Coyote Home

by Rhian Cahill

  “Hey.”

  She turned to find Brogan lounging against the door jam. He studied her and she tried not to fidget under his close scrutiny.

  “Hey, yourself.” She smiled and stepped toward him.

  He pushed off the wall and met her halfway. When he opened his arms she leapt into his embrace, soaking up his warmth and the love he’d always given her.

  “I missed you so much.” Her words were muffled against his neck as she drew in his familiar scent.

  “I missed you too, Rowan.” He squeezed her tight before putting her back on her feet. “But I wish you’d told us what was going on. You wouldn’t have had to face this alone.”

  “I didn’t want you to see me like this.” She shrugged a shoulder and turned away. “I want you to see me as the strong independent woman I am and not the needy teenager you had to hide away.”

  “You may have been a teenager, but you were never needy.” His hands skimmed down her arms, comforting in their movements.

  “I’m sorry.”

  “No need for sorry. Are those to go home?” He pointed at her still-packed bags.

  “Yes, I don’t need much while I’m here. I’m not planning on venturing out before I return home.” She followed him when he went to pick up her bags. “Oh, and in the next few days there’ll be some more of my stuff arriving. I’d planned to be back by the time everything arrived but I didn’t bank on having such a hard time with my coyote.”

  Brogan stroked a hand over her hair. “It’s okay, Rowan. Take all the time you need. There’s no rush.”

  Tears flooded her eyes and she blinked rapidly to stop them from spilling. How had she ever survived without Brogan’s unconditional love and support?

  “Hey, none of that.” He cupped her face and brushed at her tears with his thumbs. “It’ll be okay, you’re home now.”

  A sob broke free. Her heart hurt with all she’d missed by not being here. She still believed leaving the pack had been the right decision. They didn’t stand a chance against a corrupt sovereign and his equally immoral son. Brogan pulled her to his chest, wrapped her in his warm embrace and held her tight while she cried out all the grief she hadn’t allowed herself to feel until now.

  Quinn sat back and soaked up the sight of Rowan making dinner. Brogan left earlier, choosing not to eat with them. Quinn knew why. The quicker Rowan was able to get control of her coyote, the quicker she’d be going home. Brogan knew the sooner he let her get on with it, the better. Neither wanted her to suffer and they would gladly take any pain or frustration on her behalf but this was something she had to do on her own. He had no clue how he’d be able to sit back and watch her struggle through it. It had almost done him in when she’d been a teenager and he’d had no idea they were mates then. The next few days were going to be tough. On both of them.

  Even now his fists were clenched around his knees in a white-knuckled grip. The urge to go to her and fold her in his arms was razor sharp. He knew she’d cried on Brogan’s shoulder. He hadn’t needed his friend to tell him. Her eyes were red and puffy from her tears and it cut him up inside that he hadn’t been able to stop them from falling. That he hadn’t been the one to soothe her when they had. Her emotions bashed against his, tugged and pulled until her pain was his. He should be able to protect his mate from everything.

  “You can’t do this for me.” Rowan’s quietly spoken words snapped him from his thoughts. He hadn’t realized she’d stopped what she was doing and turned to watch him.

  “I know, but it won’t stop me from wanting to.”

  “After dinner I’d like to practice shifting but I’m not sure it’s a good idea to get naked in front of you just yet.”

  He grinned. Yep, if she got naked he’d be all but crawling out of his skin to jump her. Kind of like he was now, even with all her curves hidden beneath her T-shirt and shorts, his body pulsed with the need to possess her.

  “You could just wear what you’ve got on. They were loose on you earlier when you shifted.”

  She scrunched up her pert nose and thought about his suggestion. “Okay. That’ll work for now.”

  Satisfied, Rowan turned back to her dinner preparations giving him a view that made his mouth water. The shorts might not be tight but they were cut high exposing her long lean legs. His tongue tingled with the need to taste those sculpted calf muscles, toned thighs and the slope of her ass. He didn’t even want to think about the dimple above the heart shaped cheeks, or the crease between them.

