Untamed

by Sara Humphreys

  William’s mouth set in a firm line, and he struggled to keep his eyes from shifting. “I am not running away.” Anger crawled up his back. “Layla has made it clear that she is not interested in binding her life to mine, and I am not interested in forcing her. I have told her how I feel.” His voice rose with frustration. “I don’t see what else there is to say.”

  Rosie pursed her lips and made a sound of understanding. “I see.”

  William placed a quick kiss on Rosie’s forehead. “Thank you for welcoming me into your home. And thank you very much for everything you have done for Layla. Tell her…” He trailed off, unsure of what to say.

  “I think I know what to say.” Rosie picked her magazine back up. “You go on now, and have a safe trip.” Without looking at him, she licked her finger and flipped the page. “I’m sure I’ll be seeing you around.”

  William reached out in search of Layla’s energy signature, but was unable to connect with her. Emotions clogged his throat as he realized she was blocking him and must be intentionally hiding from him. Loss, emptiness, and despair flooded him as he reconciled the fact that she wasn’t going to stop him from leaving. He’d fooled himself into believing that she wouldn’t let him go, and now the disappointment just might crush him. Fighting back the flood of bleak emotions, he uttered the ancient language and vanished.

  ***

  Camera in hand, Layla trotted up the steps of the house and kicked off her boots before heading into the kitchen in search of the source of the delicious smell. She hit the doorway and screeched to a halt when she found Raife and Sylvia cleaning dishes side by side at the sink. She watched them and found herself envious of how oddly at ease they seemed with one another. He washed the dishes and passed them to her, so she could dry them. It looked like they’d been doing this for years, opposed to a day or two.

  How did they step back into each other’s lives so seamlessly?

  “It’s not polite to stare,” Raife said over his shoulder.

  “Sorry,” Layla mumbled. She grabbed a banana from the fruit bowl on the table.

  “Would you like some pumpkin bread?” Sylvia asked with a genuine smile. “I just made it this morning.”

  “No.” Layla shook her head and held up the banana. Having Sylvia as an ally, and from the looks of things, as a possible sister-in-law, was going to take some getting used to. “I’ll just stick with this.”

  “Layla,” Sylvia said hesitantly. “I’m sorry for everything. My father… the way I behaved… all of it.” Tears filled her blue eyes. “I hope you can forgive me.”

  Layla looked from Sylvia to Raife. “As long as you’re good to my brother, then you and I are square.”

  “Thank you.” Sylvia gave her a nod and smiled at Raife, who winked at her warmly.

  “You just missed him.” Raife turned around and leaned against the edge of the counter. “William just left.”

  Layla paled, and she swallowed the bile that rose in her throat. “What?”

  “He split.” Raife tossed the sponge back into the sink but kept a watchful eye on her. “I’m surprised. I really thought you two were gonna stick, but he said that you quit on him.”

  Heat flashed in her cheeks. “I quit? He said that I’m the one who quit? That arrogant son of a bitch,” she said as she fought the tears. “He’s the one who left without saying good-bye.”

  “Layla Nickelsen,” Rosie barked from the living room. “You get your skinny ass in here, and stop cussing in my kitchen.”

  Raife smirked. “You’re in trouble now.”

  “Oh shut up.” She slammed the banana back into the bowl. She heard Raife chuckling as she stalked out to the living room.

  Layla sat on the arm of the sofa with her arms crossed and struggled to keep from crying. “William left,” she whispered.

  “Yes, he did.” She tossed her magazine on the table and waved Layla over to her. “Come here.” She patted the edge of the sofa near her.

  Layla complied and sat next to Rosie as she took her hand in hers. “Layla, I have one simple question.” Rosie’s gray eyes looked earnestly at her. “Do you love him?”

  Layla’s eyes filled with tears, and she nodded as they rolled down her cheeks. “Yes.”

  “Then, honey, why wouldn’t you tell him? Fate or destiny, whatever the reason… that man loves you.” She squeezed her hands tightly. “He loves you, Layla, and you love him. So what the hell is the problem?”

