by Morgan Fox
He escorted Tabitha from the pool and took her to the double lounge chair that was tucked away in a partially curtained cabana. Without saying what he wanted, she went to her knees, inclining her head back toward him as he approached. He caressed her hips and waist before he wrapped his arm around her and dipped his hand between her legs to tease her clit. She parted her legs, giving him more access to her body. He placed his cock at the entrance of her pussy and slowly worked it inside her. But the need to see her writhing in his arms forced him to stop and pull out.
“Is something wrong?” she asked, shifting to the side.
He shook his head, climbing onto the lounge and lying flat on his back. “Come here,” he said softly, coaxing her to climb over the top of him. But it wasn’t his cock he wanted her to sit on. It was his face.
With a devilish smile, she obliged. The second he could get his mouth on her clit, he took it, thoroughly pleasing her until her juices erupted into his mouth. Then he resumed his position behind her, slipping his still-hard cock inside her honey-soaked pussy. She exhaled as he began to thrust harder, faster. His need to claim her was burning inside him. She belonged to him, he knew that. His wolf knew that. Why she was letting something come between them he still didn’t understand. But he wouldn’t focus on that now. Right now, he would focus on satisfying his mate and showing her just how much he loved her, needed her.
His claws lengthened and his teeth grew sharp. His wolf was no longer dormant, but eager to participate. His need to claim her ruled his mind as he drilled deep. As he pumped once more, he filled her womb with his seed, and sank his teeth into the flesh of her shoulder. She cried out, her pussy squeezing his cock as she reached her own orgasm. He clung to her, locking her in place, knowing in that moment he would never be able to fully let her go. No matter what.
I’m going to die without her.
She rolled to the side as he parted from her, a smile beaming back at him. He liked the way she looked after he’d thoroughly satisfied her. That sexy gleam in a woman’s eyes could truly boast a man’s pride. It did his.
“What?” he asked, moving to lay beside her.
“You bit me, you naughty boy,” she teased, brushing her fingers over his arm and chest.
He smirked, hoping he wasn’t too rough with her. He was trying to be gentle. He wasn’t good at being gentle. “Did I hurt you? I hadn’t expected that to happen. I was caught—”
“It was wonderful,” she told him, pressing her fingers to his lips this time. “I loved it the first time you claimed me, and I loved it this time too.”
He shifted to lay on his back, pulling her against him. “The stars are bright tonight.”
She sighed, moving to rest her chin on his chest. “They are, which made this moment even more beautiful.”
He grinned softly, brushing back her hair. He hated that he hadn’t taken more time to be with her like this, just the two of them. “You’re the most beautiful creature I’ve ever seen, Tabitha. You have an amazing heart and more patience than I could ever dream of having.” He frowned, curling up his lower lip as he said, “But how you ever lived in this state for so long is beyond me. I saved you from more than vampires when I brought you to Texas.”
She gaped at him, poking him in the ribs as she laughed. “That’s not funny,” she cried. “I loved living here.”
He chuckled. “I’m kidding,” he told her, trying to stop her hands from doing more damage to his rib cage. “Really, I’m kidding.” She stopped, her eyes swimming with the same emotions he was feeling. “But not about how beautiful you are or the patience you have with me and Luken. Dealing with us can’t be easy.”
She smiled, kissing the flesh of his chest. “It hasn’t been all bad. I’ve enjoyed being with you.”
He lowered her hand to his groin, his erection still present. “I bet you have,” he teased, bucking his hips into her hand.
She rolled her eyes. “Everything is sex with you, isn’t it?”
He wrapped her in his arms and rolled them over so that he was now on top of her. “Not everything. I want what’s best for you, Tabby. I want you to know that I’ll never stop waiting for you. I’ll never give up on us.”
“Ryken,” she whimpered. “I love you. I do. Honest I do.”
“Good,” he told her, licking his dry lips. “Never stop, okay?”
