by J C Gordon
He kept his distance from the car, not trusting himself near the petite redhead. His thoughts were in turmoil and the longer he ignored them the worse his rage was becoming. The blind panic and fear that had coursed through him as the brown wolf charged out of the trees had stunned him and left him immobile for a fraction of a second.
He was still dithering over what to do when the wolf stopped of its own accord in front of Rhianna and then the weirdness had really started. Caleb instantly knew the wolf was a Were. He knew the animal had clear, rational thoughts and was, therefore, less of a danger to Rhianna than a normal wolf.
Still, the way the Were had submitted to the girl enraged him even as he was relieved the animal wasn’t going to hurt her. Male Weres only ever submitted to their mates or children. The thought that this Dog was even contemplating mating with Rhianna brought a deep rage bubbling up from within. He had wanted to rip the wolf limb from limb at the sheer audacity of it even deigning to think of mating with his woman.
That thought had stunned Caleb even more. First the fear for Rhianna, and then thinking of her as his woman. The emotions of fear and jealously were completely alien to him. He had never had this type of reaction to a woman before and he didn’t like it one bit. In a matter of weeks, she had turned his life upside down until he couldn’t think straight and was feeling emotions he didn’t want to feel.
He had to find some way to break her hold over him. He should just take her home and stay away from her. She was human and he was a vampire. She was short-lived and fragile. He could never tell her what he was. She was already mentally fragile enough because of the loss of her brother. How the hell could he turn around and tell her he was a vampire? He’d most likely send her completely over the edge and she’d end up in some mental institution.
Caleb sighed, and put his hands in his pockets. Still, she had adapted to the wolf quickly. Granted, she had no idea she was stroking the belly and throat of a man who was only an animal part time. Would she have adapted so easily if she’d known the wolf was a Were? It was a moot point anyway. The Weres had left and the night was ruined. She’d probably never speak to him again either after the way he’d slammed the car door on her.
Rhianna watched Caleb covertly as he stood in front of the car with his hands in his pocket. He seemed pissed at her. So pissed he didn’t even want to be in the car with her. He’d called someone. Probably arranging a car to pick them up.
She was pissed at him too. He had no right to order her about as if she were a child. She was a grown woman and able to make her own decisions. The lovely warm feeling she had from meeting the large brown wolf had melted away in the face of Caleb’s anger. It had been such a magical moment for her. She had felt such a strong connection to the wolf once she’d gotten over her initial fear. Now she just felt tired and disappointed. She just wanted to go home and forget she’d ever met Caleb Ryder. She closed her eyes and didn’t open them again until the glare of headlights alerted her to an approaching car.
Caleb met Demetri as he stepped out of the car. His friend ran an experienced eye over him and grinned broadly. “Trouble in paradise, Caleb?”
“Fuck off,” Caleb grunted, taking the keys from him as a second car pulled up. “Just arrange to get the car towed and mind your own business.”
He turned back to his car and strode over to it, opening the passenger door. “Come on, get your things.” He kept his gaze averted as she gathered her purse and wrap, and got out the car.
He escorted her over to the black Volvo and opened the passenger door. Once she was seated, he made sure to close this one with a lot less force than before. He ignored Demetri and didn’t bother making any introductions. His friend just laughed and walked forward to inspect the damage to the Porsche, his eyebrows rising as he took in the little car.
Caleb climbed into the Volvo, fighting down his irritation at Rhianna as best he could. At least Demetri had come from the opposite direction they’d been travelling in so he didn’t have to turn the car around to take Rhianna home. That was one less minor irritation to deal with.
The tension in the car was almost tangible. Neither spoke as Caleb shifted through the gears almost violently as the Volvo travelled at excess speed through the night. He didn’t consciously decide to turn towards his house, it just seemed to happen. Before he realised what he had done, he was pulling up outside the mansion.
“I thought you were taking me home,” Rhianna said in a small voice, staring out the windshield at the large white mansion before her.
“So did I.” Caleb unclipped his seatbelt and stepped out of the car. He walked around the bonnet and opened the passenger door, waiting patiently as she hesitated before getting out.
He closed the door and headed up the steps into the house, leaving her to follow behind at her own pace. He was still furious and wanted some extra moments to try to control his anger. He had no idea why he’d brought her home. It would have been better to take her back to her place so he would have more time to calm down.
Rhianna watched Caleb warily as she stepped into the magnificent hallway. It had astounded her the first time she’d come here, but this time she barely registered the grandeur. She was too concerned about the barely controlled anger rolling off Caleb in waves. Though she didn’t think he would physically hurt her, she didn’t really know that much about the man. That uncertainty sent a shiver of fear coursing through her body.
Caleb noticed the motion and the slender control he had on his temper broke. His eyes narrowed dangerously. “You fear me? You insult me by fearing me? You, who all but rolled in the road with a fucking animal who could have ripped your throat out in a blink of an eye?” His anger was palpable, his tone harsh as his golden brown eyes flashed dangerously.
“Wolfie would never have hurt me,” Rhianna said defensively and realised instantly it was probably the worst thing she could have said to him at that moment.