  “I’m scared.” Layla squeezed her eyes shut. “He says he loves me, but he never said the bonding rite.” Her face reddened at the idea of discussing sex with Rosie. “He could’ve said the words and bound us together, but he didn’t.” She lifted one shoulder and looked down.

  Rosie burst out laughing and clapped her hands. Layla wiped the tears off her cheeks and looked at her as if she’d lost her mind. “What are you laughing at?”

  “You, ya silly girl.” Rosie shook her head, let out a long sigh, and folded her hands on her belly. “The man told you he loves you, and I’m guessin’ he showed you too.” Rosie gave her a knowing look that sent her cheeks aflame with embarrassment. “Why wouldn’t he say those words? Why wouldn’t he just say the bonding rite? Think about it for a minute.”

  Layla looked at Rosie through confused eyes, and then the realization hit her like a tsunami. Her eyes grew wide, and a smile cracked her tear-stained face. “Oh my God,” she breathed. “Of course.” Layla laughed and jumped off the couch. She smacked her forehead with one hand. “God, I’m such an asshole.”

  “Well, you said it, not me.” Rosie smirked and watched as all the pieces fell into place.

  “I have to go to him.” She ran her hands through her tousled curls. “Oh shit! Where is he?”

  “He went back to Richard’s ranch in Montana.”

  Layla ran over, hugged Rosie, and rained kisses on her weathered face. “I love you so much, Rosie.” She giggled. “Thank you.”

  Layla stood in the center of the room, closed her eyes, and did what William taught her. She envisioned the wild beauty of the ranch, which was imprinted in her memory. The smell of pine and the clean, crisp, cold air filled her nostrils as the enormous clapboard house and towering mountains came into focus.

  “Verto,” she whispered.

  ***

  In a rush of static and a flash of light, Layla was standing on the ranch, and the icy Montana wind rushed over her briskly. She hugged her coat tighter around her and ran up the flagstone path to the entrance of their home, but the low, deadly growl of a tiger brought her to a screeching halt.

  Going somewhere? Dominic’s rumbling baritone flooded her mind.

  Layla turned on her heels and found herself face to face with the mammoth tiger. Even on all fours, he was almost as tall as she was, and the muscles that rippled beneath that striped fur left little doubt to how much damage he could do in a short time.

  “Hello, Dominic.” She scanned the area. “Where’s Daniella?”

  Dominic growled, whispered the ancient language, and shifted into his human form. Like most Amoveo men, he towered over her at well over six feet tall, and was a solid wall of muscle. He had cropped black hair and was dressed in combat fatigues with a dagger tucked in his belt. The man looked like he’d stepped out of an ad for the army or special forces. Needless to say, he was a badass.

  “My sister claimed the side of the Purists,” he said tightly. His yellow-gold eyes burned down at her brightly. “I am the only guardian now.”

  “I’m here to see William.” She held her ground, ready to shift into her cheetah. “Is he here?”

  “William is upstairs.” Salinda’s sweet voice floated down like a breath of fresh air. “Thank you, Dominic.”

  “Your Highness,” he said with a bow.

  Layla headed up the steps while Dominic erupted into
his tiger form and stalked out to the fields. Shaking from a touch of adrenaline, Layla stepped into the front hall and breathed a sigh of relief.

  “I had a feeling we might be seeing you sooner rather than later.” Salinda closed the door, smiled, and rested her hands on her pregnant belly. “William is staying on the third floor.” Her warm brown eyes glinted at Layla knowingly. “It’s private. Go right up. I know he’ll be very happy to see you, and I, for one, am thrilled that you’re here.” She scooped up her purse and shrugged on her coat. “Now you make yourself at home. I have an appointment at the healer, belly checkup, and so on. Richard is meeting me there, so you two will have the place to yourselves. As you saw, Dominic is guarding the property, so rest easy.”

  Layla grinned. “Thank you, Salinda.” She bounded up the steps two at a time as Salinda vanished.

