“About time.”
Sam Harper stood before him bundled up in a chunky sweater, jeans and high boots. Her cheeks were red from the cold and bits of her dark hair poked out from beneath the knit cap she had on her head. He blinked not believing she was really there, despite the fact that the scent of leather and spice was already twining its way around him.
“Are you going to let me in?” She didn’t wait for an answer, pushing past him.
“Sure. Come on in.” He shut the door and then leaned against it, arms folded across his chest.
She looked around the room. “I’ve seen worse…except for that painting.”
A smile tugged the corner of his mouth. “I assume you’re here to see me and not to critique the décor.”
“Damned right. I wouldn’t be caught dead here in the winter otherwise. Chicago’s bad enough.”
“Some people like the snow.”
“And some people are stupid. It takes all kinds, right?” She pulled the cap off her head and tossed it onto the bed.
A huff of laughter escaped him and he pushed off from the door. “What do you need me for?’
“Dante is still at large.”
Damien narrowed his eyes. “Is he bothering you?”
“No. I haven’t heard from him since you left. Neither has my grandfather or Mr. Marcello.”
“Marcello? You found out about that?”
“Yeah. The whole story came out, so Dante really doesn’t have a hold over us anymore.”
“That’s good. So…” He let his voice trail off and quirked a brow at her.
“When you left, I told Reno Smith—that observer from OPATA—about Dante. Lycan Link will be on the lookout for him. He’s a prime suspect in an information leak they’ve been having.”
Damien nodded. That wasn’t news to him, but it was good that Lycan Link would now be on Dante’s case.
Silence fell between them. Damien waited for her to make the next move. He could apologize for deceiving her and her pack, but what was the point. She’d once said she hated liars and that was the story of his life. Sam shoved her hands in her back pockets and rocked on her heels, appearing uncharacteristically unsure of herself.
“Should we discuss the weather?” He finally suggested.
The look she gave him would have made lesser Lycans quake. As it was, he felt an amused smile twitch the corner of his mouth.
She gave an exasperated huff. “Look, I didn’t come all this way to give you an update on Dante.”
“I didn’t figure you did. By the way, how did you find me?”
“Sinclair told me.”
That caught his attention. “You’ve been in contact with Kane? Is he still trying to take over? It isn’t allowed, you know. According to—”
Sam shook her head. “No. I contacted him. We’ve been talking. Trying to come to some sort of workable agreement.” She began to walk about the room, straightening the picture on the wall, glancing out the window. “He’s going to sublet some of my territory. We’re thinking of a twenty year lease. My pack can use the money. I’ll help oversee his wolves. Any pups born in the area will have the option of becoming members of my pack.”
“It sounds like it might work.”
“There are still a few things we need to hash out, but it should be mutually beneficial to both of our packs.”
“I’m glad you found a solution.” He cocked his head to the side. “But I still don’t understand why you’re here.”
“Because…” She paused and ran her hand through her hair before scowling at him. “Dammit, Damien, you screwed me and my pack over. You were trying to make us pay for the sins of the past and it wasn’t fair. I can understand where you were coming from—Sinclair explained how you got involved and I guess I can forgive you for that—but we cared about you. I cared about you and as much as I hate to admit it, I miss you.” She planted her hands on her hips and looked him up and down. “You’re damned annoying. Your sense of humour makes me want to strangle you, but you’re also sexy as hell and made a kick-ass Beta.”
Damien froze, unsure of how to respond.
“Say something, dammit! I need to know if this is only on my side or not because I refuse to spend the rest of my life living with ‘what ifs’ running through my head.” Her cheeks were flushed by the time she’d finished speaking.
“I…”
“I know you were mated. I know about Beth. I’ve researched the story.” She pursed her lips and seemed to be choosing her words carefully. “What happened to you was horrible. You had your whole life torn apart. But I don’t believe you were meant to live the rest of your life alone.” She stepped closer to him. “You’re a good man, Damien. You care about people. Yes, you have that rogue side, but that doesn’t mean you can never be happy.”