  He stifled a low groan. The ache in his rock-hard cock wasn’t going to be taken care of anytime soon. Not unless he wanted to do it himself and he knew jacking off wouldn’t begin to slake the lust now that Rowan was back. He’d never been with anyone else. He knew that wasn’t normal but he’d always been weary of his coyote genes and by the time he’d been ready to take the step into manhood Rowan had hit puberty and everything had changed.

  He remembered being at the lodge the night she’d shifted the first time. Remembered the gut slam of need and knowledge that blindsided him the second she’d stepped through the door. It had taken her months to make a full change, the skill taking time to master for all born coyotes. At the onset of adulthood each of them struggled to connect with their dormant animal. She’d been fourteen. Way too young for him to do anything about them being mates. Brogan had almost gone ballistic on him. No, he had. It was the one and only time they’d fought. Once Quinn had made it clear he would wait for Rowan, his friend had calmed down.

  The night of Rowan’s attack had changed everything. With Connelly firmly in control of the pack, they couldn’t begin to protect her and getting her out had been the only way to ensure her safety. Sending her out into the world without him was the hardest thing Quinn had ever done. She’d been eager to complete their mating ritual and with the added protection of being mated, Rowan didn’t have to worry about the attention of other male coyotes. It had been the only time they’d had sex. Until then they’d settled for a lot of making out.

  How they’d managed to stop on any of those occasions was a mystery. The taste and scent of Rowan filled him. He didn’t need to remember. It was part of him, mixed with his own essence. They were combined forever in a way no one could ever undo. The sizzle in his veins turned to a boil and his jeans threatened to strangle his dick. The damn things were choking the life out of the erection trying to break free of the unforgiving denim. He needed to get out of them. Now. Good thing they kept a supply of clothes here at the cabin.

  His chair scraped over the timber floor as he pushed away from the table. Rowan spun around, eyes wide, legs braced. It shocked him to see her fear. Surely she knew he’d never hurt her.

  “I’m just going to get cleaned up and changed.” He watched, waited for her muscles to relax. When she took a deep breath and smiled, he said, “I’ll be about ten minutes.”

  “It’s okay. Dinner won’t be ready for about thirty minutes.”

  He walked over, brushed his fingers over her cheek. “You know I’d never hurt you, right?”

  Her eyes closed and she nodded. “Yes.”

  “Look at me.” He waited for her gaze to meet his. “I love you with everything I am. You are all I am. We’ll see this through. Together.”

  Eyes swimming with tears, she stood on tiptoes and brushed her lips over his. A light caress, nothing worthy of racing hearts or raging hormones, but with Rowan there was never anything else. The fire ignited, scorched him from the inside until he all but melted. Stepping back, he put distance between them. It would be so easy to reach out, pick her up and carry her off to bed. His jaw clenched hard enough to take a layer of enamel off his teeth. He took another step away from temptation and damn if she didn’t work out what he was doing.

  The Rowan he knew peaked out, sparkled in her eyes and tipped her mouth into a saucy little grin. An answering smile teased his lips.

  This is what he wanted to see. His Rowan, not the one who jumped at the slightest noise. The one who teased an
d laughed and wasn’t afraid of him or what he made her feel. And until this moment he hadn’t realized how hurt he was by her fear of all they were to each other. That would change. He’d make sure it changed. Before long he’d be able to hold his mate in his arms without either of them worrying about her losing control of her coyote.

  “I’ll be back,” he said in his best Terminator impersonation.

  She threw back her head and laughed. A belly deep, carefree gale that fizzed in his blood and brought light to his heart as the echo of it followed him out of the kitchen.

  Ten minutes in a cold shower and he still had a hard-on to rival the Eiffel Tower. The sweat pants didn’t hide it either but there was no way he was putting another pair of jeans on. He wanted to be able to use his cock when Rowan was ready and he risked permanent damage if he stuffed himself into what amounted to a denim torture device. He walked out into the living room, his erection pointing the way.

  Rowan was setting the small dining table with plates when he came up next to her. Her gasp and wide eyes had him covering himself with his hands.