His eyes watered, but he blinked the emotions back. It was going to kill him to walk away, but he had to. If she was ever going to come back to him, he had no other choice but to let her go.
He kissed her once more, before getting up from the lounge. She moved to her elbows to watch him. The sight of her was crippling him.
“Happy Valentine’s Day,” he told her. “I love you.”
Before she could say a word, he rushed into the house and dressed. Luken was already standing by the front door.
“Did you want to say good-bye?” Ryken asked his brother.
He shook his head. “I can’t. I don’t want to.” Luken opened the door and went outside.
Ryken turned to see Tabitha staring at him from the other side of the window, tears streaked down her face. He pulled the black box from his pocket that he’d been holding on to since Christmas and placed it on the foyer table. If Tabitha didn’t want him or Luken, then there was no point in him keeping it. The ring belonged to the woman who held their hearts and possessed the power to destroy them, and that was what would happen if she never returned. Their future was in her hands.
* * * *
“Happy Valentine’s Day.” Tabitha repeated Ryken’s words and they cut like a knife each time she did. She hadn’t even realized it was February let alone the holiday that symbolized love. Then she moved to the foyer table where he’d left the black box. Her heart somersaulted in her chest as she picked it up. She considered for a moment that it was a gift to celebrate the holiday, one she’d clearly forgotten. But as she opened the box and saw the ring inside, she knew instantly that it had been an engagement ring. Bile filled her throat, and her legs buckled out from under her.
They wanted to marry me?
“Why hadn’t they asked me sooner?” she asked aloud, anger seeping inside her mind. “How long have they had this ring?”
She gritted her teeth as her world began to collapse in on itself. Wrapping herself in the throw blanket that covered the back of the sofa, she rushed to the front door to stop her lovers from leaving. It was too late.
“Oh God, what have I done?” she whimpered, her eyes welling with tears.
She grabbed her cell phone and called Ryken, but he didn’t answer. Neither did Luken. She sniffled, running a stiff hand through her hair. She wanted space, and they were really giving it to her. Damn them for doing that.
“Since when do they ever listen to me?” she shouted, more anger clouding her mind.
She sank down onto the cushions of the sofa, pulling her feet up under her as she stared at the phone. Her heart leapt from her chest the second it rang. Instantly, she hoped it was either Ryken of Luken. It was Brie.
“Tabitha?”
“Brie, I’ve ruined everything,” she muttered, swallowing down the lump in her throat.
Brie’s voice was calm as she asked, “What happened?”
“Ryken and Luken left me.” A shiver of regret rocked her. “They’re heading back to McCarthy Ranch now.”
Why did I let them leave?
“Okay, so what’s the problem?” Brie’s question startled her. She’d just explained that her lovers were going back home without her. How could her best friend not see how devastating that was?
“I just told you,” she muttered. “Ryken and Luken left me.”
“But this is what you wanted, right?” Again Brie’s question jolted her, as if she’d reached through the phone and slapped her across the face.
“What?”
“You wanted them to give you space, Tabitha,” Brie started, her tone matter-of-fact. “You needed to sort things out. Have you done that yet
?”
Had she done that? She hadn’t had time to do that. The funeral had taken her priority.
That and hiding from the truth.
She swallowed hard, realizing that she was in pure panic mode, watching as her life crumbled to pieces. Ryken and Luken were gone. There was no one left in her family, but her. She had no job. Nothing.
That’s not really true.
Her jaw quivered as her thoughts transformed into heavy sobs. “I don’t know what I’m doing anymore. I think I’m losing my mind.”
“You’re not losing your mind, Tabitha. You’re merely at a crossroads in your life.”
“What am I going to do, Brie? How am I going to figure out what to do next?”
“You already know,” she said directly. “You have financial independence. You have the chance at a new profession, one with a prestigious company. You can pick up the pieces of your life and make it better—the one you’ve always dreamed of having.”
