by Sofia Grey
The back of her neck prickled and she looked up to see Sasha in the doorway. He leaned against the frame, arms full of clothes and she stifled her gasp. His face was pale, scrapes and bruises all down one side and he held himself stiffly, as though in pain. “What are you doing here, Megan?” His voice was stilted too. Megan, not Cariad. Her heart stuttered.
“You’re going home early?” He nodded and limped into the room, dropping the bundle into the open bag, and then shoving it down in rough, jerky movements.
“Tam’s having her appendix out today. I don’t want to be thousands of miles away.” You don’t mind being thousands of miles from me, though. She chided herself. That was unfair. Last time they’d spoken, not including the brief words earlier, she’d told him to go away and leave her. And now he was.
Unable to stand there and do nothing, she calmly moved his hands away and then lifted out his jumble of clothing and began to fold the things neatly. “If you pack it properly, you’ll get more in.” She felt pleased at how steady her voice came out.
“There are things we need to talk about while you’re here.” Sasha took a position on the other side of the room, leaning on the back of the sofa, hands gripping the top. He sounded like a stranger.
“I have some questions too, and,” she hesitated, “Alex and Hugh are waiting outside.”
“Your brothers are good people.” A shadow crossed his face. “It might be best for them to hear this.”
Whatever he meant, it didn’t sound good. Her chest tight, she focused on the T-shirt in her hands and continued to roll it up. “I thought the whole wolf thing was a secret.” She looked up and met his gaze, the blue stare more intense than ever. “I didn’t believe you. I owe you a huge apology.” They were only a few feet apart, but it could have been miles. Her hands itched to touch him. More than anything, she wanted to hurl herself into his arms and kiss the life out of him, but she didn’t know how. He stood there, awkward and unfriendly, as though she was the last guest to leave a party and it just felt so wrong.
“You can’t tell anyone about the shifters. I shouldn’t have told you.” His face twisted and he closed his eyes, and then sucked in a long breath. “Go and get your brothers. I have to leave soon.”
Frustration spiked. “Leaving, or running away? You said you wanted to spend your life with me, Sasha. Change your mind?”
Pain flashed across his beautiful eyes and the muscles bunched in his arms. “Yes.” Oh. She hadn’t expected that. She rubbed her chest and tried to think straight, and nearly missed his next words. “Is your hand okay?”
She lifted the bandaged hand to show him. “Yes, it’s fine.” This was not how she wanted the conversation to go, but it reminded her of a question that needed to be asked. Fear churned inside and made the words difficult to form. “Phillip was bitten by that…wolf. You bit me. Does that mean that we turn into werewolves?”
His face was shuttered. “No, we’re born this way. You can’t catch it.” He dropped his head and rubbed the back of his neck and she wondered again about his own injuries.
“You were so brave today. I thought I was going to die. I can never thank you enough for that, Sasha. Your leg…it was bleeding so much.” Emotion clogged her throat and made it a struggle to speak. “We came back to the clearing and you’d gone. I was so worried. Why didn’t you stay?”
Chapter 26
Sasha knew if he let go of the sofa he’d not be able to keep his hands off Megan. She stood there, his T-shirt clutched in her fingers, bottom lip wobbling and eyes glistening. Everything he’d ever wanted and everything he dared not have. His wolf howled, mournful and hurting and his fucking heart raced at the speed of sound. Her scent wrapped around him, driving his poor wolf even crazier, and something had to give. The sharp knock and the sound of the door opening was a timely interruption. Please let it be Dion.
It was the Hellspawn, but maybe that was for the best. It saved him the job of fetching them and he took a moment to feast his eyes on Megan again while she was distracted. He’d no idea if she’d go back to Phillip, but he hoped not. He still hated the petty fuckwit. A red haze descended. He hated the idea of any other man loving her. Mine.
“Ready to go, Megan?” Alex slipped an arm around her shoulder and Sasha was amused to see her shake him off.
“Not quite. And Sasha wanted to talk to all of us.” Three pairs of eyes turned to him.
