by Dana Archer
So simple. So easy. So tempting.
He wanted it. Wanted her. Four years had passed. Surely his wolf had figured out how much Nic needed Riley. How much he loved her. That she was theirs. No other would take her place. No other would heal them.
Nic waited for his wolf to surface and stop him. It didn’t. All he felt was Riley’s delicate hands on his body. His heart beat harder. Hope rose. Maybe he could complete their bond before his animal realized what he planned.
He bit a little harder, breaking her skin. The first drop of her blood hit his tongue. His wolf rose from the depths of his psyche, slamming into his chest and stealing his breath. His heartbeat faltered. He ignored the animal and lapped at Riley’s shoulder, numbing her skin and preparing her for the deep bite he’d soon deliver. He clamped down a little harder, spilling more of her blood. Her moan encouraged him.
Eyes closed, he reached out to Riley with his mind. The shimmering light of her soul shone, calling him closer, a beacon in his stark existence. He stretched toward her, needing her warmth, needing her life, needing her love.
His wolf rammed its head into his sternum, breaking his connection to Riley, and growled. Its warning was clear, and the reality of his situation came crashing back. He couldn’t finish the bond without his animal’s permission. It was his wolf’s future too, and it didn’t want to waste it on Riley. She was worthless.
Weak.
Barren.
No! She was everything.
A lump formed in Nic’s throat. He eased back so only his lips covered her shoulder. Regret and anger threatened to overwhelm him. He shoved them back along with his wolf. He wanted nothing to do with the animal he’d been born with. Too bad he couldn’t rip the beast from his body. They were two halves of a whole who barely tolerated each other. He hated his wolf. Hated himself.
“Nic.”
His whispered name held confusion. He’d ignored Riley while he’d wrestled with his baser half. Releasing her shoulder and leaving his claim unfinished, again, he turned his attention to Riley and loved her as she deserved.
Four years had passed, but one truth remained the same.
Riley was his. If only for tonight.
Unless…unless Nic could change his wolf’s mind.
Chapter 6
Riley blinked rapidly to bring the world back into focus. Nic had shattered her. Their loving had taken her to heights she’d never known. It had been different from the last time they were together. Better. She didn’t understand why, nor did she want to think about it. Regret would choke her.
Nic hadn’t changed his mind about them, and what they shared wasn’t a reunion.
It was good-bye.
He licked her shoulder, the spot where his bite marred her skin. Tingles spread, scattering her thoughts. “That was amazing.”
She turned her head and collided with his glowing blue eyes. Gorgeous. She’d always known he’d be beautiful with his primal side in full force.
“It was.” A sense of vulnerability washed over her. The need to protect herself followed. She’d made a mistake allowing her lusts to rule. Nic would rip her heart out and stomp on it again if she let him.
No! Not again. Riley tried to push up. She had to get away.
He drew her close, not allowing her to escape.
“Nic, what—”
He kissed her neck. “Shh. I’m not done with you yet. You’re mine to enjoy toni—”
He tightened his hold on her and whipped his head to the entryway leading into the living room. The only doors in her house led to the bedrooms and bathroom.
Heart pounding hard, she followed the direction of his stare. The sound of the front door opening reached her ears.
Nic growled. No more than a low rumble, the warning reverberated along her back. It zinged through her, tensing her body and filling her with fear.
Only a handful of people had keys to her house. She opened her mouth to yell out and see who’d entered. Nic clamped his big palm over it. He pressed his lips to her ear. “Stay here.”
In one quick move, he bent, snatched his discarded sweats, and strode away, yanking his pants on as he went.
“Riley, I saw the lights on. You still up? We need to talk.”
Ben’s voice carried through the quiet house. She sucked in a rough breath.
Nic growled and disappeared into the living room.
“What th—” Ben’s words cut off. A garbled groan preceded a loud thump.
“Nic, wait!” Riley snagged her shirt and shoved her arms through the holes. Holding the edges closed, she ran.