He looked away. Her words were so familiar. Hadn’t Beth said similar things to him?
“When we had sex…were you just feeling horny?”
“I…” He wanted to say yes, that it had meant nothing. That, in the heat of the moment, he’d been overcome by lust. And while that was partly true, there’d been a part of him… Swallowing hard, he forced the words from his lips. “I really care about you, Sam. I…” He couldn’t make himself say the feeling that was in his heart, but when he looked down into her eyes, he once again felt the pull between them.
He cupped her face, stroking his thumb over her cheek. She turned her head slightly, her lips grazed his palm. The light touch shot up his arm, to his heart and then his groin. A growl rumbled in his chest and she stepped closer, her body brushing against his.
“Things happen for a reason, Damien. Reasons we can’t begin to understand. There’s a reason for this…” She raised herself up and pressed a kiss to his mouth.
At first, he did nothing, feeling the softness of her lips moving against his, the warmth, the sweetness. When the tip of her tongue teased the seam of his mouth he couldn’t resist and opened, allowing her to probe deeper, allowing himself to respond.
It was gentle and tender; exploring, testing, to see how deep the feeling went. He pulled her closer, slowly sliding his arms around her, running one hand up her spine to hold the back of her head.
Sam’s hands rested lightly on his shoulders, caressing then clutching, sliding to grip his back. He groaned as she lightly raked his flesh then cupped his ass, kneading, pulling him closer.
They sank down onto the bed. Sam pushed his shoulders against the mattress, trailing kisses over his jaw, sucking on his earlobe, awakening a spark inside him. The feel of her hot, moist breath caused him to shudder in need. Her weight pressed down on his aching flesh, every move she made caused him to grow harder.
She nipped his chin then braced herself, hands on his shoulders and stared down at him. “This is how I feel, Damien. This is what I want, what I need from you. I fought against it these past three months, telling myself to let you go. I can’t. We have so much in common, do you really believe we weren’t meant to be together?”
He looked up at her, taking in her flushed face, the determined set of her chin, the intensity of her gaze. He slid his hands up her arms and cupped her face. Did he have the right to love her? Did he even dare? “Everything I’ve ever cared about—loved—has been taken from me. It’s like I’m punished each time I dare to dream.”
“Life is a risk, Damien. If you don’t reach out and grab what you want, you might as well give up.”
He looked away. “I’ve thought of that, tried it. Giving up, I mean. Beth wouldn’t let me.”
“Then I have to thank her for that.” Sam brushed his hair from his forehead and then relaxed down on top of him, her head resting on his chest, encasing him in her warmth. “Never give up, Damien.”
Slowly, tentatively, he wrapped his arms around her and held her close. She nestled in and he rested his chin on top of her head, listening to her steady breathing. It was comforting to have someone close like this, to feel their warmth seep into you... A sigh escaped him an
d he closed his eyes, intent on enjoying the moment.
At some point, he must have fallen asleep for when he awoke the room was in darkness. Sam was curled up at his side, the blanket pulled over the both of them. She felt small and delicate in his arms, but he knew she wasn’t. There was a strong spirit inside her, a willingness to fight for what she wanted. Beth had been a lot like that; bravely reaching out to explore the Lycan side of her heritage despite the opposition of her family.
Beth.
Was she upset, seeing him holding Sam like this?
He carefully got up, tucked the blankets around Sam and walked to the window.
“Are you there, Beth?” He whispered the words as he stared outside.
The sky was the inky purple of night with an almost full moon gracing its expanse. Below, the ground was covered in white, the snow glistening in the chilly air. A yellow glow came from the windows of some of the houses, and beyond them the silhouettes of pine trees could be seen standing guard over the small town. It was a picturesque scene yet cold and lonely as if the world were frozen and waiting.
“Beth? Are you there, Beth?”
She didn’t answer. His breath fogged the glass and he wiped it away with his hand, once more summoning her, using all his will to bring her back to him. Finally, faintly, he heard her voice.
