“Well, the fact you are might’ve just saved your ass.”
“Why?”
“Maggie is my mate, and you’re going to help me get her over her fear of werewolves. In my book, you’ve just become a valuable tool. You’re going to show her that not all of us are bloodthirsty killers.”
Chapter Two
Maggie closed the door behind her and went straight up to her room. If felt as if her heart slammed against her ribs, it beat so hard. She walked over to the bed and sat. Holding out her hand, she saw it shook slightly.
It took almost a minute for her nerves to settle. Seeing the large figure of Dolf walking toward her had scared the crap out of her. Every time she thought about him, she remembered the pain and fear she’d suffered when the werewolf pack leader had abducted her. She didn’t know if she’d ever be able to disassociate one from the other, which wasn’t a good thing.
Maggie sighed and fell back on the bed. Being around Dolf had pulled her in two different directions. On one hand, she was afraid of him, and on the other, she found herself attracted to his good looks. Standing outside, for a brief moment, she’d finally been able to get past her fear long enough to actually see Dolf as just a man. And if she were being honest, she had to admit she’d liked what she’d seen.
If they’d met three or four months ago, she would’ve had no problem hooking up with him. He was everything she liked in a man—tall and muscular with a body she would’ve spent hours exploring with her lips and tongue. She would’ve enjoyed running her fingers through his short, wavy, reddish brown hair while staring into his brown eyes that were so dark they almost looked black. The old her would’ve held onto Dolf and never let him go, but not this new, scared version of her.
And it didn’t help that she was his mate. One of her closest friends, Cydney, who she’d gone to Ryerson University in Toronto with, was mated to Dolf’s best friend, Wulfric. So Maggie knew exactly what she meant to Dolf, and what it entailed to be claimed by him. Not that that was ever going to happen now. She could barely stand having him near her, and touching was completely out of the question. It would just make her more terrified.
She closed her eyes and felt a single tear leak out of the corner of one. Why did her life have to be so hard? After graduating from university, she’d been ready to embark on a new career as a journalist. Her future had looked so bright.
Roughly wiping away the wetness on her cheek, Maggie sat up. No longer would she allow herself to wallow in misery. She’d meant what she’d told Dolf about not letting Stephen win. She’d get her life back, slowly but surely. It would take some time, but in the end, she’d triumph. It was just too bad she still wouldn’t be able to tolerate Dolf when she did.
* * *
Dolf drove straight to the mansion he shared with his fellow warriors and their mates, along with Raed and Lexi’s daughter, Petra. Chris sat quietly next to him, which Dolf didn’t mind. He wasn’t really in the mood to talk.
At the end of the long drive that would take them up to the large house, Dolf stopped his car and turned to Chris. “This is as far as I can go with you right now. Tiw protects our home from Fenris’ get, from your type of werewolves. I’m going to call to him and see if he’s willing to let you through. And I’m not sure what he’ll want to do, to make sure you won’t be a threat.”
“Then why bring me here?”
“Because, as I’ve said before, we can’t allow you to run loose. You’ll be safer here too.”
Chris turned his head and looked at Dolf. “Then there’s the fact you want to use me to help win over Maggie.”
Dolf clenched the steering wheel tighter, turning his knuckles white. “Yes.”
“What happened? How did she learn about werewolves?”
He ground his teeth for a few seconds before he answered, “A couple of months back, Maggie was taken by the pack leader of Fenris’ get. It…traumatized her. My fellow warriors and I infiltrated the den and managed to free her, but the damage had already been done. She can’t stand to be near me because of what I am.”
“So you want me to spend time with her, then spring it on her that I’m one of the creatures she fears,” Chris said as a statement and not as a question.
“Basically.”
The werewolf shook his head. “I don’t think it’ll work. I know Maggie better than you do.”
Dolf growled low in his throat, instinctively not liking the idea that another male was closer to his mate. “Why won’t it?” he asked in a strained voice.