The sight that met her stopped her heart. Black fur covered Nic’s larger clawed hands. He held a wide-eyed Ben against the wall with talon-tipped fingers wrapped around his neck. Nic leaned into him, his face inches from Ben’s, and snarled.
Fear rushed up. Nic wouldn’t recognize Ben as pack. He would smell like a Tanner wolf, but Ben hadn’t lived with them in a couple of years.
She rushed forward and placed a hand on Nic’s lower back. “Let him go.”
A growl answered her demand. Nic squeezed Ben’s throat. Ben gasped but didn’t fight back. As a beta, he would instinctually know better.
Riley moved to the side, needing to see Nic’s eyes. A feral look simmered in their glowing depths. She swallowed hard at the confirmation that the wolf was in charge, not the man. “This is Ben. He’s not a threat. He’s an honorary member of the pack.”
“Ben?” Nic whipped his head in her direction. Wild eyes focused on her. “The male who helps at the hospital?”
Thank goodness. She nodded quickly, relief sweeping through her. “Yes. He’s Jenna’s cous—”
“You know him well?”
Riley tensed at the rough bite to his words. Instinct told her to tread carefully, but she couldn’t understand why. Ben wouldn’t hurt anyone.
“Yes. He’s my friend.” She laid her hand against Ben’s thin bicep to prove she trusted him.
Nic’s canines extended on a guttural sound. She froze, gaze on Nic’s mouth. In a move she barely saw, he snatched her hand, yanking her into his side, and shoved Ben across the room. The younger shifter fell backward. He crashed into the coffee table. Wood splintered, the table snapping down the middle with the impact. Ben hopped to his feet and crouched in front of it.
Blood ran in steady rivulets down his neck from where Nic had grabbed him. The sight of Ben’s injury spurred her into action. She shoved away from Nic and ran toward Ben. A tug on her shirt jerked her to a stop. She stumbled, and the material slid down her arms. Nic grabbed her before she fell face-first onto the floor.
He spun her and yanked her against his chest. “You touch him, and I won’t be responsible for my actions.”
She leaned back. His attention focused behind her, but the expression displayed on his face stopped her heart. Rage tightened his features. The situation had spiraled out of control.
“Nic, look…” She stopped herself before she gave him another order in front of a lesser wolf. Her first command had made things worse. “He’s bleeding. Let me check on him, please. It’s my job.”
Nic slid his gaze to her. The anger darkening his eyes faded. Some other emotion flared within their depths. She didn’t quite understand it, but it made her pulse race and lower belly warm. He ran his tongue along his lower lip, drawing attention to the wide fangs filling his mouth.
His gaze ensnared hers and kept her frozen in place. He slid one hand to her ass, the other to her back—a possessive move she recognized. She tensed, but he pulled her closer and buried his face against the crook of her neck. His heated breath loosened her muscles. She relaxed into his arms, letting him hold her weight.
He nuzzled against her throat and skimmed his fingertips across her back to her shoulder. Fur no longer covered his hands, but her skin burned under the caress.
Her skin. Oh no!
She inhaled sharply, finally comprehending their situation. Her shirt had slipped, revealing most of her upper body
, including Nic’s bite.
Their secret was out.
And he was what? Staking his claim?
But he didn’t want her. Confusion settled over her.
Nic skimmed his open mouth up her neck to the spot right below her ear. “Is it your job or your desire to check on your lover that makes you want to go to him?”
Jealousy caused his reaction, not the need to keep her. It still warmed her and made her feel wanted. After the years apart from him, she’d take it.
Riley ran her hands down his back to his rear. He drew her closer, letting her feel his desire for her.
“Ben isn’t my lover. He’s a friend. He’s also an honorary member of the pack who’s bleeding. I have to help him.” Because unlike Nic, Ben’s cuts wouldn’t heal easily. She kept the truth to herself. Nic would understand once he wasn’t reacting on instinct.
He rested his cheek against her scarred shoulder. For a long moment, he didn’t move or speak. Finally, he eased back and righted her shirt, carefully buttoning it except for the top three. He gripped her arms and urged her to turn in his embrace. With one hand on her stomach, he held her against his chest.