The truth was impossible. He fished around for something that might be near enough. “I got mixed up with a couple of gangs. It was stupid of me, but I was short of money. They saw Megan with me, and decided to use her to warn me off. I took a phone call at lunchtime from a guy who told me he’d taken her. He was using her phone.” He had to stop. The combined memory of the phone call and the image of Megan screaming beneath the wolf would haunt him forever. “I was near Phillip so I asked him for help. We went back to your place to start looking for you, and that’s when we found you being attacked by the dog.” He kept his gaze pinned on Megan, daring her to interrupt. Another quick breath to steady the nerves that were stretched taut as bow strings. “I don’t know where the guy went. That was his dog that attacked you, so he was somewhere close. How did you end up there? Did you go with him?”
She rubbed her chest again, as though her heart was hurting. Fuck, he knew how that felt. “I didn’t see anyone.” She sounded bewildered. “I’d gone to the tree house by myself, but when I tried to leave, the, uh, dog attacked me. I found out later my phone had been stolen and Alex told me you thought I’d been kidnapped.”
Sasha realized he’d been holding his breath. Not kidnapped. That was a relief, one tiny glimmer of good in a day full of horrors. “Okay, that’s ah, okay.” Great, he sounded simpleminded, now. “Thing is, I don’t know his name or anything about him, but with me heading back home, he should leave you alone now. It was just to frighten me.” And Christ, did it work. Megan opened her mouth to speak and he rushed on. “I’m sorry, so sorry for what happened.” For messing up your perfect life. “If I’d had any idea…” I’d still have fallen in love with you. I’ll never forget the way you feel in my arms. He forced a shamefaced smile and curled his fingers even tighter into the worn fabric sofa, the only thing holding him up.
An uncomfortable silence descended. Go, please go. I can’t pretend any longer.
*
“Come on, Meggie.” Hugh jingled his car keys, but Megan ignored him. Was this why he was fleeing into the night? Leaving without a goodbye or an explanation? Not scared of the gang, but scared for her? All the little protective things he’d done over the past few days. Seeing her home. Holding her on the dance floor. Punching Phillip. Attacking that huge wolf without a care for his own safety. She felt hot and cold at the same time and clenched her fists. Dear God, if she let him go, she’d never see him again.
She stepped forward, away from Alex. “You have to go tonight, yeah?”
His gaze was fixed on the carpet. “Yeah. Flight leaves in a couple of hours.”
“And you’re not coming back?” Another step closer.
“No.” He looked up now, his face tight. His white knuckles gave away his death-grip on the sofa and she took a giant leap of faith.
“I’m going to Wales again soon. Can I come and see you?”
The look of intense longing that flashed across his face confirmed what she thought. He lifted a shaking hand and dragged it through his hair. It made him look even sexier. “No. Best not.” His voice was choked.
“Meggie, leave it.” Alex’s growl dragged her back to the realization she had an audience for this. “He’s just a two-bit chippie. You can do much better.”
She didn’t take her eyes off Sasha. “He’s got a Masters in Civil Engineering and he came here for the summer to help with the Christchurch rebuild. That’s more than either of you have done. Now clear out, I need a minute alone.” Silence met her words and she bit down on her frustration. “I said go. I’ll be out in a minute.”
“Megan, why a
re you still here?” He spoke in a low voice as her brothers finally got the message and trooped outside.
“You’re just as bad as them. Same stupid, macho bullshit.” She jammed her hands into her pockets. “Now tell me the truth.”
His smile looked totally artificial. “I have no idea what you’re talking about, but I need to finish packing. Dion will be here any minute.” She heard the strain in his voice.
“I’ll be quick then. I know Alex and Hugh can’t learn about the wolves and that’s fine, I won’t tell anyone. But what about everything else you told me? The soul-mate thing?”
“Megan—”
“And why don’t you call me Cariad now? Stop trying to distance yourself. You’re leaving because you think it’ll be better for me. Aren’t you? I don’t believe it was anything to do with gangs, so what really happened?” She took another step closer and then another. “Don’t you owe me the truth this time?” Now she was close enough to do what she wanted. She snaked her arms around his neck and kissed him.
