by Yule, S. K.
“Oh, but you do, angel.” He flipped her hands over, palms up. “You hold the ability to destroy me in these two tiny hands.”
“I’m confused.” She frowned. “I want you. I love you, but I’m scared . . . unsure of everything at the moment.”
“I will always be here for you. If you need me, you only need to say the word.”
“I need some time to clear my head. I need to think things through properly.”
He cupped her cheek in his big palm, bent, and placed his warm lips against her mouth and captured her sigh. When he slipped his tongue inside, she couldn’t resist the temptation to taste him. He tasted of man, of dominance, of Galen. She moaned when he stepped back, aching for his lips to be back on hers. But he was only doing what she’d asked—giving her time and space to think. She respected him for not trying to seduce her, because at this point, she wasn’t sure she’d be able to resist him.
She needed him. Wanted him to hold her. Yearned for him to comfort her. But she had to keep a clear mind and make the right decision. She had to be careful how she proceeded. She couldn’t allow Patrick to get hurt. And she didn’t particularly want a broken heart either.
* * * *
Galen awoke as soon as Myka retreated from the dream. When he’d found her sleeping earlier, he’d hoped to be able to reach her in her dreams. His plan had worked. While things hadn’t turned out exactly how he’d like, at least she’d listened to him. He doubted she’d have given him that courtesy had they been awake.
He sniffed the air, then sat up from the twin bed in his room. By the time he made it to the barn doors, Brent was waiting for him outside.
“What are you doing here?” he growled.
“Thought you deserved the honor of taking care of Terrance. If you care to, that is. If not, we can take care of him.”
“I won’t kill him no matter how much the urge burns inside me to do so. Myka would never forgive me if I did. However, I wouldn’t mind having a little chat with the fucker.” Galen clenched his hands into fists.
“Let’s go.” Brent motioned toward the trees across the pasture.
By the time they arrived to where Knox and Raze were holding Terrance, Galen had let the fury of what Terrance had done to Myka take hold. He’d be true to his word. He wouldn’t kill him, but he didn’t have anything against hurting him a little.
“Let me go!” Terrance struggled against Knox and Raze.
“Yeah. Let him go,” Galen growled.
Eerie silence settled throughout the forest for several seconds as if every living thing could feel the anger emanating from Galen.
Fear shined in Terrance’s eyes after he was released. “I told you he was a killer.” He spit the words at the others. “He’s going to kill me just like he did all those women.”
“Give it a fucking rest, Terrance.” Brent rolled his eyes. “No one believes you now. Hell, no one really believed you to begin with.”
“So what? You’re going to kill me then?” Terrance shouted at Galen.
Galen shook his head. “Nope. I’m only going to kick your ass. What happens after that is up to them.” He nodded toward Brent and the others.
“Bring it on. This time I won’t hold back!” Terrance snarled before shifting into a wolf.
Galen laughed before letting his fangs and claws slide down. “Come and get some, pup.”
The muddy gray wolf leapt at him, and Galen feinted to the side and raised his claws to rip down the pup’s side as he flew by him. Terrance landed with a yelp, and blood began to seep through the fur where Galen had tagged him.
“You can’t win, pup. Shift back. Let me give you a proper ass kicking. Take it like a man.”
Terrance snarled, and leapt again. Snapping jaws came within inches of Galen’s face, but at the last moment, he punched the wolf in the head and sent him sprawling to the ground once again. This time, Terrance lay still for several moments, sides heaving, before finally getting back to his feet. He shifted and fell back to the ground on his naked ass.
“Damn but you are a pussy, pup,” Galen mocked him.
Terrance growled and got to his feet again. “I’m going to kill you!”
“Not on your best day and my worst.”
Terrance let out a sound that was nearing a screech and charged Galen, but Galen leapt into the air, clearing Terrance by a good foot before landing smoothly in a crouch. Terrance turned and charged Galen again, but Galen had had enough. He caught Terrance around the neck, and held him in a choke hold as the pup screamed, kicked, and clawed to get away. Galen increased the pressure until Terrance finally passed out from air loss and landed in a heap at his feet.
“I don’t think this one can be saved,” Brent said.
“He’d already be dead if I thought Myka would forgive me,” Galen sadly replied. “Whatever you decide, I’ll support you. But if you give him another chance, if he actually makes it through the reformation program by some miracle, you better warn him to stay clear of me, Myka, Patrick, and this whole damned area. If I see him again after today, I will kill him. There will be no questions asked. No forgiveness. No more chances. He will die if he gets near my family again.”
Brent nodded before Galen turned to make his way back to the barn. He stood in front of the house for a long time. Every cell in him reached for the woman inside. He wanted to go to her, take her in his arms, and simply hold her while she slept. He wanted to comfort her, tell her things would be okay, but he would give her the time she’d asked for to think things through. He owed her that much. Hell, he owed her more than that much.
“Come back to me, Myka,” he whispered before heading back to the barn.
Dawn was turning the sky pink, and he decided to give the horses their feed early. He’d give them all a good brushing as well, as an apology for last night. His stomach knotted. If only it was that easy to convince Myka to forgive him, and make things right between them again. Things were never that easy in life, though. All the best things came at a cost. He only hoped he had whatever price Myka would be asking.