“You’re Riley’s friend?” Nic asked.
Ben pushed to his feet. Blood still seeped from the puncture marks on his throat, but he didn’t swipe at the wetness soaking his shirt. He stood, hands loose at his sides, and gaze at the floor. “Yes. I’m sorry I disturbed you while you were with your mate. I didn’t know Riley was yours.”
“She’s not my mate.”
Hearing the words spoken out loud to another person chilled her soul. She tried to turn in Nic’s embrace, needing to hide from the shame, but he pressed her closer to his body, his heart beating wildly against her back.
“This”—Nic tugged her shirt down, exposing her scar—“was a mistake. I was young and got caught up in the moment. I pulled back before I mated her.”
Her throat thickened on tears. She swallowed hard. Ben looked at her. Sympathy softened his expression. After a moment, his image blurred. Riley squeezed her eyes closed before he saw the moisture pooling in them.
“It looks real,” Ben said.
Nic brushed his lips over the scar. Tingles radiated outward. Her body grew aroused despite her heart cracking in two. He pressed his fangs into the raised entry points, and her knees gave out. A nibble to her sensitive skin, and she moaned. She hadn’t meant for the sound to escape, but couldn’t stop it. One simple touch, and she was ready for sex.
He licked the spot on her shoulder once more and eased back. “I was two seconds away from soul-bonding with her. You understand what that means, don’t you?”
Ben cursed. “Yeah.”
“So you’ll keep this a secret.” Not a question. Nic’s words held certainty.
“Of course.”
She tipped her head to the side. “Well, I don’t. Explain it to me.” His chiding look hit her, reminding her of their company. At the moment, she didn’t care to play by the rules, but her anger didn’t overrule her common sense. Her stubborn lover wouldn’t respond if she ordered him in front of Ben. “Please, Nic. Explain to me why.”
He cupped her face between his hands. “If any future mate I take finds out about you, she’ll kill you.”
She covered his hands. “You already told me the unmated females would hurt me because I carried your mark. This is something more, isn’t it?”
He sighed. His hot breath washed over her face and filled her lungs with Nic’s scent. It didn’t comfort her as it normally would. Fear formed a lump in her belly.
“I own your body, Riley. Touched your soul, holding a piece in my grasp. Until you die, I will always be drawn to you. Desire you. Crave you. The same drives will urge you to be with me. It’s why I left. We wouldn’t have been able to stay away from each other.” He rubbed his thumb over the corner of her lip. “Even if I take a shifter mate, we’ll still feel the same drives. You’ll become a threat to her, and any dominant female, whether she loves me or not, will be obligated to eliminate you. It’ll become a social move. If she allows you to live, she’ll lose the respect of the pack.”
He dropped his forehead to hers and wrapped his arms around her middle. “You see why nobody can know? Unless I’m with you twenty-four-seven, you’ll die because I was foolish enough to fall in love with an angel.”
Chapter 7
Nic tightened his hold on Riley, but it wouldn’t do any good. He couldn’t hold on to her, and it was clear he couldn’t keep her safe either. He’d royally screwed over the only person in his life that mattered.
“You weren’t planning on telling me, were you?”
Riley’s voice cracked with her question, and he choked on his regret.
He cleared his throat. Thoughts of convincing his wolf of how perfectly Riley fit them faded for the moment. He couldn’t voice his plan, not now. Not yet. Dealing with Riley’s anger came first. She’d get the truth from him, not some flicker of hope he couldn’t guarantee. “If you’d planned to stay, I would’ve, so we could take extra precautions.”
“Because you’d still be tempted to sleep with me, even after you took a shifter mate, right?” He nodded, and she snorted. “So what? I’d be your mistress? Your whore? Is that what you’re telling me?”
Ice dripped from her words. Nic deserved it, but he couldn’t blindly accept it, not with an audience. He looked behind her. Ben, the young wolf Nic had attacked, stood next to the coffee table, his gaze on Riley, not him. “You will take the knowledge you learned tonight to the grave, Ben. If you share it with anyone, you and your wolf will meet an early death on the pyre altar. Do you understand?”