*
The wolf howled yes, the man tried to say no.
The wolf won.
Her lips were warm and confident, and much as he tried to resist, it was a token gesture at best. The wall he’d constructed around his heart came tumbling down faster than a house of cards in a force ten gale. Sasha pulled her so close into his body, he couldn’t tell where she ended and he began. Mine. He’d been fooling himself if he thought he could leave her. He’d sooner cut off his own arm.
She sighed against him and ran both hands through his hair. “Now tell me the truth.”
“The whole truth and nothing but the truth? Haven’t we been here before?” In response, she burrowed her head against his chest. Funny how all his aches and pains didn’t seem so bad now. “The guy I was talking about, he was threatening Jake. Wanted me to take a message back to him, and wanted me to stop talking to Connor. That was wolf business, by the way, nothing dodgy. I’ve been a kind of diplomat for the Snowdonia Wolf Pack.” A pathetic one. Jake would never ask him to do that again.
“I recognized Connor. You know, when he, uh, changed.”
He marveled at how together she sounded. “We call it shifting.” He buried his nose in her hair and inhaled her wonderful scent. Inside him, the mating bond coiled tighter and his wolf sighed and rolled over, a puppy seeking pleasure. “He saw us together and I guess he’s the one that stole your phone. Connor’s pack has been hunting him, but he’s vanished.”
“So he only wanted me, to get at you?”
“I guess.”
“Sasha. My dad’s been a high-ranking politician all my life. I don’t doubt that one day he’ll make Prime Minister, but it means I’m used to crank threats. That’s why Alex and Hugh are so bloody-minded. We’ve lived with that for years. I can handle it.” She nipped his jaw and his cock hardened instantly. God, he wanted her more than the air in his lungs. “I can’t make any promises about forever. Three days is too soon to make those kind of big decisions, but I do know that I don’t want it to end here.” She rubbed against his hard-on and he swallowed down a groan.
“It’s nearly four days.” His sanity was unraveling with her back in his arms, the heady joy at holding what he thought was lost.
“Three and a half.”
He had to chuckle. “Sure you’re not a lawyer, baby?” He’d done enough talking and with time so limited, he needed another taste of her. He plunged one hand into her thick, soft hair and tilted her head to the perfect angle, then flicked his tongue across her plump lower lip. So tempting to take a nip, but he licked instead, teasing and enjoying her whimper. He’d never tire of kissing his Mate.
Dion’s voice was an unwelcome reminder of their limited time together. “Dude, you ready?”
It nearly killed him to pull back and when he saw the desire glazing her eyes he contemplated telling Dion he’d changed his mind, but then he remembered Tammy. He had to go home. Megan clung to his T-shirt. “What happens now? How do we make this work?”
“Did you mean it about coming to Wales?”
She blinked and he saw a hint of a smile emerge. “I’ve got plenty of holidays accumulated. I could take a couple of months off.”
“That’s where we start. You come as soon as you can get away.” He didn’t like to be over confident, but once she came to his territory he’d already be half way to convincing her to stay.
“And there’s always email, and text, and Facetime.” She played with the ends of his hair. “We can keep in touch every day.”
“I can do better than that, Cariad. I’ll see you every night too.” Her brows drew into a puzzled frown that he had to kiss away. Bending, he whispered into her ear. “I’ll find you in your dreams.”
*
Megan slumped onto her bed, aching in every muscle. Her hand itched beneath the bandage and the scratches on her back throbbed. She was convinced sleep would be an impossibility. Every time she closed her eyes, she saw an image of Sasha, hobbling backward through the gate at the airport, heading for his flight home, and keeping his eyes on her until the last possible minute. Alex and Hugh flanked her of course, along with Dion and the other band members. They’d kept her going with jokes and banter, but now, alone in her bedroom, she ached with loneliness. For crying out loud, he’d only been gone a few hours. All the same, she’d sort out her vacation dates tomorrow, and book her flights.