“It’s time, Damien.”
“Time for what?”
“To move on.”
She smiled at him, her love shining in her eyes. He was sure he could feel the whisper soft touch of her fingers stroking his face. His eyes drifted shut and he tried to lean into her hand, but there was nothing solid to connect with except the coldness of the windowpane.
“You aren’t alone now. I never want you to be alone. I’ve stayed longer than I should—“
“Beth…” His heart began to hammer; fear, something akin to panic, taking over him. He knew what was coming. Knew it had to be, yet still he protested. “Beth, no! You can’t. I want to go with you.”
Her image shimmered before him, translucent and ethereal, the stars seeming to align to recreate her beautiful face in the night sky.
“No. It’s not your destiny. You have another road to follow.”
“But—”
“I have to go now. Your destiny is here, but mine isn’t. I love you, Damien. I’ll always love you. Never forget…to love…” The words faded into a whisper, the image dimmed and then… there was nothing.
Emptiness swept over him, as if a vacuum had sucked every bit of life, warmth and hope from his soul, leaving him in a black void.
She was gone and he was alone.
He gripped the window frame, feeling the hard unyielding wood beneath his fingers, the cold draft seeping into his body, numbing his flesh. If it could only numb the unbearable pain that was growing in his heart.
In a movie, all would be silent, but life wasn’t a movie. It didn’t stop simply because one person felt as if they were dying inside, because a heart had shattered, or a soul had been ripped to shreds.
From the bar below, he could hear the thumping of a drum and the muffled voice of a singer. A car drove down the street, the tires hissing in the slush. The door to the bar opened and patrons spilled into the street talking and laughing, unaware of the devastated man above them.
“Beth?”
He tried one last time, a whispered plea, praying for mercy from the heartless gods that had forced this fate upon him.
There was no answer.
His Beth really was gone.
His body started to tremble as he fought for control, his eyes felt hot, his vision blurred. Fiercely, he blinked, firming his chin, staring straight ahead, unseeing. All the grief, all the tears he’d never let fall were now threatening to break free, and if he let even one escape…
Warm hands touched his arm, turned him around. Soft fingers brushed his cheek.
“Damien?” Sam was staring up at him, her eyes filled with worry. “What’s wrong? Are you sick?”
He shook his head, unable to answer, his throat too tight with emotion.
Concern etched her face and she led him back to bed. He moved woodenly, forcing his legs to take each step. She made him lie down and wrapped her arms around him, pressing his head to her chest. Gently, she ran her fingers through his hair. “Tell me.”
He tried to speak, struggled to make his mouth form the words. “Beth. My Beth… She’s gone.” Unable to hold on any longer, he sank into Sam’s arms, sobs wracking his body as the pain he’d carried for so long was finally released.
Sam held him, rocked him, whispered platitudes and nonsense as she cried along with the man she loved. She cried for him and for herself, his sorrow giving her permission to vent her own pain.
She cried for the father she’d lost and the mother who’d left her behind, for the hurt she’d kept hidden over never living up to her grandfather’s expectations. For the times she had to put the pack ahead of her own needs, for the doubts and fears, the weariness and loneliness that only an Alpha could know. And she cried over Damien’s lies and deceit and her hopes for the future; hopes that might be dashed because of his love for a dead woman.
They held each other as they cried, each in their own personal hell yet inexplicably united through the shedding of tears.
When the emotional storm finally eased, they both took a deep, shuddering breath. Sam wiped her face on her sleeve and then shifted her position so they lay facing each other. Damien’s lashes were spiky from his tears, his eyes haunted. She wiped his face with her fingers, the stubble on his jaw abrading her palm. “Can you tell me about it? Did you have a bad dream?”
“No.” He shook his head. “Not a dream… Or maybe it was. Maybe it was a dream that lasted for years. All I know is that tonight…” He paused and seemed to gather himself. “Tonight Beth and I said goodbye.”
“I don’t understand.”