  “Sorry. You’ve always had that effect on me and it’s not going to go away until after…” He didn’t want to voice what would help the problem. “Just ignore it. I’m going to. Well I’ll try at least.”

  “This isn’t going to work. I can’t expect you to put up with—” she stalled, waved her hand in the direction of his tented pants. “It’s got to hurt.”

  “See now, the hurt isn’t what I’d call pain and if I left I’d be in the same state. I can live with it. It’s less than what you’ll be going through and I’ve already told you I’m not going anywhere. We do this together.”

  She blew out a puff of breath, her bangs fluttering out of her eyes. “Fine. But don’t complain when you’ve got blue balls.” Turning, she stomped off into the kitchen to retrieve dinner.

  “What can I do to help?” he asked, following her.

  “Grab the green salad from the fridge and put it on the table. What do you want to drink? Coffee or soda?”

  “I’ll grab a soda. What are you having?”

  “I’ll have one too.”

  They said nothing more until their plates were full and they’d made inroads into filling empty stomachs. The silence was comfortable and neither felt the need to fill it with mundane chatter. It had always surprised Quinn, their ease with each other. Even before Rowan had hit puberty and they realized they were mates, the relationship between them had been more than her being his best friend’s little sister. For as long as he could remember she was a part of him. Long before they’d crossed into physical intimacy, they’d been emotionally intimate.

  He’d never balked at telling her anything. She was his past, his present and his future. And he’d see her through this, help anyway he could so she could take her place in the pack and finally come home.

  Rowan leaned away from the table. She was stuffed so full of food, moving was impossible without rupturing something. Eyes half closed in post pig-out lethargy, she watched Quinn through her lashes. He continued to devour mouthfuls of the stew she’d made. His utter enjoyment was displayed with little moans as he chewed and swallowed every bite. She’d missed his enthusiasm. Nothing was ever done with less than full gusto.

  Her gaze followed his hands, the bob of his Adam’s apple, the flick of his tongue as it reached out to catch a drop of sauce from the corner of his lips. She wanted to lean over, slip her tongue out and catch that escaping morsel for him. He was completely absorbed in the task of eating. The meal wasn’t anything special, just a basic stew with meat and veggies but he ate it like it was a meal served in a five-star restaurant. Using a piece of crusty bread, he soaked up the last of the gravy, popped it into his mouth and looked up at her.

  Smoldering, sated eyes met hers. Bedroom eyes. He’d always had them and they could turn her inside out with a look. Nothing had changed. Her coyote stirred, pulled and pushed to be let free. Rowan held on, stopped the change from happening. She gulped in air, tried to slow her breathing down by closing her eyes and thinking of anything but Quinn. He remained perfectly still, didn’t draw a breath and still she felt his presence. Every nerve tingled with desire, need. Muscles stretched, skin pulled and teeth lengthened.

  Shudders racked her body and sweat slicked her skin, quickly absorbed by the fur thickening all over her body. It was too hard to hold back and she was too tired to fight her coyote anymore. With a whimper she slid from her chair to the floor and let go.

  A chair scraped the floor and then Quinn was next to her, murmuring words of comfort and stroking his fingers through her coat. Her shuddering eased and a sigh escaped her chest. She wanted to sleep. Curl up and sleep, but she couldn’t. She needed to muster enough strength to change back. He lifted her head, placed it in his lap while he continued to soothe her with the caress of his hand. It took a few minutes but she didn’t drop into oblivion like she had before.

  She barked once, pulled away and sat back on her haunches. Her muscles shook, her bones popped, like knuckles being cracked, and then she was human again. She slumped forward, Quinn catching her before she face-planted into the floor. Scooping her up, he rose to his feet as if she weighed nothing and headed for the bedroom.

  “Where are you taking me?” she murmured.

  “Bed. The circles under your eyes just got darker and after the effort to control and change you just put in I’d say it’s time for you to sleep.”

  “I don’t want to sleep. I’ve got to clean up after dinner.”