“Maggie sometimes doesn’t get over things easily. She’s a sensitive person. She’s more likely to run scared once she finds out what I’ve become, not get past it, no matter how much time I spend with her.”
“Then you’re just going to have to work harder. We both are.”
“Whatever. Don’t be surprised if it backfires in your face.”
Deciding to let the subject of Maggie drop for now, Dolf called, “Tiw, I need you to allow this werewolf to pass through your protection.”
Tiw’s voice filled his head a few seconds later. Why should I do this?
“He’s not like the others of his kind. After talking with him, it looks as if Fenris’ get are no longer staying together in a pack. He’s newly turned and has been on his own. He needs to be protected from the other werewolves. I don’t think he’s any danger to us or to mortals.”
I’ll be the judge of that. I will not put the others at risk just because you want to use this werewolf’s help to claim your mate.
Of course, Tiw would know Dolf’s other reason for bringing Chris home with him. Tiw was a god, after all. “I wouldn’t have brought him here if I thought he’d turn on us.”
There was a moment of silence before Tiw said, We shall see.
Chris jerked and stiffened as he clutched his head. He moaned low in his throat as if in pain. “Fuck,” he said. “I can feel him digging around inside my brain.”
It didn’t seem to take Tiw long to find out what he wanted, because Chris slumped in the seat less than a minute later.
You’re right, Dolf. Chris is no threat to anyone. Keep him at the mansion. I’ll need to discuss this turn of events with Raed. If the werewolf pack is no more, and Chris’ non-bloodthirsty nature is the cause of being alone, it changes how we’ll have to view the enemy from here on out. I’ve adjusted my protection so Chris will be able to come and go. Tell Raed I’ll be in contact with him later.
Dolf felt Tiw’s presence in his head vanish. He turned to Chris to see the other man staring at him wide-eyed. “I take it you heard everything Tiw told me?” Dolf asked.
Chris nodded. “Ah, yeah.” He then smiled. “That was bloody amazing. I heard an actual god’s voice in my head.”
Putting the car back in gear, Dolf continued down the drive. He chuckled before he said, “It is, isn’t it?” He pulled up to the large, detached garage and parked. “Now—I hope you understand that Tiw wanting you to remain here means you have to stay away from your family and friends. You could put them at risk if you don’t.”
“That won’t be a problem. I realized that early on. It’s only me and my mum when it comes to family. I moved out a couple of years ago, so she’s not expecting me home tonight or anything. I just need to get some of my things from my flat.”
“We can do that tomorrow, after you email Maggie about setting up a time to see her again.”
“Fine, but I still don’t think this is going to work.”
Dolf got out of the car and waited for Chris to walk around it before he headed for the front door of the mansion. “We’ll see.” Once they were inside the spacious foyer, he continued to speak. “Besides me, there are five other warriors who have pledged to serve Tiw. Raed, Algar, Garrick and Wulfric are mated, while Brand and I aren’t. Raed and Lexi have a daughter. Garrick’s mate, Nika, is pregnant with their first child.”
“And you’re all immortal?” Chris asked. “What about your mates?”
“Yes, we are. Once we claim the wome
n who are ours, Tiw grants them immortality and immunity against a werewolf’s bite.”
“Just how old are you?”
“I’ve been around since the 500s A.D. Same with my fellow warriors. Raed is our leader. When we were mortals, he was our king.”
Hearing the sound of voices coming from the living room, Dolf went to walk in that direction when Chris stopped him with a hand on his arm. He looked at the other man. “What?”
“You said Raed was your king. What is Raed short for?”
“Raedwald.”
“Holy fuck. Are you telling me he’s the Raedwald? The one who was once King of East Anglia?”
Dolf smiled. “You know your history. And yes, he is.”
“I’ve lived here my entire life. We were taught the local history in school.”
“Well, you’ll meet the others when they return. They’re still out hunting and won’t be back until much later. I’ll introduce you to the women.”
After he and Chris walked into the living room and he’d filled the women in as to why he’d brought a werewolf home, Dolf found himself cornered by Cydney. Lexi, Kamryn and Nika had already taken Chris upstairs to get him settled in the spare bedroom.