“But what do I do with my heart?” Tabitha sniffled. “How do I make Ryken and Luken see how important this step is to me? How will they ever forgive me?”
“This is your life,” Brie said sternly. “If they love you as I know they do, they’ll want what’s best for you. They’ll understand.”
“It could destroy them.” That was the last thing she wanted. They didn’t deserve what she’d done to them.
“Stop thinking about everyone else and start putting things into perspective. You’ve been living with everyone else’s needs first. It’s time you put your own ahead of everyone else.”
Brie was right. She had to do what was best for her. It’s the reason she came to Seattle to begin with. She wanted a family, wanted to be married. She missed having a career and a bit of independence. She had almost everything she desired in Seattle. She was still young and could eventually have children. She truly had to slam to the ground in order to see through the fog of her desires.
“Thank you, Brie,” she said, stiffening her spine and wiping away the tears that had fallen from her eyes. “I know what I need to do now.”
Chapter Eight
“She’s not coming back,” Luken barked. “You had to have known this when you left her.” Luken raked his fingers through his hair, his body slick with sweat. “You’re giving up, damn it.”
Ryken didn’t answer his brother. He knew Luken’s wolf was already aware of their mate’s absence. For days, Ryken had paced their home and let his wolf run wild through the wooded area surrounding McCarthy Ranch. For now, he pretended that she was coming back. But, truth was, he didn’t know and his wolf was starting to figure it too. The longer she was away from them, the worse it would feel to them both.
Luken had already slipped into an anger-induced rage, hating Ryken for walking away. Luken tossed it in his face daily just how much he thought they’d screwed up by not dragging her home. She belonged with them, they both knew it. But it didn’t matter unless she did too. How strange it was to see his own brother resort to tactics Ryken once considered necessary.
With a growl, Ryken shoved open the front door and was greeted by the chilly night air. He was thankful it was cold. His blood was boiling, and he needed to find a way to cool it before he erupted. He ripped his clothing from his body and transformed into the wolf, once again running from the misery of life without his mate.
The ground beneath his feet was soft, and the crunch of the leaves and twinges exploded in his ears. He tried to concentrate on the hunt, tracking an animal to keep his mind from ravaging him. The scent was sharp as he honed in on a rabbit or squirrel. He couldn’t be sure. He only knew the animal was close thanks to the frantic beat of its heart and the rustling of leaves under its tiny feet as it raced away.
Ryken gave chase. His heart pounding in his chest as he burst into a full-out run and closed in on his prey. Out of the corner of his eye, he spotted the gray rabbit, and quickly tracked it with every hop and turn it made. He wouldn’t let it go, not this time.
Just then, the scent of something else ripped him from his primal thoughts, and he clawed his way to a full stop, sniffing the air for clarity. The scent had his guts twisting inside. The rabbit crashed through some low-lying limbs of a tree, catching his attention once more. But the strange new aroma was too pleasant to dismiss.
He howled in frustration and then inhaled the air again. This time he tracked the scent of something that had his body stirring, his hunger magnifying. As sharp as his senses were, he couldn’t identify what was pulling him in its direction. It was teasing him enough for his mouth to water.
Slowly he grew closer to whatever was lulling him. He heard the growl of a predator, and without looking, knew it was Luken. He too had sensed something on the property, captivated by the hunger the scent caused.
The tantalizing air was just over the next hill, the spices more prevalent than before. He finally uncovered the aroma as cooked meat.
He sniffed again as he closed the distance between him and the wicker basket that sat on the tree stump beside an open blanket. Ryken froze, listening to the sounds of heavy footsteps. He and Luken crouched low, preparing to attack whoever had come to their property without permission.
That was when Tiffany McCoskey’s scent bombarded them and they both growled. She screamed the moment she came face-to-face with them. Then, her husband, Zane, rushed to her side, holding out his hand to both Ryken and Luken.
“I’m so sorry, guys. We didn’t mean to bother you. We came out here for a moonlight dinner.” He grimaced. “We didn’t know you were hunting.”