Ben sucked in a rough breath and nodded quickly, fear widening his eyes. The ceremonial death ensured neither man nor wolf would find the afterlife. It was a hideous punishment reserved for the cruelest of their kind. If the gaunt kid caused Riley’s death with his loose tongue, Nic wouldn’t think twice about condemning him to it.
“Good.” Nic nodded. “Now go to my old place and wait for me. You will give me your blood oath.”
“Of course.” Ben rushed to the door.
“One more thing.” Nic waited until Ben glanced over his shoulder. “Leave your key. You’re no longer welcome in Riley’s home.”
Ben dug the key out of his pocket, dropped it on the hall table, and fled out the door.
Nic turned his attention to the woman in his arms. Riley glared at him, hatred in her eyes. He cupped her face. She jerked her head to the side, breaking his hold. He dropped his hand. “No, I would’ve stayed away from you, as much as I could’ve, anyway. I’m not ruled by my lusts.”
She laughed. “Really, Nic? It seemed to me like you couldn’t wait to get me naked a few minutes ago.”
He clamped his hand on her shoulder, right over his bite mark. “I missed you, Riley. Just like I said. And I wanted our time together…”
“To what?” Riley narrowed her eyes. “Be special? Give you some good last memories of me? Or did you think giving me tonight would make up for breaking my heart?”
He ground his teeth.
“Caught.” She chuckled “So which one is it? Or did all those thoughts go through your head when you were loving me?”
“Yeah, I wanted to make some memories of you. Is that so wrong? I love you.” It’d be thoughts of her that convinced his wolf of the truth.
“You don’t love me.” She stood on her tiptoes and grabbed on to his shoulders. “If you loved me, you would’ve mated me. Together, we would’ve figured out a way to get you the heir you so desperately want. Or you would’ve passed the spirit of the pack onto Hannah’s mate. She told me she wants to rule, that we only need to wait until she matures.”
Venom dripped from her voice. Riley leaned closer and leveled a challenging glare on him. “So tell me again how much you love me, Nic, and I’ll tell you to screw yourself because it’ll be a lie.”
Nic wrapped a hand around her throat, not to hurt Riley but to hold her still. It
was time she learned the truth. “Sure, I could’ve done all those things, but I didn’t, because in the end it comes down to my wolf. It doesn’t want you. Not then, not now. In his eyes, you’re weak and not worthy of my love, let alone my eternal worship. It fought me four years ago when I tried to make you mine. And tonight…”
Riley stroked her fingers across his cheek. “And tonight, it fought you again, didn’t it?”
“Yes.” His nostrils flared. Hatred surged for the wolf who shared his soul. The animal wanted to ruin his life. “As soon as I put my mouth on your shoulder, my wolf made it clear it would stop me again. I can’t mate you without its agreement.”
“Because of the spirit wolf, right? Your wolf wants it, and you can’t be alpha with me as your mate.”
“Yes.” The word dropped like a gauntlet.
Riley mapped his face with her gaze, focusing on his chin, lips, nose, and finally meeting his eyes. Hope lingered in her blue depths. It hurt to see. “What about Hannah’s future mate? Can’t you transfer it to him? Her kids will still carry Kagan blood. They can continue the bloodline. Once the fate of the pack is secured, you can convince your wolf to love me too. Right?”
He slid his hand from her neck to sift through the silky strands of her hair, cradling the back of her head. “I need its agreement for the transfer too, and I can guarantee it won’t agree to that either. It’s been salivating for years over what being alpha will give us.” A bitter laugh escaped. “Power, Riley. Not love. It doesn’t care about love.”
Nic dropped his forehead to hers. “My only hope had been to stay away long enough that Hannah’s mate could’ve taken control in my place. If I didn’t know about the transfer, neither would my wolf, but it won’t work any longer. I missed my chance.”
“No, we didn’t.” She tightened her hold on him as if that would be enough to keep him locked to her side. “Hannah said she wants it. Why can’t you just stay here and protect your dad until she—”