  She gripped the mahogany banister, breathless by the time she reached the landing of the third floor. Trying to catch her breath, Layla ran her fingers through her unruly red curls in an effort to make herself presentable. She shucked her coat, draped it over the newel post at the top of the steps, and straightened out the V-neck sweater she’d thrown on that morning.

  She moved slowly down the hallway and peered into the rooms on either side, but the office and what looked like the sitting room were empty. At the end of the hallway was one more door that was open just a crack. Layla entered and found William standing at a tall oval window with his hands clasped firmly behind his back in his signature stance.

  “Why are you here?” he asked coldly without even turning around. “You made it perfectly clear this morning that you want to be left alone.”

  “What are you talking about?” Layla asked with genuine confusion.

  He glanced over his shoulder. “Your energy signature was completely cut off from me.” William turned to face her, and the look on his face broke her heart. “That was a clear enough signal for me.”

  “Cut you off?” Layla hooked her thumbs into the back pocket of her jeans. “Are you referring to this morning? When I was out shooting pictures of the farm?”

  “Yes.” William’s brow furrowed. “But I don’t see what that has to do with anything.”

  “Well, counselor, you didn’t look at all the evidence.” Layla closed the distance between them in deliberate steps. “When I get focused on my work, I shut out everything else, and all my energy, thoughts, feelings—everything that I am—is pointed at whatever it is I’m shooting. So I wasn’t shutting you out intentionally, I was absorbed in my work, but now that I know it has the side effect of cutting you off, I’ll have to be more careful.”

  Her body wavered inches from his, her gaze skimming that devastatingly handsome face.

  “So you see, William.” Layla took a deep breath, and her breasts brushed against the hard planes of his chest. “I wasn’t blocking you or avoiding you. I couldn’t avoid you if I tried.”

  She ran her hands up his muscular arms and linked them behind his neck. His body hardened beneath her touch, and she felt him struggle to keep control.

  Layla pulled his hair free from the ponytail he wore and tangled her fingers in his silky hair. To her delight, his eyes shifted to their clan form and glowed down at her with the unmistakable glaze of desire.

  “I can’t avoid you, William, and you sure as hell can’t avoid me. You can’t make me fall in love with you and expect to get away with it.” She nipped at his firm, warm lips and rasped her tongue along the tiny hurt. “You’re buried deep. Under my skin and in my heart,” she said seductively.

  He murmured her name, captured her lips savagely with his, and dove deep. Passion raged as he explored the dark cavern of her mouth. Hands tore blindly, and their clothing fell away in a tangle of arms and legs. He picked her up easily and placed her on the bed. Breathless and panting, he covered her small body with the length of his, buried his face in the curve of her neck, and breathed her in. Layla shuddered beneath his ministrations and moaned as he kissed and nibbled his way back to her mouth.

  William settled himself between her legs and drove into her hard and fast.

  Layla gasped with pleasure as he plunged into her with strong strokes. He held her to him and took one rosy nipple into his mouth as he filled her time and again. Layla whispered his name as pleasure coiled deep inside. She wrapped her legs around his waist and held his head to her breast, urging him faster.

  Knowing that they were approaching the peak, she reached out to him with her mind as he sank into her, and in that moment, openly gave William everything.

  Nos es unus. Materia pro totus vicis. Ago intertwined. Forever.

  As she touched her mind to his and uttered the ancient mating rite, the world exploded in a cavalcade of pleasure and blinding lights. They cried out in ecstasy and toppled over the edge of oblivion together.

  Spent, sweaty, and exhausted, William rolled gently off Layla, but promptly pulled her naked body against his and nestled her into the crook of his arm. They lay in a tangle of limbs—hearts pounding, bodies shaking—and it was several minutes before either said anything. Layla chewed her lip nervously and ran her finger along the white scar on William’s chest.

  “I guess you’re stuck with me now,” she said through heavy breaths.

