Hearts on Fire

by Serenity Snow

  “Good,” Cyanna said and slipped an arm around Joslyn’s waist.

  “I’m not going to be horning in on your time together,” Seymour told them. “Hell, who knows, maybe once Joslyn is back here, you and I can be friends, Cyanna.”

  Cyanna shrugged. “As long as you behave, jackal.”

  “I’m not a jackal,” he told her with a frown. “I’m a coyote-wolf mix.”

  “You screwed with my truck the other night?” Cyanna asked anger edging her words.

  “No.” He shook his head. “I was out of town on assignment.”

  “You haven’t been stalking her,” Cyanna murmured tightening her hold on Joslyn.

  Seymour shook his head slowly. “Why would I terrorize a packmate? Joslyn?”

  Joslyn shook her head. “Cy.” She looked up at Cyanna helplessly.

  “We’ll figure out who it is,” Cyanna promised her.

  “Wait a minute,” Seymour said eyes darkening in anger. “Someone’s been stalking you, Joslyn?”

  “I thought it was you, and maybe my neighbor. He’s a jackal.”

  He frowned. “If a jackal is stalking you, he won’t stop until he gets you or kills you.”

  “Oh my Goddess.” Joslyn gasped.

  “I’ll help,” Seymour offered.

  “It’s being taken care of,” Cyanna said. “But your help will be appreciated.”

  Seymour nodded. “We’ll talk tomorrow before heading back. I’d like to know what’s being done and how I can best help without being redundant.”

  Cyanna nodded. “Okay. Noon?”

  “Fine. I think I’ll go say hello to Kia.” He gave them a nod and headed for Kia who was chatting with Capulet.

  “Don’t worry, sweetheart,” Cyanna murmured. “We’re going to get him.”

  Joslyn was glad the ceremony didn’t take too long. Mariana was more of a traditional woman, so they took the usual human vows. When the ceremony was over, her mother tried to waylay her, but Kia and Seymour intervened giving her time to slip away with Cyanna.

  “You kept dodging the subject earlier,” Joslyn said. “What did you find at Neal’s? Anything?”

  “We found plenty, but we didn’t find anything that incriminated him,” she answered quietly. “He’s in Arkansas so he wasn’t the one that tried to snatch you last night. I asked Dash to check Seymour’s place tonight, and I still think he should go through with it despite Seymour’s willingness to see reason.”

  “I almost hope he finds something because if it’s not Neal, then who? Some random jackal just fell in lust with me at the coffee house?”

  “It doesn’t matter who it is, baby,” Cyanna told her. “I’ll make sure you’re protected, and he gets what’s coming to him for terrorizing you.”

  Joslyn blew out a harsh breath of frustration and caught Cyanna’s hand, and their fingers twined.

  “I think you should move in with me when we get back, or I’ll come stay with you until we figure this out,” Cyanna said.

  “We need to talk.” Joslyn leaned against the SUV as Cyanna unlocked the door on the passenger side.

  “What about?” She met Joslyn’s gaze.

  Heat sparked in her belly, but something warm and soft washed over her. Joslyn swallowed tightly wanting to rage at the Gods for giving her someone to love and then taking that away. “I’m glad you wore a shirt to match my dress.”

  Cyanna pulled Joslyn into her arms and nipped her bottom lip.

  Joslyn cupped her face between her hands. “We should skip the reception and go back to the B&B and have sex all night.”

  “That’s a good idea.” Cyanna lowered her head and brushed a kiss across Joslyn’s lips. “I have a gift for you.” Cyanna withdrew from her pulled open the vehicle door.

  Joslyn frowned as Cyanna went hunting-still and drew back from the SUV after she started to reach inside. “Cy?”

  Cyanna stumbled back. “Joss—” She broke off as she was hit in the face.

  “Cy.” She gasped as Cyanna collapsed. Her wolf’s head came up, sensing an intruder. Oh, no. She opened her mouth to howl and was hit so hard she stumbled back as pain exploded through her face. Before she could recover, a black-clad figure shoved Cyanna out of the way and climbed out of the SUV.

  Joslyn was backing up, growling at the man whose scent she couldn’t pick up.