“So did you go to Maggie’s place?” Cydney asked. “I’m sure you made time to do that, especially since you finished hunting early.”
Dolf nodded. “Yeah, I did. And I spoke with her too.”
“She actually let you in the house?”
“No. She was outside. By herself.” Just saying that brought a snarl to his lips.
“You mean outside-outside? In the dark?”
“Yes. I told her not to do it again, that it isn’t safe for her.” Cydney punched him in the chest. He scowled as he rubbed the offended area. “Ouch. What was that for?”
“Why did you tell her something stupid like that? Do you know how hard I had to work just to convince her to leave the house, especially at night? So far, she’s been able to keep what’d happened to her a secret from her parents, but lately, they’ve noticed a change in Maggie. They were asking questions about her no longer going out to the club, and why she’d stopped meeting up with Carol and Ali, her other two best friends.” Cydney punched him again. “If you’ve caused her to backtrack, I’m going to get Wulfric to beat your ass for me.”
Dolf rolled his eyes. “He can try, but I’ll do more of the ass beating than him, and he knows it. Relax. I doubt I caused any damage, though I have every right to protect Maggie, since she’s my mate. She told me she’s done cowering. She’s not going to let Stephen win.”
“Good. And just a suggestion, you’d better cool it on the whole mate thing whenever you’re around Maggie. She’s nowhere near ready for it. If you push it, you’ll only succeed in driving her away.”
He ran a hand through his hair. “I’ll try, but it’s hard, Cydney. I fucking hate seeing the fear in her eyes every time I’m near her.”
Cydney gave him a sad look. “I know, Dolf. You just have to be patient. She’ll get over it eventually.”
He blew out a breath. “To be honest, after talking to her tonight, I’m beginning to doubt that’ll ever happen. She said she’d never accept me.”
“She just feels that way now. Give her some space.”
“I’ve done that, and look where that’s gotten me—nowhere. If I want Maggie as my own, I’m going to have to try another tactic. That’s part of the reason why I brought Chris here.”
“What does Chris have to do with Maggie?” Cydney asked.
“They’re…friends,” he snarled. “I guess they went to school together.”
“He’s that Chris? Maggie’s told me about him. Does she know what he is?”
“No, and she doesn’t need to right now. So don’t go and tell her. Chris can hang out with Maggie, continue their friendship, then later, he can reveal what he is. Hopefully, the more time he spends with her, the less likely she’ll be to fear him once she knows.”
Cydney gave him a questioning look. “And where exactly will you be while Chris is out with Maggie?”
“I’ll be joining them.”
“Of course,” she said with an accompanied eye roll. “Just be prepared for it if it doesn’t work.”
“It will, because it has to. I can’t let her go, Cyd,” he said softly.
Wulfric’s mate stood on her tiptoes and pressed a kiss to his cheek. “I know, and deep down inside, I think Maggie knows it too.”
“I hope so.”
Cydney smiled. “I guess I’ll give Maggie a call and see how she’s feeling.”
Dolf watched her walk away. With his sensitive hearing, he heard the sound of Petra crying upstairs. He left the living room and headed for the staircase. Having a little snuggle with the baby might be just what he needed right now.
* * *
Maggie read the email Chris had sent her for a second time. She sat on her bed with her laptop balanced on her thighs. In a way, she wasn’t surprised he’d been in contact with her so quickly after she’d encountered him the night before. It’d been a long time since she’d last seen him. Besides Carol and Ali, she’d emailed Chris on a regular basis while she’d been in school in Toronto. The only thing she had a problem with was whether or not she wanted to accept his offer to go somewhere for coffee.
She hadn’t gone out much to anywhere since “the incident,” as she liked to refer to it. As long as she didn’t think of it beyond that, it kept her from feeling as if she’d have a panic attack. Maggie had told herself she’d no longer hide, would not let her fear control her, but it was easier said than done.
