by Honor James
She wasn’t a dimwit so she frowned, cocked her head to the side, and asked, “And what is it that you aren’t telling me?” When he sat there stoically she shrugged. “Fine, I will go and ask your yummy brother at the bar just what it means. Who knows, maybe he will rub off some of his scent on me. I would gladly get my freak on with him.” Yep, she was pulling the tail of the lion, or in this case, the Wolf.
“He’s already found his mate and I’m pretty sure she’ll claw your eyes out gleefully,” Miklos said softly. “Besides”—he shrugged—“he won’t tell you either. Unless you or I were in imminent danger no other Wolf has the right to interfere between mates. He won’t tell you jack shit,” he said, getting up and pacing away. “It’s nothing that will affect your decision and not a burden I want to place on your shoulder while you’re making it. You deserve to have a clean conscience should you decide to walk away and any blame for what happens will fall where it should, on my shoulders.”
“You certainly know how to piss someone off don’t you?” she asked as she stood and began a slow pace around the office, opposite of him. “You give me just a fraction of information and then you refuse to give me the full picture for ‘my own good.’ What kind of bullshit is that? How the hell can I make a complete decision if I am not given all of the facts?” Her back was killing her, her legs ached, and all she wanted to do was go home, curl up on her bed, and cry until she was so unconscious that she wouldn’t even see him in her dreams. “I buried one of my best friends today, you say you don’t want to burden me.” She paused by the door, hand on the handle. “Well guess what, Jack, it’s too late. You didn’t do this, just keep that in mind. It was fate or Karma or whatever so while you are able to keep yourself all high and mighty.” Twisting the lock she nodded and sighed. “Just remember that the last thing you are going to see is me walking away because you can’t tell me everything to allow me to make my own choice. Instead you treat me as if I am five and unable to handle all aspects of the choice.” With that she made to open the door, hoping that he would give her what she needed, his trust.
Spinning Miklos slammed the flat of his hand to the door keeping it closed as he moved up behind her and lowered his head to inhale her scent. “You’re in pain, Harker. You need to sleep and you’re more than a little cranky, I might point out.” Pressing his lips to the curve of her spine at the back of her neck he breathed her in slowly. “If you choose to not mate with me I will go insane. I will likely kill another Wolf or end up in a fight that kills me or the pack hunters will come for me and do whatever they need to do to end my life. Does that make you happy to know just what I was keeping from you?” he asked softly. “I didn’t want you making a decision out of pity for me, Harker. I wanted you to go with your gut, not some misplaced sense of guilt.”
“Give me more credit than that,” she responded even as she leaned back and into his arms. “Yes, I’m hurting. I want to go home and I want to sleep.” But she didn’t want to be alone. She was so tired of being alone. “Thank you for telling me, Miklos.” She turned in his arms and touched his chest, her back carefully kept from the wood. “Come home with me?” All right, who the hell said that, part of her mind screamed to the other part which sat there smugly and nodded, smiling like the Cheshire Cat, knowing that if he went home with her she would be safe, protected, and happy.
Blinking down at her Miklos wasn’t sure who exactly was the more stunned of the two of them. She didn’t take it back though and seemed to be waging an internal war with herself. “You’re not really sure that’s what you want, are you?” he asked, looking into her eyes. “I shouldn’t, Harker, you need to rest without having to share space with me even if I end up sleeping on the front stoop.”
What she did next surprised both of them on a level that couldn’t be found. Reaching up she tugged him to her, kissing him with a hidden and burning passion that no one had ever touched inside of her before. She kissed him with wild abandon and when she pulled back she looked at him and licked her lips. “I’m sure this is what I want, Mik. Don’t fight me, just come home with me and take care of me?” It had been, well, years upon years since she had someone just take care of her when she was ill or feeling down.