  “You had to do this the hard way,” he said in a mechanical voice. He held up a gun and shot her twice. One tranquilizer hit her in the shoulder. “I want you alive while I play with you.” The other hit her in the throat.

  She gasped. The wolf tried to shake it off, but a thick fog enveloped her.

  “Yeah, I learned from my mistakes.” He went to catch her as she collapsed. “You’re mine now. For a little while.”

  He strode off into the darkness as he heard the cheeriness of the wedding party.

  Chapter Fourteen

  Cyanna rolled onto her side. The effects of the tranquilizer were already wearing off, thanks to her fast healing ability. She saw the figure striding away with her woman as if he’d already beaten her. She got to her feet and wings emerged from her back, tearing through her shirt and jacket.

  The jackal didn’t even look back as the fabric tore. She caught up with him as he reached a van and opened the back door. Cyanna landed as he laid Joslyn inside.

  “I think you have something of mine.”

  He took his time turning around and when he did, he fired on her, but Cyanna was ready and moved just in time. The bullet missed her shoulder, but grazed her as it whizzed by. She moved as if to punch him in the stomach, and when he attempted to fire again, she caught his hand, forcing his arm up. Cyanna drove her fist into his ribs.

  He growled, and she punched him in the jaw before sinking her talons into his hand. He cried out as she hit bone. Cyanna wrenched the gun from his hand and he punched her. She stumbled back and he headed to the driver’s side. She caught up to him, driving her fist into his back before curling her tail around his neck and jerking him back.

  He landed on his back and she reached down to punch him in the chest. He caught her wrist, twisted and shoved her away. Cyanna growled as he shifted, keeping her from seeing his face.

  “Clever bastard,” she snarled. “You’re not getting away that easily.”

  The jackal launched himself at Cyanna and she back-handed him hard enough to make him snarl as he landed on his feet. She backed up toward the van and reached for the door just as the jackal leapt at her. She opened the door and he slammed into it.

  He whined and shook his head before grabbing her suit jacket, and jerked her forward. Cyanna grabbed him around his throat and squeezed. He snarled and lashed at her with his claws. They raked across her arm and she threw him down, and he rolled over agilely, but wasn’t quick enough to avoid her kick to the side.

  Cyanna bent down and drove her fist into his chin in an uppercut that threw him back. The jackal shifted back to human form and came to his feet as she reached him. He swung and missed, but his foot connected with her thigh mere seconds later.

  She grimaced, stumbled, but didn’t go down. She would not leave Joslyn to this man’s mercy.

  Punch for punch, they slugged it out. “I’m going to kill you,” he snarled as he got the drop on her and swept her legs from under her. He came down on Cyanna and shifted as he did.

  The jackal sank its teeth into the side of her neck. She went into a partial shift. Her talons cut through his shoulder while her tail curled around his neck. She pulled him off of her as she pushed. The jackal came at her again, murder in his eyes.

  Cyanna caught him and sank her teeth into his shoulder. She used her claws to hold him in place, and he howled. She snarled like a wolf and bit him again. He snarled as he struggled to get free.

  “Cyan!” Macon called. “Don’t kill the damned mutt.”

  The jackal whined as he fought to get free of her grip, and then he did. Chest heaving, the keen eyesight of her bird found him as he slunk into the sh
adows before anyone could stop him. Wolf turned her eyes nightglow to light the dark. She lunged for him.

  “Cyan!” Macon snarled. “Stand down. We’ll get him.”

  “Cyanna, where’s Joslyn?” Marcus asked softly. “Where’s your woman sis?”

  She was feral and she knew it. She wiped jackal blood from her mouth as she panted hard.

  “Marcus,” Marvin, Cyanna’s oldest brother, said in a warning tone as Marcus took a step toward their sister.

  “Cyanna,” Marcus said. “Let’s get you cleaned up. You don’t want Joslyn seeing you this way. Plus, you’re losing blood faster than you’re healing right now.”

  She nodded and then jerked her head toward the van. “Inside.”

  Macon moved quickly, catching her as she collapsed.

  * * * *

  Joslyn came to two hours later feeling groggy, as if she’d been drugged. She grimaced and her eyes fluttered open to stare at the popcorn ceiling in the town’s small clinic. The room was so quiet, it was deafening.

