wanted to return to her, the need to hold her, inhale the sweet freshness of her one more time nearly driving him insane. And now, here she was, in his arms once again, and the pain that came with the suspicion that he’d left his return too late was as bad as realizing he’d nearly converted her all those years ago.
* * * * *
Pulled from a long dreamless sleep, his body refreshed and rejuvenated, René snapped awake at the feel of a warm body moving restlessly alongside him. Crissy’s leg was hooked over his, the heat from her body warming him, the subtle, sensuous slide of her silken flesh over his testing his control to its limits. His cock was rigid, throbbing. How long had it been since he’d woken up with an erection so hard it almost made his eyes water? He gritted his teeth, fighting the urge to push closer, to rub the smooth head of his cock over the silky softness of her abdomen. He closed his eyes again and inhaled deeply, focusing on the scent of Crissy and not the other scent that mixed with hers.
The wolf-man.
Unreasonable as it might have been, and inasmuch as he could still see and understand the concern and despair in the other man’s eyes, the significance of the man’s scent lingering so strongly on Crissy meant only one thing. An irrational overwhelming possessiveness had overcome him, to steal her away, to finally make her his.
Brushing the wayward strands of hair from where they had drifted across her eyelids, he looked down into the sweet face—cute, upturned nose, lush lips—he knew so well, loved so much. For a few stolen moments more, he relished the feel of her again.
“René?” Her voice was husky from sleep, and sexy as hell. God, he’d missed this, waking up with her wrapped around him.
“Yes, Sunshine. It’s me.”
“I thought I must have dreamed it.” She lifted her head and moved to prop herself on an elbow, the sheet falling away.
She dropped back down, grabbing the quilt, pulling it up to her chin. “I forgot. I’m naked.” Her leg tentatively rubbed up his again before pulling back quickly. “You’re naked.”
“Astute observation, sweet.” A soft chuckle left his throat at the small glare she threw him. “You know I always sleep this way. But don’t worry, nothing happened. However,” he looked around the room, his arm following his arm in a slow arc, “there is only one bed, and as you know, I need my sleep.” He winked. “Besides,” he said, and rolled his eyes, “it’s nothing I haven’t seen before.”
“Thank you very much,” she chuckled. “You really know how to make a girl feel special.” She released her grip on the quilt and rolled over him, tickling him under the ribs so that he laughed. “Still attending charm lessons, I see. You should save your money—they’re not working.”
“Cheeky wench,” he teased and rolled her back, straddling her hips and holding down her hands as they both laughed.
Seeing her smiling under him was too much temptation to resist. Inch by inch he lowered his head, his eyes holding hers captive as his lips moved closer, noting the change from laughter to something else…
Her eyes fluttered closed as his lips touched hers, soft at first, but as her mouth opened under his, he sank further into her and his tongue slipped inside, stroking hers, rubbing along it, until she responded. At that velvety touch, his cock surged once more to rock-hardness, and he was unable to stop his hips from setting up a slow rub over her clit. Her moan was swallowed up as he deepened the kiss. Moving over her mouth with a pent-up need as if he could somehow remove the last ten years of hunger for her with one kiss.
He’d forgotten just how exquisite she felt, tasted, smelled. All his senses came alive and he groaned as he rubbed his cock with greater urgency against her mound.
Only the feel of her hands pushing at his chest stopped him from going further, and he released her mouth, leaving them both gasping for breath.
“Stop, René. No, I-I can’t.”
“You don’t want me?”
“No. Yes…no. Oh, God. Please, René, please get off me. I can’t think properly with you so close.”
Reluctantly, he lifted and transferred his weight until he was lying alongside her, his head propped on his hand, his hand resting on her rib cage, their bodies still touching but at a much safer distance.
“I’m sorry, Sunshine. I didn’t mean to do that. Truly. It was just…so much like before.”
She cupped his face in her hand, running her thumb over his bottom lip, so that he nipped it and held it for a moment before releasing it.
Her eyes darkened, the hurt showing in them. “I can’t, René.”
“It’s because of the wolf. He’s marked you.”
“Yes, he has. And his name is Randy.”
He ran a finger down her nose, tracing the line of her full lips, measuring carefully his next words. “I can remove the wolf’s mark, sweet. If you would like. Just say the word.” Please, god, say the word…
“You can? How?”
He traced his fingertips over the small mark on her shoulder, tensing as an involuntary shudder ran over her body as he did so. “By replacing it with my own.”
“But, with what you told me last night, wouldn’t that be a bit dangerous?”
He shook his head. “It would only be dangerous if you decided to bite me back.” His body clenched at the bittersweet thought of her teeth—ultimately her fangs—sinking into his neck.
Crissy had gone quiet, pensive.
“Talk to me, Sunshine.”
“What exactly are you saying, René? Please, after the past week, I’m so confused. Spell it out for me. You can remove the mating mark? Then what?”