Licking his own lips slowly he stared at her unblinking before he nodded long moments later. “All right,” he murmured softly. “But first…” He leaned his head in and kissed her again, slower than she’d done, taking his time. Tasting her he slid his tongue over her lips before taking full possession of her mouth, his tongue sliding slowly over hers, teasing and gentle. Moaning softly he wanted to gather her close but knew that she was hurt and if he did he’d cause her more pain, so he satisfied himself with the kiss, his hands pressed firmly to the door.
Good god this man could kiss. Her lips were on fire as she wrapped herself closer to him. He might not be holding her close but he pressed closer to her as she wrapped her arms around his middle and tugged slightly. Moaning she let him take their kiss even deeper and suddenly wondered just how comfortable that desk would be.
It took a while but the banging on the door finally broke through the haze of his mind, her taste having shut him right down. Lifting his head slowly, his teeth having captured her lip, he let it slide free a little at a time. “I think someone wants your attention, Harker,” he murmured, having caught her friend’s scent. And, from what he could easily hear, she was not a very happy camper in the hall.
“I think that I will kill her.” She teased lightly and nipped at his chin. “She really is a good cookie, Miklos. She’s just very…” What was a word that would describe Desmonda Franco? “Forceful,” she finished with a smile and then nodded. “I will let her and the boys know you’re taking me home.” A twinkle in her eye, she added, “And don’t listen to a word they say, I do not snore.” Sleepwalk, you bet. Snore she did not do.
Chapter 10
Opening the door she looked at Desmonda who looked ready to kill and smiled sweetly. “It’s fine, Demon. Miklos is taking me home and going to pamper me and ensure that I don’t do anything that will cause me pain or grief.”
Desmonda looked at the man and growled. “Do not hurt her, pretty boy.” With that she flounced off, the gruff and hard exterior hiding something that not even her best friend Harker had ever found, a woman hungry for a love of her own.
Frowning after her Miklos shook his head. “She’s a strange bird,” he commented softly. Something was off with her but he couldn’t pin down how he knew or what it might be so he kept his mouth shut. He knew that women did not appreciate a man making a seemingly innocent remark that, to their ears, ended up sounding snarky about their female friends.
Looking down to Harker he touched her cheek with light fingertips. “You should be home in bed, Harker. Why are you here anyway?” he asked in confusion. If she’d told him he’d obviously not been listening, but then again his hormones had gone crazy the instant he’d caught her scent so that was not his fault in any way.
“We just buried Bernie today. Everyone wanted to come here to have a beer in toast to him and I couldn’t refuse.” She shrugged and sighed. “She is a strange one, but you can blame that on her being…” She dropped off and shook her head. “She has a reason not to like men so much, but it’s not my story to tell. For now, however…” Her hand slipped into his. “Take me home, will ya?”
Lacing his fingers through hers he tipped his head. “If you want I can,” he said. Nodding to the hall he let her go out first and closed the door behind them before he led her back out to the bar. “Give me a second to let Janos know I’m bolting on him,” he said in her ear as he moved through the patrons to the bar. Leaning over he told his little brother he was taking off and to comp the firefighters’ drinks for the rest of the night. With a nod Janos gave him a little mocking salute and took off to fill an order. “Ready?” Miklos asked her just loud enough she’d hear over the loud music.
“You bet.” She moved out of the back hall and toward the exit sign. Opening th
e door to the cool night air she took in a deep breath and sighed. “Do you want to know where I live, or should I just let you do your detective mumbo jumbo and figure that out on your own?”
“This would probably be a bad time to mention it but I already know,” he said with a half smile. “I did a little digging after I left the hospital and you’d be amazed what one can find on the Net. Especially when one has a badge that can get you into anything and everything.” Leading her toward his car he unlocked the door for her and held it. “And if that hasn’t creeped you right out, slide in and we’ll get you home to some painkillers and your own bed.”
“Nope, it didn’t creep me out in the least.” She slid in and clicked her seat belt, leaning her head back. “Just get me home and then later we will talk about this obsession you seem to have with me.” She offered him a quiet smile.