* * * *
Myka looked at the clock and groaned. She’d been lying in bed all day. The only time she’d gotten up was to use the bathroom and to call Patrick. She hadn’t even bothered with eating, which her stomach had strongly objected to several times. Evening would be here soon, and she’d argued with herself until her mind was numb. She’d never been one to sulk, never given in to defeat easily, but she was still at a loss as to what to do about Galen. About everything.
The only thing that was certain was that she loved Galen, and he loved her. But was it enough? She was scared. Then she realized something else. She had never been a quitter. She’d always faced whatever life had thrown at her with determination, and sometimes stubbornness. How was this time any different? Uh, because you are going to become a completely different species? She rolled her eyes. Still, was becoming a werewolf any worse than what she’d gone through when her parents had died, or losing Travis?
No. In fact, if she thought on it hard enough, she was being a complete ass. She truly believed Galen had never meant to hurt her, had never meant for Terrance to bite her. He was a victim in this as much as she was. Instead of focusing on the gift she’d been given, the love of a good, decent man—okay, werewolf, but still—she was focusing on the bad stuff. Patrick liked Galen, and Galen would be a wonderful father. He had been nothing but kind to them both from the very start.
And what had she done? Lain around all day feeling sorry for herself and blaming Galen for things he had no control over. While he’d been aware of the danger he’d been in, she was certain, had he thought for a second things would have turned out like they had with the others and Terrance, he would have left. He would have protected her. He was a victim in all of this as well. He’d been hunted for something he’d been falsely accused of. If she had to blame anyone, it should be the assholes who had pursued him for so long. They were the ones who ultimately placed Terrance at her doorstep
.
How could anyone possibly think Galen was capable of doing the things he was accused of? Five minutes after she’d met him, had someone told her he’d done what Terrance said, she would have known that it wasn’t possible. Yet she wondered if their fated bond was responsible for her instant trust and attraction to him. Even if that were true, her instincts were good, and they’d told her from the start that he was a good man.
So what are you going to do then, Myka?
She sat up, and winced when pain shot through her shoulder. “I’ll tell you what I’m going to do about it,” she said as she fought the sheets tangled around her legs. Finally getting free, she stood and went to her dresser.
She got a pair of jeans, a sweater, socks, and underwear—forgoing the bra thanks to her shoulder—and hastily pulled them on. After brushing her teeth and hair, she went through the kitchen and tugged on the boots sitting by the door.
“I’m going to get the love of my life back,” she said as she finally stepped outside and headed for the barn.
Chapter Thirteen
“You can’t sneak up on me.”
“I wasn’t trying to.” Myka stared at Galen from the open barn door as he shoveled the last scoop of clean sawdust into the wheelbarrow.
He wheeled the full load to Buddy’s empty stall and poured it in with no effort. She sighed, wishing she could clean stalls that easily. Then a thought occurred to her.
“Will I be able to do all the chores as easily as you do after . . . after, you know?”
He leaned against the door of the stall and crossed his arms over his chest. “You won’t be as strong as I am, but I think you’ll find bucking hay and cleaning stalls a much easier task. Although I’d still rather you not do those things. I can do them for you, or we can get someone else to.”
“Galen, I—”
“I’ll be here when and if you decide you want to be with me. I won’t leave you. I’ll help you through the change, and I’ll do my best to respect whatever decisions you make about us.”
“As easy as that, huh?”
He nodded.
“And what if I decide that I can’t be with you? What if later down the line I bring a date here? Are you simply going to stand back and respect my decision?”
He suddenly stood and took two steps toward her. They now stood toe-to-toe, and she had to crane her neck back to look up at him. Still she was not afraid.
“To answer your first question, I would be crushed. And as far as your second? Ask anything of me but that. I’m afraid I don’t have it in me to let another man lay one finger on you while I’m alive.”
She smiled up at him. “Good. But understand one thing.” She waited until he raised a brow in question. “I don’t share either. If you ever touch another woman, well, let’s just say I’ve watched the vet geld several stallions over the years.”
He chuckled, but turned pale when she simply stared up at him, unsmiling. She reached out and ran her fingers lightly over his chest. The hard muscles bunched under her touch.
“I don’t know how I will end up handling everything, Galen. I won’t act like I’m okay with all of this. It will take some time for me to come to terms with it all.”
“Understandable.”
“But I do know a few things for certain.”
“Which are?” he asked quietly.
“First of all, you can’t blame yourself for what happened.” When he started to protest, she reached up and pressed her index finger firmly against his lips. “Shhh. Let me finish,” she said, surprised at how husky her voice sounded to her own ears. “It wasn’t your fault. If it wasn’t Terrance, it could have been someone else. Hell, a drifter—a human—could have wandered out here at any time, and done worse, for that matter. If anyone is to blame for what happened, it is Terrance. Not you. Secondly, I love you. I don’t want to lose you.” She let her finger slide from his lips, but he caught her wrist and held her palm flat over his heart.
“I love you, Myka. Have from the moment I first saw you. I swear I will do everything in my power to make you and Patrick happy.”