  “Nope. I’ll do that. You’ll go to bed. I don’t care if you just lie there; you’re not getting up until morning. I’ll take care of the kitchen.”

  “Quinn.” Her protest was weak but she made the effort anyway.

  “Rowan,” he mimicked her tone.

  She smiled as her eyes drifted shut. He laid her on the soft mattress, pulled the quilt up over her and tucked her in as if she were a child. With no energy left to complain, she admitted defeat and snuggled into the comfy bed, her mind sinking into sleep in seconds.

  Quinn waited until her breathing evened out. Sure she’d dropped into a deep sleep, he left the room to tackle the clean up. It didn’t take long to cover the leftovers, rinse the plates and stack the dishwasher. He checked to be certain he hadn’t missed any dirty plates before filling the powder holder and switching it on, the electrical hum the only noise in the quiet room. He’d locked up earlier but he went around and double checked the door and all the windows.

  He switched off the lights and made his way back to the bedroom. The fact Rowan hadn’t mentioned sleeping arrangements told him how exhausted she was. She’d probably go to town on him in the morning but he wasn’t sleeping anywhere but next to her from now on. He was never allowing her away from him again.

  She was still curled on her side, the quilt tucked up under her chin. Even in the darkened room the shadows under her eyes stood out. He’d make her get plenty of rest. She could practice shifting as much as she wanted but he would do everything else. From now on, he’d take care of her, feed her and put some weight on her bones. That had to be part of her problem. She couldn’t weigh more than a ten year old. He’d soon fix that. Plenty of food and plenty of rest and he’d be taking her home in no time.

  Stripping out of his clothes, he climbed in beside her. For her sake, he left his boxers on but he wouldn’t be making any other concessions. He reached over, curled an arm around her waist and snuggled her back against his chest. Her warmth seeped into him. Her scent surrounded him. Her ass fit into the cradle of his hips and his erection pressed into the crease between her soft, squeezable cheeks. It would be so easy to slip inside her in this position.

  How they would make it until she gained control was anyone’s guess. Holding her while she slept had his heart racing, his groin pounding and his coyote howling to take, to possess. She was his mate, he should be able to have her any way he wanted. Anytime he wanted. He might just end up with those blue balls sh
e predicted earlier. If touching her set off a shift then he’d change as well and there wouldn’t be a problem. It wouldn’t be the first time they mated in coyote form.

  Quinn smiled into the dark. Maybe they were going about this all wrong. Maybe she needed to connect with her coyote and its base animal needs. She’d held off the change at dinner, he’d watched her struggle before her exhaustion had won out. And then, when she’d shifted back, it hadn’t taken as long as earlier in the day. She was already making progress at controlling her coyote.

  He pulled her closer, nuzzled the nape of her neck and tasted her skin. She was warm and soft, sliding under his tongue like the sweetest dessert. He shuddered with the need to take what he wanted. To fuck her until they both lay sated. Until they satisfied the mutual cry screaming at them from within.

  As much as he wanted to do things her way, Quinn didn’t think their coyotes would let them for long. Already he could feel the pull. His beast had its mate within reach and wouldn’t be happy to wait. Hell, he wasn’t happy to wait but he had to give Rowan her chance. If he didn’t she’d fight him and he couldn’t risk losing her again. He’d let her go once, there was no way he’d do it a second time.

  Chapter Three

  Rowan came awake slowly. Surrounded in warmth, she wanted to stay asleep but something nagged at her mind, made her think she needed to get up now. Stretching, she arched her back and rolled over onto a warm body.

  “Ah…” She leapt from the bed, got tangled in the covers and went down on her ass, hard. As pain radiated from her squashed rear end her senses kicked in and a familiar scent filled her nostrils. She groaned with embarrassment. Flopping back on the floor, she hoped Quinn had slept through her drama queen moment. With the chuckle coming from above she knew she was out of luck.

  Quinn’s head popped over the side of the mattress. “Morning, Rowan. You’re one of those leap-out-of-bed types I see.” His smothered laughter made her want to strangle him. He knew full well she hated mornings.