Rolling his eyes he shut her door and moved around to join her. Starting the engine he glanced at her. “Honey, it’s not obsession, I’m interested,” he told her. “Very different.” He chuckled, pulling out of the lot and heading for her place. “If it makes you feel better you can throw out random suggestions for where I should turn or the best routes.”
“Nope, I will let you use your skills to get me home.” She opened her eyes and the pain was there as she added, “Just know that I’m hurting, Miklos. The sooner you get me home and to the Lortabs the happier I will be with you and the more open I will be to listening to you persuading me to become your mate.”
Glancing over at her he frowned reaching out to stroke her cheek. “I’m sorry, Harker.” Returning his hand to the wheel he drove as quickly as he could without attracting any attention that would be unwanted right then. Pulling up in front of her place ten minutes later he leaned forward to look at it. “This it?” he asked her with a look.
Looking up at her small house she smiled and nodded. “Yep, this is me. It’s not overly large or metropolitan by any stretch.” She lived just outside of the city limits in a small suburb of cookie-cutter houses with lawns too small for more than three to four swipes with the lawn mower on each side, but it was hers. It was home. “I only have one bedroom, so you’re just gonna have to either take the couch or promise to be a gentleman.” If he stayed. Hell, if he wanted to.
“I’ve never been a gentleman,” he told her honestly as he got out of the car and moved to her side to help her out. Holding out his hands he braced and let her ease herself up and out. “My mother didn’t live long enough to teach me just how a man should treat a woman. Laz and Ben at least had time for the lessons with her but I was still too young to really get into them.” Shutting the door he hit the alarm before tucking her arm through his so she could use him for balance if needed. “I’ll sleep on the couch or the floor, whichever will accommodate me.”
“The couch would be more comfortable.” She wasn’t about to argue with him. It was enough that she had invited him back to her home, but she had to admit, it was kind of nice when he opened the door for her and watched as his eyes scanned the whole of the house before she was able to get too far from her. “See, nice big couch.” She said with a grin as she looked at the large leather sectional, “We will get you some sheets and pillows and you can hunker down here.” And she couldn’t wait to feel him in her dreams again, strange as it was. She liked it, a lot.
Glancing to the couch he nodded. “I think it’ll do just fine,” he told her before following her to get the sheets and pillow. Taking them from her, Miklos shooed her off. “Go and get changed into something comfortable, Harker, and get some rest,” he told her. “I’m going to do a quick walkthrough and then make a couple calls while you do that. Shout if you need help with anything, Harker, I don’t want you hurting yourself.”
“I do need help, Miklos.” The voice was a quiet sound from the archway of the door. “I need help getting my shirt and bra off because my whole back feels like it’s on fire.” And if she wasn’t careful she was going to pull stitches and then she would be in the doghouse. “If you feel like you can, will you come help me after you walk around and make your call?”
Moving toward her he shook his head. “I’ll help you first so you can get ready for bed,” he told her. Gently turning her he tipped his chin. “Lead on, Harker,” he ordered. As he followed her to the bedroom he scanned her house and was impressed. It was a homey building, not cold as many houses were. “How long have you lived here?” he asked curiously as he stepped into the bedroom behind her.
“Ten years. I bought it when I was first assigned to the Fifty-Ninth. The people who lived here had gotten pregnant so it was of course too small.” She shrugged. How could someone explain they never felt as if dating and men were right for her? “Before you I never really met anyone that I could feel like I wanted a life with, so this was perfect.”
Looking down at her he wondered if she’d realized what she’d said. “It is perfect. It’s cute and just right for you,” he said as he helped her with her shirt and gently pulled it down her arms. Moving behind her he growled low at the sight of her back. “Good god, Harker, how the hell are you even upright?” he asked as he gingerly moved her bra away from her back enough to unsnap it and then ease it down her arms. Moving from behind her he turned his gaze to her face as he tossed it aside and shook his head. “You are a mass of bruises, honey.”
