by S. K. Yule
Those screwups had been valuable lessons. No matter how much he’d messed up, like the time he nearly burned down the learning center when attempting to do some minor electrical work, the others had been there to guide him. Those at Sanctuary never condemned him, but instead helped him understand what he’d done wrong. Hell, he hadn’t even minded the times Brent or Anthony or Knox or one of the others had razzed him over his missteps. He’d been told time and again that everyone makes mistakes, but in the past, mistakes had been costly. In the past, mistakes had gotten him beaten or in some instances nearly killed.
He shuddered. He’d taken his lessons seriously, and the ancients had taught him to fight well. The next time someone decided he’d be an easy target, they’d get a surprise, possibly a deadly surprise. For once in his life, he could proudly say that he was on the good side, the right side, the side with a 10
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cause, and if a pompous-assed rogue attempted to lay a finger on him again, the fucker would be pulling back a nub.
He walked to the bathroom, stripped off his clothes, and stepped under the hot spray of the shower. If muscles could sigh, his would do so now as the warmth soothed the knots from his earlier workout. After he’d dried and dressed, he stepped outside of the cabin, into the unseasonably warm afternoon.
He made his way down the main path in the opposite direction of where the others were probably still hanging lights, and hadn’t gone far when he saw a familiar SUV heading down the lane. Knox and Rose.
He’d grown to like and respect Knox, and although it had taken time, he and Rose had developed a friendship as well. He still felt guilty about what he’d done to her, even though she’d assured him on more than one occasion that it was in the past and to let bygones be bygones. But that’s where the problem lay, the past, the one thing that proved elusive time and again where his own forgiveness was concerned.
He’d not met one of the lycans’ mates who wasn’t beautiful in her own unique way. Rindy was gorgeous, petite, and fiercely protective of Brent. The two could practically start a fire with the intensity with which they looked at one another. Karen was earthy, intelligent, compassionate, and when she touched Anthony, it was with a gentle kindness that could make any man jealous.
Janine was curvy, funny, and baked like an angel. Raze was one lucky son of a bitch because she could cook as well. Sherry, Janine’s sister, was cute, spunky, and loved Piers with an enviable passion. And Rose was simply gorgeous in every elegant way one could be beautiful, although the woman had a mean streak. He’d learned that firsthand, hadn’t he? He rubbed at the bridge of his nose again, remembering the crunch of cartilage as it had broken under her fist of fury, and smiled at the memory.
While he could appreciate all of the women, none of them sparked any sexual desire in him, only love that one would feel for family. He considered all of the men his brothers and was confident they all had each other’s backs.
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As he walked toward the approaching SUV, it came to a halt on the hard, dirt-packed road. He was only a few feet from the vehicle when Knox stepped out of the driver’s side. Shortly after, the passenger door opened, and Rose got out. She smiled and waved at him.
He started over to them to see if they needed help with anything, but froze in his tracks when the back door opened and a tiny girl with spiky pink hair hopped out. Her scent washed over him, but it didn’t elicit the same friendly feelings from him that the others’ did. Her scent enveloped him in warm honey, his body grew tingly, and his cock jumped in interest.
A sudden and overwhelming urge to scoop her up and take her back to his cabin nearly drove all hint of common sense from his brain. He’d even taken a few steps toward her to do just that before he realized what he’d been doing and abruptly halted. Confusion washed through him a split second before full realization and understanding stabbed him as sharply as a double-edged sword. She had the main scent, but she had another scent as well. She was his mate.
He turned and practically ran back into the woods, fully realizing that Knox and Rose would view his actions suspiciously. After all, what normal person would do a one-eighty and flee from friends with no obvious provocation?
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Chapter Two
Melony gingerly slipped her numbed rear out of the backseat of the SUV
and rolled her shoulders, trying to persuade the cramped-up muscles to relax.
The journey from Knox and Rose’s place to Sanctuary hadn’t been all that bad, was actually scenic, but the overall trip from Maine to here had been excruciatingly long and tedious.
She cringed inwardly. The last six months of her life had been challenging, to put it mildly—very mildly. She was sure that the things she’d seen and learned since meeting Knox and Rose had most likely turned her hair gray under all the pink color.
At twenty-two years old, she was just starting the prime of her young life, when she’d been yanked into a cacophony of events that had led her to this place and these people. She’d grown up in a small but friendly town, and the thought that the reality she knew could easily be shattered within a few short years had never once crossed her mind.
Rose’s existence had been unknown to Melony until six months ago, when Rose and Knox had shown up at her apartment door. Once she’d learned Rose’s relation came from her father’s side—a second cousin to her father—it had explained why her existence had been alien.
Melony’s father had left when she was two years old. She barely remembered him and, quite frankly, had no desire to find him once she’d learned of the abuse he’d inflicted upon her mother. Melony never asked about him, knowing it would only dredge up painful memories for her mom.