His hand snaked out so quickly she barely saw it move. One moment he was a few feet from her and the next his big hand was circling her neck and he was right before her, looming threateningly as a loud hiss escaped his throat.
She froze in panic; a little whimper of fear bubbling out of her throat as he leaned down until his face was barely an inch from hers.
“You did not know that,” he hissed quietly. “When I tell you to do something you will obey me instantly, Rhianna, or suffer the consequences.”
His hand wasn’t squeezing her neck; it was simply holding her in place and making sure she could not back away from him. His golden brown eyes burned into her and she whimpered again as she tried to look away but found she couldn’t.
Her fear infuriated him. It shamed him too. She was terrified of him and he had no one to blame but himself. The admission tore through him and his hand moved slowly, lightly stroking over the curve of her fragile neck as he took a deep breath and dampened down his rage, his expression softening.
He moved that last inch closer to her and his mouth found hers. Her startled gasp opened her soft lips so he could stroke his tongue inside her moist heat and taste her amazing sweetness again. He groaned and gathered her into his arms, his mouth becoming more demanding as he opted to kiss her senseless rather than choke the life out of her. He could never hurt this human no matter how much she infuriated him.
Caleb’s kiss stunned her for a second and then she was responding to him, her tongue searching for his, stroking him lightly over and over again as he pressed his hardness against her. Her fear melted into deep, heady pleasure as his kiss deepened further. She clutched at the lapels of his jacket to keep herself from falling.
Not that he would have allowed it. Caleb’s strong arms were so securely around her he would have caught her if her knees buckled as they were threatening to do.
Her memories of their night together seemed to pale in comparison to this hot, wet, luscious meeting of lips. She swooned under the assault of his mouth even though she knew she should be fighting him. She should b
e giving him a piece of her mind at the chauvinistic way he was behaving. However, to do that would mean taking her lips away from his and she didn’t want this wonderful feeling to end.
Caleb reluctantly pulled his lips from hers to allow her the opportunity to breathe. He rested his forehead against hers and took a deep ragged breath as he fought for a new kind of control--the control needed not to throw her down on the floor and ravish her beautiful body the way he so badly wanted to.
“I’m sorry,” he whispered quietly. “For a moment I thought that wolf was going to hurt you and I felt a fear I’ve never experienced in my life before. I reacted badly to that fear. I know that doesn’t excuse my subsequent behaviour, Annie. I’m not trying to justify myself. I’m just explaining why I acted the way I did.”
Rhianna let out a long, shaky breath and swallowed hard. Caleb sounded oddly vulnerable in his admission and that tugged at something inside her. He was always so confident, whether he was making love to her or pissed at her. Never before had he ever seemed so hesitant, so unsure of himself as he did right now.
“Caleb, I’m a grown woman,” she said softly. “All my life I’ve had my brother at my side, helping me make my decisions. He’s gone now and I’m left in the position where I have to learn how to stand on my own two feet. I don’t need another man to come into my life and start making my decisions for me. Yes, it probably would have been wiser if I stayed in the car tonight but I chose not to. Meeting Wolfie was a wondrous experience and you spoiled it for me with your caveman behaviour.”
Caleb sighed and straightened up, moving away from her and putting his hands in his pockets to stop himself from dragging her back into his arms. “I’m sorry, Annie.” There really wasn’t anything more he could say. Her disappointment was palpable and he was the cause of it.
She watched him silently for a moment, warring with the need to give in to him, to grant him forgiveness, but she knew if she did then she would be silently giving him permission to behave like that again. “I’d like to go home now, Caleb,” she finally said quietly.
Caleb wanted to refuse, wanted to demand she stay with him, but her set expression told him it was the wrong thing to do. “I’ll take you home,” he sighed, running a hand through his long hair. “Will you let me make this up to you, Annie? Can we try again to go out for dinner or a movie or something?”
Rhianna frowned slightly as she looked up into his face. He seemed sincere in his request but she wasn’t sure if she wanted to see him again. She didn’t need another man to come into her life and take over. She loved Rafe and missed him terribly, but he had sheltered her far longer than he had needed to and that was why she had taken his death so hard. She had been at a loss at how to go on without him. It was time she learned to take care of herself.
“I’m not sure, Caleb,” she said with a deep sigh. “I’ll have to think about it. I need some time to decide what I’m going to do with my life. I’m not sure if you’re someone who fits in with what I want my life to be from now on.”
She watched him digest what she said and saw displeasure cross his face before an expression of resignation took its place. “I understand,” he said quietly before turning towards the door to take her home.
~~~~~
There was a feeling of jubilation among the pack as the rogue was finally brought to heel. They didn’t even seem concerned by the fact that it had been stopped by a vampire mowing it down with his car rather than the pack putting it down. The men and women of the pack were just happy it was finally dead and there would be no more forced turnings.
Jared was also relieved but angry. He had to deal with Rafe and he wasn’t looking forward to it. He had felt the man’s deep pain at having to walk away from his sister. He nodded to Aaron and headed inside his house to put on a pair of jeans and a shirt.
Ten minutes later Aaron and Rafe entered having changed into clothes too. Jared’s intent gaze took in Rafe’s misery and he struggled not to empathise with him. He had endangered the entire pack tonight and he had to be punished.