“It’s fine. It’s where the glass was that is hurting like crazy.” Looking over her shoulder at him, she asked, “Is there blood on the gauze?” If so she would need to change it and that would just work out all kinds of interesting things. “And don’t bitch at me. I had to go to his funeral today. He was like a brother to me.” Or a father. Bernie had been the one to show her the ropes and had always been there to tell her that “yes, she could” do something even when others tossed out her femininity as a hindrance.
Pressing a kiss to her shoulder he shook his head. “Down, Harker,” he said, softly stroking his hands up and down her arms. “I was just asking how you could even be standing let alone moving around.” He was impressed though. She had claws and wasn’t afraid to show them. “The gauze is definitely pink. Where is the extra gauze, antiseptic, and tape?” he asked her quietly.
“Here.” Opening the cabinet she pulled out the gauze and medical supplies. “Thank you for taking care of me, Miklos.” She smiled over her shoulder. “I just don’t do well with people questioning me, even if they are giving me props with their questions.” She admitted, “Too many years fighting too many battles.”
“I can understand that,” he said even though his battles had been for life or death. “And I will remember that. Should I ever have the desire to pick a fight with you, I will choose the battleground carefully.” As gently as he could he began to pull the tape free, carefully keeping the gauze stationary until he had all the tape off her skin. Pulling the gauze away he cursed softly at seeing her back. He’d thought she was badly bruised before, but the bit that showed around the gauze was nothing compared to the swollen black mess under the gauze and surrounding the stitches. “Harker,” he breathed out softly, tempted to stroke his fingers over the wound, but he resisted knowing it would cause her pain.
“I don’t think I want to know, Miklos.” She bit her lip, allowing her hands to brace herself against the cabinet. “Can you handle it, Mik?” Because at this point she was about ready to leave it off and that would just be very bad indeed. “I will try to forget that you said you will choose our battlegrounds and try to let you have a small lead so that you have a chance at winning.” She was panting and ready to tumble. “Please hurry so that I can take my pain meds and sleep?” And she didn’t want to be alone. What the hell was that all about?
As gently as he could he carefully cleaned some of the dried blood around the wound and anything that was oozing slightly. Wincing whenever she flinched he wasn’t sure who was more a wreck by the time he had the cream on and was sticking the gauze down, but he was guessing it was him. “Done,” he said finally ten minutes later as
he placed the last piece of tape. “Go and take your medication and get into bed. I’ll come check on you when I’m done with my call,” he said, kissing her shoulder lightly before he stepped from the room to give her some space.
She was glad she’d waited until she was alone to throw up. Flushing and panting she washed her face with cool water and then pulled on a very old Goodwill shirt that was five sizes too large. Out of energy and breath she lay down on the bed facedown and was asleep still wearing her shoes and pants.
Chapter 11
Thirty minutes later Miklos hung up the phone and did one final check of the property before heading to check on Harker. Pausing in the doorway he smiled at the image she presented and he knew she’d literally fallen on her face and gone to sleep. Moving in on silent feet he pulled her shoes off carefully and then, with a little quick thinking, got her pants off and her up and under the blankets. Grabbing a cool cloth he gently wiped her face as she seemed to be sweating for no known reason, but he thought it might be a fever. He couldn’t smell an infection but he knew she’d likely overdone it that day and her body was getting even.
Eyes still closed and sleep still riding her she whispered, “Don’t leave me, Miklos. I don’t want to be alone, please?” Her dream state knew that she couldn’t, wouldn’t be alone. She needed him, even if she was more than a little cranky most times.
Setting the cloth aside he looked to her sleeping face and sighed. “I won’t go anywhere,” he said softly. Getting up he kicked off his shoes and stuck his weapon in a drawer mentally forcing the picture in so if he woke on instinct and needed it he’d find it quickly. Taking off his belt he left his jeans and shirt on as he climbed back onto the bed and carefully eased closer to her. “Sleep, Harker, I’m right here,” he whispered, kissing her cheek before setting his head on her pillow and a light hand on her hip.