It had taken Rose two months to convince her that lycans were real. She had honestly believed the woman to be a complete nutcase, had insisted, on several occasions, that Rose and Knox leave, but they’d refused—even upon threat of notifying the police. She didn’t want to think about the night that they’d finally pulled out all the stops and convinced her they were telling the truth.
That night had consisted of a remote location and Knox going through a partial change in front of her. It had scared the shit out of her, and she’d just recently gotten over the nightmares, but Knox’s transformation had sealed 13
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the deal, put the final nail in the coffin, as she couldn’t argue that something didn’t exist when she’d witnessed it with her own eyes.
When she’d learned about the rogues of their kind and how she’d be hunted, fear had instantly embedded itself deep in her bones even though she sensed Knox and Rose had tried to sugarcoat things as much as possible—
which by the way, was fine with her, thank you very much. She had no desire to hear the uncut version of lycans, rogues, and what would happen to her if she were ever apprehended by one, at least not at this point in time. She had been sufficiently convinced that she needed the protection they offered, and after some soul searching, had agreed to go with them to Sanctuary.
Rose and Knox had warned her that they’d only given her the bare-bones basics about the lycan race, and had promised that she would learn the details once they reached Sanctuary. She hadn’t pushed the subject any further since she wasn’t sure she was ready to hear everything just yet. Finding out lycans existed both frightened and fascinated her, but oddest of all, even through the terrifying moments of grappling with the astonishing information she was receiving, a calm acceptance had blossomed deep inside her.
She contributed that acceptance to instinct, figuring because fate had marked her, something inside her must have recognized that she was different, that she was meant to fulfill a certain destiny.
Stranger yet, she didn’t feel like she had been shackled by fate, but actually found herself embracing what sh
e might become in the future if she found her mate. She supposed the thought appealed to her because she’d never really come across a man who wasn’t a jerk or didn’t disregard her feelings in certain circumstances as mere female outbursts spurred by hormones.
The chance of finding a man whose universe revolved around her, whose love would be true, who wouldn’t be a jealous jerk, who would care about her feelings, and who would protect and cherish her was a fantasy most women only dreamed about. Of course, the possibility of finding her mate was slim, and if she never met him, she’d survive. She only hoped if she did find him, he was a little less in-your-face dominant than Knox. Knox was a good man, and she liked him, but his intensity was overwhelming at times.
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After a while, Rose and Knox had grown on her. They’d been kind to her and hadn’t given up when she’d stubbornly refused to believe them. They could have simply given her the knowledge of lycans and left her to fend for herself, left her to believe it or not, but they’d refused to abandon her, had insisted they wanted to become her family, to protect her. And who was she to turn down an offer like that? For one, a family sounded like heaven. She missed her mother, and felt alone on her own.
Secondly, what kind of life would she have always looking over her shoulder wondering when or if she might be discovered by a rogue?
She caught a glimpse of a tall man with black hair only a few feet from them, but when she peered around Knox’s broad back to get a better look, he was heading into the woods. She shrugged, deciding he probably had something better to do than meet the new girl.
Knox turned to look at her, his brow raised in question as his eyes went from her to the backseat. She barely noticed the four scars that ran across his face now that she was used to them, the scars Rose told her he’d gotten from a fight a long time ago. While the puckered white edges were hard to miss, they didn’t detract from his looks. In fact, they gave an inside peek to the predator that lay beneath.
He glanced at the backseat again, and she finally caught on to the silent message he was trying to convey. She’d almost forgotten about Puss in the carrier. She’d refused to leave her beloved cat behind. The long-haired flame point Persian had been the last thing her mother had given to her before she’d died. Knox and Rose had made it clear that a cat would probably not be a welcome thing at Sanctuary, but nothing could deter her from bringing her pet.
She’d been assured that no one would harm Puss, but that it would be a good idea to keep her out of sight and out of mind. She’d probably get the snub from Puss for the next few days, since she did not like to be locked up, but it had been for her own safety.
“Don’t worry, Uncle Knox, I’ll keep a close eye on her. Besides, she’s an inside cat. She hates going outside.” She grinned when he smirked at the
“Uncle” part. She’d only just started calling Knox and Rose “Uncle” and 15
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“Aunt.” Even though Rose was a distant cousin, calling them “Aunt” and
“Uncle” made her feel closer to them. They hadn’t had any objections with the titles when she’d asked.
“See that you do. There are many things that could harm her out in the woods. And I don’t mean us.” He winked at her.
“We’ll get your bags and show you to your cabin. It’s close to the one we stay in when we visit.” Rose started for the back of the SUV, and Knox stopped her.
“I’ll get the bags, and Melony can handle Puss.” Knox swooped down and kissed Rose on the mouth, halting the obvious protest she was about to launch.
Melony blushed and looked away. The way they looked at each other could make anyone hot under the collar. The two were scorching together, and she wondered if she’d find a man who loved her that much one day. She hoped so, but even if she didn’t, well, that would be okay too. She might be young, but she knew a woman didn’t need a man to define her life.
“Grr. You are such a man,” Rose said to Knox when he opened the back hatch of the SUV.