He lay back, looking at the ceiling.
“To remove the mating mark, completely erase it, is only possible if I replace it with my own.” He turned to face her again. “But then, my sweet, you would be mated to me.”
“Oh.”
He closed his eyes and clenched his jaw. “Look, I have to know, Christina. What’s between you and this Randy? You wear his mark, but if you are even considering my offer, then I have serious reservations as to whether he is the man for you. Does he love you?”
“Well, he’s never said so.” Her eyes held a hint of sadness as she looked over at him. “But we both know that that doesn’t necessarily mean anything.”
He admitted to himself that she was correct in that, at least. His own foolishness on that score had tormented him for years. Why did men guard those words so strongly—it was stupid, hurtful. And what did it protect them from? From admitting that they could be vulnerable? Holding the words back didn’t protect their hearts at all. A painful lesson he had learned all too well. “But?”
Her silence stretched out.
“Do you love him, sweet? More than you love—loved me?” He had to ask, had to know.
She turned on her side to face him, her
eyes swimming with emotion. “It’s different, René. What I feel for Randy is so new, but yes, I do love him. And-and…” She stopped and swallowed as tears ran down her face, her eyes full of pain. “I do love you, René. In a part of my heart, I know I always will. But you were right. I don’t think I could live your life, never seeing the sun, only living in the night. Oh, God, I’m sorry, René. I just can’t live like this…like you.”
Harsh sobs racked her body, and he cuddled her to him, wrapping her tight in his arms. He stroked her hair, feeling his heart crash and burn for the second time. Never again. Never would he subject himself to this sort of pain.
He nuzzled the top of her hair, his next words wrenched from a place deep inside, a place where he would always love her. “Then I did the right thing all those years ago, didn’t I, Sunshine. And for that I’m glad.” He held her tighter and rocked her gently. “Sshhh. Come on now. No more tears.”
* * * * *
Randy stopped his incessant pacing when the front door opened and Marcus strode in. “Any word?”
Marcus looked downcast. “No. Nothing yet. But I have all my people out tonight. If he surfaces to feed, one of them will see him.”
Randy ran his hands through his hair, clenching his fingers in the strands, the feeling of uselessness threatening to overwhelm him once more. “Where the fucking hell are they?” he bellowed.
Marcus cast a quick, concerned look at Chad and Ziggy. “They’ll turn up, Randy. You just have to have faith in your woman. And René. He wouldn’t hurt her. That I believe.”
“Well, I wish I had your insight, man, but this is my woman who’s missing. And he’s still in love with her. Dammit all to hell!”
All three men watched as Randy headed down the hall, mumbling under his breath, then heard the crashing slam of the back door.
“He’s a bit strung out, isn’t he,” observed Marcus, a frown deepening on his forehead.
Chad stood up. “Hell, you ain’t seen the half of it. He’s been climbing the damn walls. The longer it goes on, the worse he gets.”
“And it will only get worse until she’s found.”
All three looked up at the new voice. Rod Trudeau walked in.
Once greetings were dispensed with, Rod sank into the thick cushion of the armchair.
“How much worse?” asked Ziggy.
“If he’s anything like me, he will be become a danger to everyone around him if this isn’t resolved within the next few hours.”
Ziggy looked at him in disbelief. “Not you and Mom? When was this?”
“Before I married her. Your grandfather wasn’t happy at all with the choices she and Izzy had made as future husbands. He waited until George and I weren’t at home one day and took them both. Took us the best part of a week to find them. He had no way of knowing that I’d already mated your mother. By the time we located them I do believe I was slightly unhinged. Your father was worse, Chad. After two days, George changed into his cat form and couldn’t change back. Didn’t until Izzy was back with him. Prowled around the house and her for a whole day before he could make the change.”
“Considering what the two of them are like—still—somehow that doesn’t surprise me,” smirked Chad.
Ziggy frowned and shook his head. “But how did you know what’s going on, Dad?”
“Your mother. She had a feeling something was wrong…you know what she’s like. And she called Randy. She practically pushed me out the door to come check when she got off the phone. I take it he’s mated her?” he asked them.
“He hasn’t said as much, but yeah,” confirmed Chad. “This mating shit is enough to turn a guy off the whole idea. Damn, if it’s this much trouble…”
The corner of Rod’s mouth kicked up in a half smile. “Believe me, Chad, the benefits far outweigh the odd disadvantage.” He looked at Ziggy. “Surprised to see you here, though. I thought you were chained to that office chair.”
“Very funny, Dad. I do have a life apart from the business.”
“Hmmm, well you could have fooled me. I don’t suppose you’re planning on giving your mother some grandbabies to spoil rotten anytime soon?”
“How about never?” Ziggy said with a frown.
“Ah, this is all very enlightening, but getting back to the point, gentlemen,” said Marcus, “just how much worse will it get?”