With a deep breath, she clicked reply on the email and sent Chris a message back, saying she’d meet with him this afternoon, before she could talk herself out of it. That done, she closed her laptop and placed it next to her on the bed.
The new mobile phone her father had bought for her rang. Maggie snatched it off the bedside table and saw it was Cydney calling. She answered it, and said, “Calling to check in on me again, Cyd?”
Her friend laughed. “Maybe I am.”
“You did that last night. Nothing has changed since then.”
“I thought I’d see if you were still okay, with having seen Dolf, I mean.”
Maggie stiffened at his name, but forced herself to relax. “I managed, all right?”
“Will you still be able to do that if you see him again?”
“Probably, I guess. But does it matter? It’s not as if I’m going to go out of my way to be around him.”
Cydney sighed. “You’re not going to get rid of Dolf that easily. He will not give up.”
Maggie closed her eyes as an image of Dolf’s handsome face rose inside her mind. Just as quickly as it had formed, she pushed it away. “He has to.”
“I won’t push,” her friend said, “but don’t discount him entirely. He’s waited hundreds of years to find you, Maggie. The man is in love with you, and he’d never do anything to hurt you. Ever.”
She bit back her gut reaction to tell Cydney she had to be lying. Instead, she said, “Be that as it may, it won’t work.”
“I’m going to let it go for now, mostly because I know you aren’t going to change your mind at this point about Dolf. So for a new topic, you have anything planned for today?”
“Actually, I do. I’m going out for coffee with someone.”
“Does that someone happen to go by the name of Chris?”
Maggie scowled, even though Cydney wouldn’t be able to see it through the phone. “How did you know?”
“Dolf. He told me he was with Chris when he saw you last night.”
“Oh, yeah. I’m trying to forget Dolf was there. The only thing I’d like to know is how those two met. Chris doesn’t exactly have a lot in common with Dolf.”
“You’d be surprised,” Cydney said. “Anyway, I’m glad to hear you’re going out with him. It’ll be good for you.”
“Whatever you do, Cyd, don’t tell Dolf.”
“Why?”
“Ah…I—”
“I mean it, Cydney. Not a word. And don’t say anything to Wulfric, either. I know how close he is to Dolf.”
Her best friend sighed. “Since you’ve now told me not to, I won’t. Okay?”
“Good.”
“I’ll let you go. Try to have a good time with Chris. Getting out into the world again is just what you need.”
“Talk to you later.” Maggie ended the call. Even though she felt a bit of uneasiness about seeing Chris, she knew she had to take this step. And Chris was the best person—other than Cydney—to do it with. He was safe. She didn’t have to worry about him shifting into a creature that made her blood run cold.
Chapter Three
Her mum had been overjoyed when Maggie had told her she’d be going out with Chris. When the time had come for her to leave, her mother had told her not to hurry back. Then, she’d been practically shoved out the door with a set of car keys dropped into her hand.
Now parked in front of the coffee shop, Maggie tried to calm her skittish nerves. “It’s only Chris,” she told herself. He was nothing like Dolf. They’d catch up on each other’s lives and have a few laughs. Nothing scary about that at all.
Finished with her pep talk to herself, she got out of the car and headed inside the building. A quick look around the not overly large, open concept room, she spotted Chris sitting at one of the tables. He must’ve seen her at the same time, because he suddenly smiled and waved. She wound her way through the room to where he was seated.
“You made it,” Chris said.
“I wouldn’t stand you up.”
Once she’d taken a seat in the chair across from him, he asked, “What would you like? It’s my treat.”
“Surprise me.”
Chris nodded, then stood. “Okay. I’ll be right back.”
Maggie watched him walk toward the counter near the front of the shop. After he slipped into the end of the line of customers waiting to be served, she turned back around in her chair. She did a quick scan, looking at the faces closest to her—searching for the werewolf who’d abducted her. Not that she wished to see it. That would be a nightmare if she did. No, she merely never wanted to be caught off-guard again.
Taming Her Heart Page 2