  William propped a pillow under his head and looked down at her, while he played with her red curls. “It would seem so.” He smiled, and his brow furrowed. “Where on earth did you learn the mating rite?”

  “Kerry and Samantha told me what it was.” She turned on her belly and rested her chin on his chest as she looked at him coyly. “Is it okay that I said it and not you?”

  “Is it okay?” He laughed loudly and took her head in both hands. William sat up, pulled her to him, and kissed her firmly. “It is more than okay, Firefly.” He brushed her cheek with his thumb.

  “I love you, William.” She took his hand in hers and kissed his palm tenderly. Her heart swelled with love, and for the first time, she was exactly where she longed to be. Looking into his moon-glow eyes, she knew she was home. “I choose you,” she whispered. “I choose you and me. Forever.”

  Acknowledgments

  Thank you just never seems to be enough, and whenever I write the acknowledgments, I’m worried that I’ll leave someone out. The truth is that just about everyone I deal with on a daily basis should be thanked. They have to tolerate me and my annoying habit of stuffing a hundred things into one day. My husband and children, as always, are at the top of the list. They support me, love me, and inspire me to be better every day.

  I’d like to extend my thanks to my agent, Jeanne Dube, for knowing just what to say and exactly when to say it. Thanks to Deb Werksman, Cat Clyne, and Susie Benton for their editorial brilliance, and for the much needed words of encouragement in my moments of self-doubt. The Sourcebooks art department continues to create spectacular covers that capture the heart of the story. Many thanks to Danielle Jackson for her super-fab publicity efforts and putting together a stellar blog tour for every book.

  Many thanks to the Community Relations Managers at Barnes & Noble who have been consistently supportive with my book tours and work hard to make each a success. Especially to Kelly at my local CRM at B&N—you rock! Sheila—you’re still the best beta reader ever!

  A big shout out to all of the angels on the street team… you gals are the best! Thank you for sharing your excitement about the series.

  Thanks to the folks at the Rustic Inn down in Maryland for letting me take tons of photos of their place and for answering all my questions. Thanks to Tom Emory, my cousin and Woodbine resident, for sending pictures of different local joints, which helped me narrow it down and select the kind of spot I was looking for.

  Last, but not least, thanks to the Fleury family for hosting the big reunion at Woodbine Farm every five years. At the 2010 reunion, inspiration struck, and the plot for Un
tamed was born. I hope you’ll feel that I did the old homestead justice.

  Dream on…

  About the Author

  Sara Humphreys is a graduate of Marist College, with a BA degree in English literature and theater. Her initial career path after college was as a professional actress. Some of her television credits include A&E Biography, Guiding Light, Another World, As the World Turns, and Rescue Me.

  She is the president of Taney Speaker Training, which specializes in public speaking, presentation development, and communication skills. She has trained executives at Verizon, Bristol-Meyer Squibb, Westchester County, and the United States Navy. Her speaking career began with Monster’s Making It Count programs, speaking in high schools and colleges around the United States to thousands of students.

  Sara has been a lover of both the paranormal and romance novels for years. Her sci-fi/fantasy/romance obsession began years ago with the TV series Star Trek and an enormous crush on Captain Kirk. That sci-fi obsession soon evolved into the love of all types of fantasy/paranormal: vampires, ghosts, werewolves, and of course, shapeshifters. Sara is married to her college sweetheart, Will. They live in Bronxville, New York, with their four boys and two insanely loud dogs. Life is busy but never dull.

  You can find information about upcoming books on her website www.sarahumphreys.com.

  Untouched

  by Sara Humphreys

  She may appear to have it all, but inside she harbors a crippling secret…

  Kerry Smithson’s modeling career ensures that she will be admired from afar—which is what she wants, for human touch sparks blinding pain and mind-numbing visions.

  Dante is a dream-walking shapeshifter—an Amoveo, who must find his destined mate or lose his power forever. Now that he has found Kerry, nothing could have prepared him for the challenge of keeping her safe. And it may be altogether impossible for Dante to protect his own heart when Kerry touches his soul…