“Yep. That’s me. A man.” He tugged the suitcases out, put two under each arm, and started off on a path that led into the woods. “Come on,” he said to Melony over his shoulder.
He carried her luggage with enviable ease. She would have struggled with two of them, and wouldn’t have managed all four at the same time on her best day. On top of that, she almost had to jog to keep up with him, and Puss growled in displeasure at being jostled around.
“Uncle Knox, slow down a bit,” she said breathlessly.
“Sorry, I forgot how small you are.” He immediately slowed his pace.
“No problem.” She grinned.
Once they made it to her cabin, she was pleasantly surprised. Rose caught up with them and gave her a quick tour. It wasn’t big, but it was sufficient, efficient, clean, and cozy. She’d always liked the countryside—although this was more like the jungle than countryside—and she felt a resolved happiness 16
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settling inside her. This was going to be her home. She had a family, and she would be safe.
“Tonight we are all gathering at the campfire. I’ll introduce you to the others, and Lorent.” Rose smiled at Melony.
“Who’s Lorent?”
“He’s someone I had a little run-in with in the past. He used to be a rogue, but he’s been reformed, and we figured it would be good for him to teach a newcomer about us in detail. He’s a tad bit shy, and we’ve been trying to get him to open up more. He was here when we got out of the SUV, but must have gotten a bit skittish when he saw you.”
So that’s who the man had been, but wait—“A rogue?” Melony worried her lip with her teeth.
Knox walked to her and laid a hand on her shoulder. “Was a rogue. He’s reformed. He’s one of us now. He is trustworthy. Neither one of us would allow you to be put in a situation that could cause you harm.”
Melony nodded. She believed him. After all, why would they have spent so much time and energy hunting her down to protect her only to be careless with her safety later? Didn’t seem logical to her.
“I trust you.” She’d always been chided by others in her life for being too trusting but damn it, she liked to believe the best of people.
“The fire will be around eight. I’ll be back here a little before to take you there. In the meantime, relax a bit, unpack, and settle in.” Rose hugged her and followed Knox to the door.
“Sounds great. I’ll see you later then.” She waved and headed down the hall to the bedroom with Puss. It was a nice-sized room with a big bed that was made up in crisp white sheets and a thick comforter.
“I’m so glad I potty-trained you to use the toilet,” she mumbled to Puss.
The potty training had been a two-month-long process, but Puss no longer required a litter box. It had been well worth the time and effort she’d put into it since she no longer had to scoop poop or change kitty litter.
“Now if I could only teach you to flush afterward,” she sighed, knowing that was a pipe dream that would never happen.
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After closing the door and setting Puss on the floor by the bed, she sat in front of the carrier cross-legged and opened the locked gate. It took several minutes of coaxing, but Puss finally stuck her pink nose out. After a few more minutes, she dashed out and onto Melony’s lap. She held the cat to her and stroked her lightly in a soothing manner while humming.
Her kitty would be happier, less overwhelmed by the new surroundings if she let her get used to one small space at a time.
“It’ll be okay, Puss. This is a good change for us. We have people that care about us here.” Well, she did anyways. She wasn’t sure about Puss. After all, weren’t lycans of the canine family?
Hmmm. Are they of the canine family? If they were, it would only be logical that they wouldn
’t think much of cats. Was that the reason Knox had warned her to keep kitty out of sight? He promised her the cat would not be harmed, but also said there was no sense in pushing her luck. Puss was the first cat to come to Sanctuary, and she was worried that the feline wouldn’t be a welcome surprise.
“Too bad. You are a beautiful girl, and they will grow to love you just as I have.”
She waited until a light purr vibrated from Puss before she kissed her on the head and set her on the floor to allow her to get acquainted with her new home. The cat gave her a haughty look that said she didn’t believe a word Melony said.
Melony laughed. “You have to give it a chance. We have an opportunity to have a family here. Wait and see. It will all work out.”
She prayed that was so. All through school, her friends had claimed that she was entirely too bubbly and looked on the bright side of things even when a bright side didn’t exist. She didn’t agree. There was something good in everyone, in every situation. Besides, who wanted to go through life a pessimistic crab? Not her. She preferred to believe the best of whatever situation she was in, although she had to admit it was hard to be completely optimistic when she was probably the only human in the midst of a bunch of shape-shifters.
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She shrugged before standing and began to unpack the suitcases Knox had set by the bed on the dark hardwood floor. When she’d asked him where she would be able to get groceries and other necessities, he’d instructed her to make a list of anything she needed. Apparently, routine trips were made to town to pick up supplies. She’d also asked him how she’d be able to make money to pay for the things she needed while she lived here. She had some savings, but those wouldn’t last forever.
He’d informed her that Sanctuary would pay for whatever she needed, that all potential mates were taken care of. When she protested, he’d assured her that after she’d settled in and started helping out with newcomers and tasks that needed taken care of, she’d earn wages. She supposed that would be okay. As long as she was contributing to the encampment, she didn’t mind, but until that time came, she’d insist on paying for her own things whether Knox liked it or not.