“Leave us, Aaron,” he said tersely and waited for his beta to depart before he ordered Rafe to sit down in the chair in front of his desk. He sat down behind the desk and glared at the man.
“You endangered the pack tonight, Rafe.”
The other man’s head shot up and he met his eyes defiantly. “How did I do that, Jared? I remained in wolf form. I did not reveal myself to Annie. I came back to the pack as ordered.” Rafe’s tone was terse, fury in his eyes. He was still reeling from having been so close to his sister and being forced to leave her.
“You came back to the pack when your sister told you to!” Jared barked out. “You ignored my direct order to return to the pack. I am the Alpha! You obey me at all times, not when it’s convenient!” He slammed his hand down hard on the desk to emphasise his words.
Rafe dropped his gaze from his Alpha and bowed his head. Everything Jared said was true. He had disobeyed his Alpha and he knew enough about pack law to know this meant he was in serious trouble.
“What is my punishment?” he asked with a weary sigh. Whatever it was, he would endure it. Having that brief moment with his sister was worth whatever punishment his Alpha was going to mete out to him.
“Do you think I want to punish you, Rafe?” Jared uttered a muffled groan. “Do you think I don’t understand how painful and hard it was for you tonight to be so close to Annie and have to walk away from her? I see right inside you, Rafe. I understand she is more your child than your sister. You have cared for her for so long, and I understand how your relationship with her has changed because of it.”
He stood up and began to pace around the study. Dealing with Rafe presented the Alpha with so many unique challenges. He didn’t want to break the man’s spirit. Heavens above, he’d already been through so much through no fault of his own! Jared had to try to maintain authority whilst tempering his judgement to reflect the rather unique circumstances of Rafe’s forced turning. He didn’t want to lose him from the pack.
He stopped pacing, raking a hand through his hair as he threw himself into his chair. “Your circumstances make things difficult, Rafe. If you were an ordinary member of the pack, I would simply have you flogged for disobedience and then set to the most menial tasks for a prescribed period. I find I cannot do this with you. Doing so would only increase your hatred of pack life and you would slip further from us, possibly even going rogue.”
Rafe stared at him in shock and tried to swallow down the sudden fury engulfing him. “I will never turn rogue! I will never be like that animal who did this to me! Decree your punishment, Jared. Flog me and set me to the menial tasks. I will accept your judgement.”
Jared frowned at him and then a wry smile crossed his face. “Yes, you would accept the punishment and go right ahead and disobey me all over again You’d gladly accept any form of punishment just to experience that brief moment with Annie again.”
Rafe looked away from his Alpha. It was true. The damned man really could see right inside him.
“You leave me no choice,” Jared sighed. “It pains me to do so but I am promoting you to Beta. Perhaps if you experience some responsibility for having to care for the pack, it will instil a sense of belonging in you and you can understand the need to follow the correct chain of command.”
Rafe growled and jumped from his chair. “No, you can’t do this! I don’t want to be a beta!” He understood the enormity of Jared’s punishment. Aaron was a beta and he was Rafe’s closest friend here. He routinely watched Aaron settling minor disputes, taking charge of various parts of pack life, of being responsible for every single Were beneath him.
“You have no choice,” Jared drawled with a smug smile. “Well, you do have one choice,” he amended. “You can either accept your promotion or you can challenge me for the position of Alpha.”
The look of complete horror that crossed Rafe’s face satisfied Jared’s wolf. The hulking man before him had no wish ever to be Alpha,
even though he was more than capable of being one. Rafe Armand would never challenge Jared for leadership.
“That is not a choice,” Rafe finally ground out, his shoulders slumping in defeat.
“I’m sorry, Rafe. I know this is not what you want. I know you wish you could return to your old life as if none of this had ever happened. It has happened, though, and cannot be changed. Aaron will begin your training as a beta and you will accept the huge responsibility that is now on your shoulders. You will protect this pack with your life as we all do.”
Rafe bowed his head and mumbled his agreement. He turned and left the Alpha’s house with a heavy heart.
Aaron was waiting not far away, his handsome face concerned as he saw the dejected figure approach. “What was the Alpha’s punishment?” he asked, concerned for his friend. He was aware of Rafe’s struggle to adapt to his circumstances. “Are you to be flogged?”
Rafe’s tortured gaze met his and he shook his head miserably. “You are to teach me how to be a beta.”
Aaron threw his head back and laughed loudly as he slapped Rafe on the back. “The Alpha is truly evil at times, my friend. Don’t look so woeful. Being a beta has many benefits as well as much responsibility. You will make an excellent beta, Rafe.”
Rafe seriously doubted it but he had no choice in the matter. Jared was forcing him more fully into the pack and he was helpless to fight it.
CHAPTER seven
Rhianna smiled as she drove her car along the dark road surrounded by large, looming trees. She found herself smiling often whenever she drove along Old Forest Road. It had been a week since the night she’d met Wolfie and she always found herself looking out for the hulking beast as she travelled the road. She watched her speed, too, just in case any wolves shot across her path. She didn’t want to accidentally run one over.