“She’s been with me all this time. In my thoughts, my dreams. Sometimes I was sure I could see her. But…” He blinked and swallowed hard. “She’s not here, not anymore. She’s gone. Gone…somewhere. Some place I can’t ever follow. She said she wants me to stay here. To live my life, to…love.”
“I’m glad you realize that.”
He studied her face before rolling onto his back and staring at the ceiling. “I was always sure her dying wish was that I never forget her.”
“I remember you saying that.” She gave a sad smile, stroking one finger down his arm, idly noting the dips and swells of his muscular form.
“I was wrong.” He turned his head to look at her. “She wanted me to never forget to love.”
“She sounds like a very special person.”
He nodded. “She was. Would you… Would you like to see her picture?”
“Okay.” Sam wasn’t sure she wanted to see the woman that had owned Damien’s heart for so long, but you couldn’t hide from facts.
Damien reached over and took his wallet off the nightstand. Pushing himself up into a sitting position he opened it up. Sam hitched herself up beside him and looked at the photograph of a young woman with long hair and a gentle smile. Pretty, but not stunning. Not until you looked into her eyes. They were like pools of wisdom and empathy that drew the viewer into their depth and touched the soul.
“She’s beautiful.”
Damien stared at the picture. “I loved her so much. A part of me will always love her.”
Sam nodded, trying to be strong and supportive despite the fact that his words were like a knife to her heart. “That’s how it should be. You were mates. She was an important part of your life.”
“Yes.” He stared at the photo for a long moment. “Yes, she was.” His lips moved, some silent message Sam couldn’t hear, and then slowly, almost reluctantly, he closed the wallet and set it back on the table.
Sam bit her lip, not sure what to say. She felt like a voyeur to some private intimate moment yet she couldn’t leave. Her future was with Damien and she damned well had to make him
see it.
Silence stretched between them as she considered and discarded a dozen ideas as to what to say. A band was playing in the bar below and she could almost make out the words of a song; a ballad about the futility of love. Hopefully it wasn’t a prediction of how this meeting was going to end. She hadn’t travelled all the way to Stump River to be rejected. Tina’s prophecy had said something about the lovers’ hearts being like a phoenix, dying as the masks are torn off. Well in mythology the phoenix always rose again, and she was going to do her damnedest to make sure it happened here as well.
“Sam?”
“Yes?”
Damien turned to face her. His expression was uncharacteristically solemn. There was no teasing quirk to his lips, no guardedness about his eyes. She felt she could see into his soul; see the loneliness, the pain, the vulnerability.
He, in turn, seemed to be searching her face, noting her features one by one. Ever so slowly, he reached out and brushed the back of his hand over her cheek.
“Make love with me? Please.”
Her heart stilled, then began to beat heavily with hope…and fear. She didn’t know why he was asking. If it was to fill the emptiness in his soul, or because he wanted her. She hesitated, but the need she heard in his voice had her ignoring her doubts. With a trembling hand, she stroked his face.
“Yes.”
He turned and kissed her palm, then slowly eased her down onto the bed. Gently, he traced her features. She relaxed into the pillows, taking his weight, cradling him to her.
Their kiss began softly, lips barely touching, tentative, testing before slowly deepening. She caressed his back. His tongue stroked hers, lips sliding, teasing. His warm breath tickled her face as he moved along her jaw line to her ear, then the sweet spot on her neck.
She explored his shoulders, the dip of his spine, encountered the roughness of denim and made a mild sound of protest. Damien left off nibbling on her neck and sat up, popping the button of his pants and loosening his zipper. Staring into her eyes, he did the same with her jeans, a silent question in his look.
She nodded.
Leaning forward, he pushed her sweater up out of the way, exposing her stomach and then pressed a kiss to her belly button. She shivered at the feel of his warm, wet tongue, squirmed when he moved lower, easing her jeans down, increasing his access. When he slid his fingers under the waistband of her panties, she was sure her heart would pound out of her chest.
Betrayed: Book Two - The Road to Redemption Page 34