Ryken snarled, but darted off back toward his home. He didn’t have time to watch two lovers fuck under the moonlight. He only wanted to run, and he’d done that. Now he wanted an ice-cold shower to wash away the grime of the night.
Reaching the porch, he transformed. Luken was close by. He could sense him even if he hadn’t heard him. His brother was pissed at him, and he got that, but he didn’t like it. He hoped that one day Luken would forgive him for not pushing harder, for not forcing her to return with them. In his heart, Ryken believed he’d done the right thing, even if everyone, including his wolf, hated him for it.
Fuck ’em all.
Ryken turned on the water in the shower and grabbed a new towel from the linen closet, draping it over the hook at the back of the bathroom door. Then he stepped into the stone shower stall and let the hot water cascade over his body. He clenched his jaw as he pictured Tabitha wrapping her arms around him, inviting herself into his shower. He never objected. Wanting her had been easy—something he’d done from the start.
Feeling her phantom hands on his body was torture, and anger once again surfaced. Without hesitation, he slammed his fist into the stone wall. The pain that zipped up his arm did nothing to ease the ache that consumed his heart.
Luken was right to hate me. Shit, I hate myself.
Turning off the water, Ryken stepped from the shower and reached for the towel. It was gone. He could’ve sworn he’d picked one out of the closet before getting under the water. He glanced around the bathroom, looking to see if he’d absently laid it down on the counter or toilet. It wasn’t there.
“I really am losing my mind,” he muttered, opening the linen closet door to find another towel.
Drying off, he opened the door to his bedroom, and a vision he never expected to have again greeted him. He wasn’t sure if he should be happy or furious. He wanted a drink, one that would ease the ache that tormented his soul.
“Looking for this?” Tabitha asked, holding the missing towel on her hooked finger.
He stared at her, his pulse thundering at his temples. “Are you real or just another one of my phantom dreams?”
She rose from the side of the bed and moved toward him, but paused before reaching him. “I’m real.”
He glanced downward and fisted his hands at his hips. His chest tightened. “Are you here to stay or just collect your things?”
She closed the distance between them, and
as she touched his arm, he flinched. “Ryken, look at me,” she whispered.
He shook his head. “I can’t.”
“Yes you can. Please look at me.”
His eyes slowly opened, and his vision was blurry. His need for her was too fierce to ignore. “If you’re here to get your things you need to do it before Luken sees you.” He shook off her touch and moved to his dresser to find some sweatpants. “He won’t let you leave like I—” The wood of the drawer snapped in his hands, splinters of the broken furniture burrowing into his flesh. He hissed.
“Ryken, what have you done?” She hurried over to him, taking his hands in hers. He shook as she held him, his body overcome with loss.
She’s here, but not really.
“Apparently, I haven’t done enough by you. I let the woman I love leave me. I didn’t take care of you the way I should’ve. I’m sorry for that. I never thought—” He locked his jaw as heartache rose up from his belly. “I screwed up everything.”
“Ryken, don’t do this.”
He frowned. “It’s true. I’m the reason you left. I should’ve paid attention to you better. I should not have been afraid that you would’ve rejected me if I asked you to marry me. I should’ve just told you how much I needed to be your husband.”
Tabitha’s mouth formed a small O, and she lowered her hands from his. Her eyes revealed the depths of her thoughts as she scowled. “How long have you had that ring?”
“About two months.”
“And you were worried that I’d say no?” she asked, as if needing clarification.
“Yes.”
She scoffed. “Are you kidding me?”
He furrowed his brow and dug out the splinters of wood from his palms. Why did she sound more pissed than he was? He was the one who’d lost everything. Shit, she even got the ring.
“You seemed so content with the way things were. I didn’t want to rock the boat,” he said plainly.
“Rock the—” She growled, fisting her hands at her sides. “You big idiot, you could’ve saved us all a bunch of bullshit had you just asked me.”