She was besotted with him now, after just three days. Three and a half, she corrected herself with a smile. If she spent a month with him, she’d learn if they had enough potential for something long term. She’d like to think they did. Megan yawned and shoved her pillows into a better position. She needed to talk to Gran too, find out what she knew about Welsh wolves. Her eyelids were heavy. Maybe she’d sleep after all.
When she opened her eyes again it was bright daylight and she sat on warm sand, the sparkling blue sea a short distance away. She knew this beach, and the nearby quiet seaside village. Gulls wheeled and squawked overhead and she had to shield her eyes from the sun. What a gorgeous day. Glancing down, she wore cut-off denim shorts and a soft tank top, and she sprawled on a bright red blanket. This made her smile. Was it Sasha’s blanket?
“Cariad.” His husky voice sounded behind her and she peered over her shoulder.
“Hello, Sasha. Fancy seeing you here.”
He dropped to the blanket next to her and pressed a hard, possessive kiss onto her lips. As always with him, she melted into the kiss, her heart racing at his touch. Releasing her, he slid an arm around her shoulders and gave her a lazy smile. The dimple flashed and she smiled in reply. “This is a pretty place. Where are we, baby?”
“This is the beach near my Gran’s house.”
“I like it.” He traced one finger around the scoop neck of her top. “I like anywhere you don’t wear many clothes.”
“You’re shameless.” She tried to hide her delighted smile, but was pretty sure she failed.
“And you’re gorgeous. We make a good pair, Cariad.”
He nuzzled at the shell of her ear and licked a lazy circle around it. Her stomach went into freefall and she tried valiantly to continue talking. “Do wolves like the seaside?”
“This one does.”
He propped himself on one arm and leaned over her, silky hair brushing against her face, hot breath on her cheek. She touched the stone around his throat, stroked his neck, smoothed his eyebrows; any excuse to touch him was good. The sun made her sleepy and she gave a big yawn. This was a delicious dream and she didn’t want to leave it just yet. Sasha kissed her again, gentle and unhurried. “I know you’re going back to sleep, and you need to rest, Cariad. I’ll phone you the minute I land in Manchester, but let me hold you now.”
With the crash of the surf and the steady thump of Sasha’s heartbeat to rock her to sleep, she snuggled into his arms and closed her eyes.
Chapter 27
Sasha was dog-tired when he stumbled through the Arrivals Hall at Manchester Airport
, but at least he was almost home. Jake would be there to pick him up and from here, they only had a couple of hours drive at this time of night. Three at the most. He fucking hated long-haul travel. His sleep patterns were disrupted, his wolf antsy from being cooped in a series of confined spaces, and his muscles ached. His injuries were healing rapidly, but it would still be a few days before he could go for a long run. He’d also only been able to enter one of Megan’s dreams, but that was probably something to do with his own sleep cycle being screwed.
Goddamn phone, there was no signal in this part of Arrivals. He walked a little farther and finally—thank you, God—his phone sparked to life. Two texts from Jake, two from Connor, one from his Mum, and one from Megan. He read that first.
Hey you. I dreamed about you last night. Miss you already. M xxx
Sasha checked the time. Eight-thirty in the evening translated to morning for New Zealand. Perfect timing.
“Sasha.” Megan sounded breathless.
“Cariad. I’ve just landed in Manchester. I should be home in a few hours. How are you, baby?”
“I’m fine, just getting ready for work. How was the journey?”
“Long and boring. It would have been more fun with you in the seat beside me. I had to put up with a skinny Liverpudlian who farted after everything he ate.”
She giggled and he closed his eyes and tried to pretend she was standing next to him. “I dreamed about you. It felt so real…was that something to do with you?”
“We were on a beach near your Gran’s house. You asked me if wolves like the seaside and I told you this one does. I like anywhere you are, Cariad.”
She made a soft humming noise and it sounded as though she was amused. “I have to go in a minute. I don’t want to be late for my last day at work. Lots of documents to hand over.”
He opened his eyes, instantly alert. “Say that again?”
“My holiday starts tomorrow and I’ve booked on the mid-afternoon flight from Wellington. I should see you in a couple of days. Is that okay?” For a moment he couldn’t speak. “Sasha? You still there?”