“I know you will. I will simply have to trust that everything else will work itself out.”
“I will be here to help you through all of the other stuff.”
“There’s one more thing I’m certain of.” She caught her breath when his hazel eyes began to glow.
“What’s that?”
“I’m certain that I want you to make love to me right now.”
He cupped her face with his hands. “Be sure, angel. I’ve waited for what seems like an eternity for this moment. I’ve burnt up all of my control the last few times we’ve almost been together. I don’t think I have any willpower left where you are concerned. Once we start, I’m not sure I’ll be able to walk away.”
“I don’t want you to walk away. I want you, Galen. And I do believe you told me that you would do anything to make me happy. You making love to me would make me very happy.”
“In that case, I certainly don’t want to disappoint you.”
Before she could think up a clever response, his mouth was on hers, and she was falling back into a soft mound of hay. His tongue slid inside her mouth, and she moaned when his scent and taste hit her. He tangled his fingers in her hair and deepened the kiss. Her body caught fire instantly, and she wrapped her arms around his neck, only to wince when pain shot through her shoulder.
He leaned back and looked down at her with a scowl on his face before gently easing her shirt aside to inspect the bite.
“There’s something I need to tell you about this.” He traced the wound softly with his finger. But instead of continuing, he stood. Every muscle in his body tensed, and she shivered at the loss of his heat.
“What’s wrong?” She took his offered hand and let him pull her up beside him.
“We have company,” he said.
She took a hesitant step back, but he refused to let go of her hand to allow her to retreat further. “Wh-Who is it?” she asked.
He gently tugged her to his side, but kept her tucked under his arm as if shielding her with his body. “It’s okay, Myka. No threat.”
She followed him out of the barn to find Brent standing alone in the yard.
“Why are you here? I asked you to never come here again.” The menace in Galen’s voice could not be mistaken.
“I needed to apologize personally to the lady,” Brent said as his dark eyes rested on her.
He was a handsome man, and held an edge to him not unlike Galen—an edge of lethalness.
“She’s already been through enough,” Galen said.
Myka squeezed his hand reassuringly. “It’s okay. I’m fine.” She took a step away from him, but didn’t release his hand. “Thank you for your apology, but I can’t pretend that I’m not angry at what you did. And how could you beat Galen like that? You and your friends should be ashamed of yourselves. Galen is a good man.”
“Yes, ma’am. I’m aware of that.” Brent slid his gaze to Galen, then back to Myka. “I can only assure you that we doubted Terrance’s story pretty much from the start, but still had a duty to find Galen and get his side. Our race is in too much danger from extinction to take any risks, however small they may be. If it’s of any consolation to you, Galen gave as good as he got during the fight.”
“I can understand your need to get Galen’s side of the story, but I don’t agree with how you went about doing it. And while I’m happy Galen isn’t the only one who suffered physically during your altercation, it’s of little consolation to me. He should have never been hurt in the first place,” she said after raising her chin and looking Brent directly in the eyes.
“I hope one day to earn your forgiveness.” He bowed his head slightly. “I also wanted to extend an invitation to Sanctuary for both of you. Please feel free to visit at any time. You will always be welcome. My friend Anthony has a mate named Karen who was also bitten by a rogue. She may be able to help you with the difficulty of your first
change.”
“Difficulty?” Myka frowned and looked up at Galen in question.
“I haven’t discussed it with her yet. Nonetheless, if she will let me, I will be able to ease the pain.” Galen ignored her question completely, which irked her.
“There is no way to ease the pain of a change that occurs from the bite of a rogue,” Brent said.
“There is. I have witnessed it with my own eyes,” Galen replied.
Brent took a step forward, but stopped when Galen let out a low warning growl.
“Tell me. Please. It may be useful to us in the future,” Brent pleaded.
Galen stared at Brent intently. Myka held her breath wondering if punches were about to fly, but after several gut clenching moments Brent retreated a step and Galen’s shoulders relaxed before he answered.
“If a potential mate is bitten by a rogue but finds her mate before her first shift, he can bite her in the same place. It will ease the pain of the bite and make the first change easier. Almost as easy as if her mate had originally turned her.”
“I’m an ancient. I’ve never heard of this. Neither have any of the other ancients I know.”
“Now you have.”
“How can this be?” Brent asked.
“I’ve only witnessed it once in my lifetime. Many, many years ago, when things were different, when man still commanded woman. The leader of one of the packs I was running with forced it upon his mate after a rogue bit her because he knew it would relieve some of her pain. While he did it with the best intentions, and it did ease her suffering, she never forgave him. I can only assume you’ve never heard of this because it’s rare. And during those exceptional occasions when the circumstance arises, I can’t imagine many women in this day and age agreeing to be bitten again after going through such a traumatizing event to begin with. Women are no longer commanded by their mates. They make their own choices.”
Brent nodded. “Yes. I guess that is true. Thank you for this information. Like I said, it may prove useful in the future to save someone from suffering. I’m sorry again, Myka, for everything. I’m sorry to you as well, my brother. I hope to see you both at some point at Sanctuary. In fact, this would be a great place to expand if you are willing.”