“Well,” said Rod, “considering the method of her abduction, and the uncertainty of her return, I’d be expecting him to get a bit feral in the next few hours. Let’s just hope it doesn’t come to that. If it does, it will take a few of us to hold him down in the state he’ll be in by then.”
The silence was broken by the muffled ring of a cell phone. Marcus reached inside his pocket and pulled it out, flipping it open in one quick movement.
“Marcus. News?… Good. Address?… Are they there now?… What do you mean, you’re not sure?… Right. Fine. Call me back in ten minutes if they don’t show.”
The others looked on intently and waited for him to speak.
“We have an address. My men saw René enter a building. They’re just checking it out now. Does someone want to go and break the news to Randy?”
For the tenth time in as many minutes, Randy stared at Marcus, willing the phone to ring. He couldn’t talk, couldn’t open his mouth to speak the words, because if he did, he’d start fucking howling. His jaw ached from gritting his teeth so hard to stop himself from doing just that. Unable to stand the waiting, he strode to the front door. He opened it just as a small female hand was reaching for the doorknob.
He stared down at Crissy, unable to believe his eyes.
She reached up a soft hand to smooth the deep creases from his brow. “Hello, mate.”
Chapter Eleven
His heart pounded a rapid tattoo against his rib cage, adrenaline flooding his body at the sight of her, unharmed, unmarked, a soft smile on her lips. “Crissy?” He reached for her, tucking her against his chest in a steel grip, relief from the fear that he’d never see her again pouring over him.
And holding her now forced him to acknowledge the thought he’d been unable to contemplate. That she wouldn’t come back, either intentionally or otherwise. That fear was what had made him so crazy.
He rubbed his cheek against the top of her head, inhaling her sweet scent deep into his lungs then tipping her face up to nudge his lips against hers, licking them, the touch meant to reassure them both.
“You okay, baby?”
There was so much he’d planned on telling her when…if he saw her again, and now that he held her, anything more than basic words failed him.
He felt the answering nod against his chest.
“You came back to me.” His voice caught on the last two words, an emotional dam breaking inside as he spoke the words, his relief almost tangible, choking, and he realized the fine edge of sanity he’d been walking thinking he might never see, hold her again.
She lifted her head and pushed back from him until she could see his face. He could barely see the brief smile that quirked up one side of her mouth.
“Of course I came back. You’re my mate.”
What she said—twice, he realized—finally hit him. Pride and a savage possessiveness surged through him. Mate. She’d called him her mate!
His exhilaration lasted only a moment when he looked up and saw the same man who’d taken her, standing on the other side of the road, watching them, his expression hidden in the darkness. But just the sight of him drove his need to reinforce his claim on Crissy, the need becoming overwhelmingly urgent, primal. She gasped with surprise when his hands cupped her face and he slanted his mouth over hers, his lips almost bruising in their intensity, his tongue pushing at her lips until her mouth opened under his, stating his claim in an almost animal fashion.
He didn’t tell her the hell he’d gone through. His breath locked in his throat. An unfamiliar need filled him, drove him, something primeval, unsatisfied, a part of him that craved submission, the degree of sub
mission he’d never asked from her, the type that was instinctive for his kind. “Inside,” he managed to croak out.
He didn’t release her. Couldn’t if his life depended on it.
As they entered the house, his father stood and eyed them both closely. Fortunately his dad didn’t make a move to touch Crissy. The way Randy was feeling right then he would have ripped his hand off.
“Crissy, I’m Rod Trudeau—lovely to finally meet you. Maybe we can welcome you to the family properly when this is all over?”
“Yes, I’d like that.”
Rod glanced around and raised an eyebrow at the others pointedly. “Okay, gentlemen, what say we give Randy and Crissy some time alone?”
“But I want to know what happened,” said Chad.
“Later, Chad,” said Rod with a grin. “I think my son has something more important to take care of. You can ask all the questions you need to tomorrow.”
Standing rigid behind Crissy, his body wrapped around her, touching her in as many places as was possible standing up, Randy waited until the door banged shut behind them before he relaxed slightly and turned her around.
“Come here.”
He ignored the look of surprise on her face before he kissed her. It was rough, hungry, her muffled cries cutting into his heart, but he couldn’t stop. As if something inside he could no longer control was pushing him, driving him.
She struggled against his hold and shoved hard against his chest, just enough to break the kiss, and stood panting, gasping for air.
“Randy, what’s wrong? You’re not…you look different.”
She took a step backward and he made to grab her, but then stood, clenching and unclenching his fists as he fought to regain some control. He gritted his teeth, unable to stop the small growl from escaping. The change was starting, and he closed his eyes tight, inhaling deeply while he struggled to push the animal inside him back down.
“Don’t. Move.” He was on the knife-edge. She was nervous and confused—he could see it in her eyes, smell the uncertainty in the air around them. But if she ran from him now, he’d chase her down until he forced her to submit. And she might never forgive him. But he had to know. Had to make sure she was still his—dammit.
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