  She turned her head on the bed and her eyes widened. She sat up. “Cyanna!”

  “Don’t get overexcited, Joslyn,” Hyacinth Storm murmured, and she turned her head to see the other woman seated on the couch across from the bed with knitting on her lap. She put it aside and got to her feet, crossing to her with grace. “Whoever shot you gave you a very powerful sedative.”

  “Where is Cyanna?” she asked frantically. “He did something to her!”

  “Shh. Calm down, Joslyn. Cyan is okay,” Hyacinth assured her in gentle tones. “She heals very quickly, even for one of us. That’s what makes her alpha.”

  “Mrs. Storm, I need to see her.”

  “She’ll come in to you soon,” she said. “Your parents were worried, but we assured them we’d look after you while they went to the reception for a few minutes. They’ll want to see you, too.”

  “I don’t care,” she said. “I need to talk to Cy.” Being held back from talking to Cyanna was a physical ache that cut across her soul. Tears filled her eyes.

  Hyacinth patted her arm. “She is fine, Joslyn.”

  Joslyn lay back on the bed. “Who one was it?”

  “I don’t know yet,” Hyacinth told her. “Are you hungry? Your mother brought you some food from the reception. It really was quite tasty.”

  “I just want Cy,” she said quietly. “I have to talk to her. She doesn’t know I’m promised to someone else.”

  “And you think that changes what she did? That she’ll hate you?”

  “I would.” She closed her eyes. “I don’t want to see my family. They’re the ones who ruined my life, all in the name of keeping me from disgracing them. I’ll never forgive them for taking me away from her.” Silent tears rolled down her cheeks.

  “I’ll give you a few minutes alone,” Hyacinth said.

  * * * *

  Hyacinth stepped out of the room to an empty corridor. She sighed softly as she glanced to the guard that had been posted outside the room.

  “Don’t go far, Mom,” Marcus said. “How is she?”

  “Upset,” she answered softly. “She’s otherwise fine, though. Is her family here?”

  “They said they’d see her in the morning.”

  “She needs her dinner, son,” she said.

  “Cy will be here soon,” he replied. “She’ll take care of it. Who did Dad select for her? Why isn’t he here?”

  “He’s bullheaded,” she said with a faint smile.

  “This is going to break Joslyn and get the guy killed,” Marcus said. “Is Dad prepared to handle that?”

  She snorted. “I don’t think your father was ever prepared for this. What alpha can be? You want to do what’s right for your people and something like this is right, yet so wrong.”

  “Tell you who else wasn’t prepared,” he said with a smirk. “The S.O.B. that attacked Joslyn.”

  “Son.”

  He smirked. “I can’t help it. I hate that I missed that fight.”

  Hyacinth shook her head at him and stepped back into the room. Joslyn’s eyes were closed. The drugs used on her had been very strong. If they hadn’t had a drug specialist in their pack, the girl would have died. Her body had already been reacting negatively to the drugs when they got to her.

  She went back to her knitting after checking Joslyn. Her deep, even breathing told Hyacinth she’d drifted off to sleep.

  Ten minutes later, the door of the private room opened to admit Cyanna. Hyacinth gave her a tired smile. “I’ll let you take over. She’s still a little weak, but she’ll be back to full strength by tomorrow afternoon.”

  “We probably should stay out here another day or two.”

  “I agree. Your father wants to see you for brunch tomorrow. I think Joslyn will make it for that.”

  She nodded. “Thanks, Mother.”

  Hyacinth smiled. “I’ll see you tomorrow.”

  “Okay.”

  Macon gave his wife a faint smile when she stepped out of the room. “Are you ready to go?”

  “Yes. I can’t believe you didn’t tell her,” she murmured.

  “I will tomorrow.”

  Chapter Fifteen

  Joslyn woke early to the scent of peppermint tea and wrinkled her nose. “Cy,” she said softly.

  “I brought you coffee,” she answered., “and a change of clothes so you can take a shower.”

  She rubbed her eyes and sat up. “Did you get him?”

  “He got away, but he didn’t get far,” Cyanna told her as she crossed the room with the cup of coffee. “Neal’s dead.”

  “I knew it had to be him.”

  “I’m just glad it was him and not someone who had to hunt down,” Cyanna said quietly. “My dad wants us to meet him for brunch.”

  “I don’t want to go.”

  “We’re going,” she said, “so go get showered, and come back and finish your coffee.”

  Joslyn took her shower in the small bathroom and dressed in the dress that had been chosen for her. She dragged a comb through her hair before stepping out of the bathroom.

  “I need my make-up.”

  “You can have your coffee on the way,” Cyanna said. “We have a couple of hours. I thought you’d want to go see your parents or something.”

  “Why?” she asked. “They’ll be there.”

  “True,” Cyanna agreed. “What’s got you so upset?”

  “I’m not really upset,” she answered. “Can we go?”

  Cyanna looked up at her. “You don’t really need the make-up, Joss. You’re beautiful without it.”

  “I need to dry my hair, too.”

  “No, you don’t. It’ll be dry by the time we get there. Come sit with me.”

  Joss went to straddle her. “Cy, I’m glad you’re okay,” she said softly. “I would have gone insane if anything had happened to you.”

  Cyanna shifted and pushed her hands beneath Joslyn’s dress to settle on her butt. “Let’s take this off for a minute.” She found the zipper and dragged it down.

  Joslyn stood and removed it, and draped it over the bed. She went back to straddle Cyanna in her bra and panties. “You’re always fully dressed.”

  “What did you want to talk to me about last night?” Cyanna caressed Joslyn’s bare thighs.

  Joslyn sighed. “How much I’m going to hate not being able to be with you,” she replied. “The Gathering—I’m the Redwood pack member who has to join your pack.”

  Cyanna frowned. “My father didn’t tell me,” she said. “He didn’t even tell me who he selected for you.”

  Joslyn swallowed tightly. “I wanted to spend last night with you making love, because today, everything changes.”

  “Yes, it does,” Cyanna agreed quietly. “You won’t be with him immediately, so you don’t have to quit today.”

  “But I won’t be with you.”

  She shrugged. “We can have a week together and then I’ll have to let you go,” she said.

  “I want to enjo
y you every second,” Joslyn murmured, “starting right now.”

  Cyanna kissed the curve of her neck as she unhooked Joslyn’s bra, then pushed the thin straps down her shoulders. “You have such creamy skin.” She ran the tip of her finger over a pink nipple. She lowered her head, swirled her tongue around the tightly furled bud, and then sucked it. Joslyn moaned.

  “Cyanna,” Cyanna sucked hard, sending shivers of heat coursing through her. “I can’t think with you doing that.”

  “You don’t need to think, baby. You just need to feel.” Cyanna bit her nipple.

  “But—” She broke off with a rough groan. “Someone might come in.”

  “I need you,” Cyanna whispered. She closed her mouth around the other nipple and sucked. Joslyn groaned hard.

  “Cy.” Joslyn arched against her. She clamped a hand to the back of Cyanna’s neck, holding her close. Her lips were a hot brand on Joslyn’s skin, making her forget everything that had her tied in knots.

  Her eyes drifted closed, and she raked her nails down Cyanna’s arm. Cyanna tipped her back just far enough so she could kiss her stomach and lick her way back up to her throat where she sucked.

  “Enough foreplay,” Joslyn murmured. “Take me, please, Cy.” The snap of her panties was released and Joslyn pressed her knees into the sofa as she looked down at Cyanna. “I want you so bad it hurts.”

  “Take it out, Joss.”

  Joslyn undid the leather belt cinching Cyanna’s waist and then dragged the zipper down before releasing the button of the chinos. “Tonight, I’m going to suck your dick until you come in my mouth,” she promised.

  “Mom doesn’t think you should engage in that much activity,” Cyanna teased.

  “What she doesn’t know won’t hurt her, right?” she bantered as she lifted just enough to grasp Cyanna’s thick cock and slid slowly down on it. She closed her eyes and moaned softly as the shaft parted her tight tissue and burned over nerve endings. How was she going to be able to allow a man to touch her after this? He wouldn’t have Cyanna’s sandalwood scent or soft skin. He wouldn’t feel this good sinking into her.