by S. K. Yule
“I already asked Lorent to help me decorate earlier, so if he helps anyone, it will be me. Besides, I’m sure you’ll be busy for the next couple weeks settling in.” Shannon put a fat marshmallow on the end of a stick and held it over the fire.
“Actually, Lorent is going to be my teacher for the next several weeks.
We start our lessons tomorrow.” Damn. Why was she goading this girl?
Shannon froze for a moment and treated Melony with a scalding glare that sent chills down her spine. But when Lorent turned to look at Shannon, her face instantly transformed into a bright smile.
“Well. Won’t that be nice?” Shannon stood and let the stick with the speared marshmallow drop to the ground. The marshmallow plopping into the dirt made a gooey, sticky mess. “Lorent, will you walk me home, please?”
Sherry strolled up behind the girl right before she’d asked Lorent for the escort. “Shannon, I can see your cabin from here. If you want to go home, we’ll watch you until you get inside. I’m sure no big bad wolves will get you.”
Shannon turned as if she’d give Sherry a good tongue-lashing, but then seemed to think better of it. She huffed, “Good night, all.”
“Sheesh. When will she get the hint that you aren’t interested in her, Lorent? You aren’t, are you?” Sherry teased Lorent with a mischievous smile.
Lorent’s cheeks flamed redder than the hot bits of wood on the bottom of the fire, and he shook his head.
“I mean, don’t get me wrong. Shannon is a good person underneath all of her puffed-out exterior. She just has some ideas that she should forget.”
Sherry didn’t sugarcoat her words, and Melony found that refreshing.
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Sherry sat down in the seat Shannon had vacated only moments before, and Melony couldn’t help but admire her gorgeous red hair and deep-set green eyes. She thought she looked to be close to her and Lorent’s age, and she was very pregnant.
“She hasn’t really done anything to me, Sherry.”
“Oh, come on. Don’t think we all haven’t seen the way she rubs all over you like a cat in heat, not to mention that you look as if you’ve been sucking on a lemon every time she does it.”
Melony snorted before she could stop herself, and Lorent shot her a look that said in no uncertain terms he didn’t appreciate being the center of entertainment. She cleared her throat and tried to hide the smile that tugged at her lips. Oh, Lorent, you need to loosen up, babe, and I’m just the one to show you how.
“How are you liking it here, Melony?” Sherry brushed off Lorent’s agitation with casual nonchalance.
“It’s a beautiful place, what I’ve seen of it so far anyway. Everyone has been nice to me.”
“Everyone?” Sherry shot a glare in the direction Shannon had disappeared.
Melony just smiled at Sherry’s upturned brow, deciding it would be better to leave this conversation alone for now.
“There you are.” Piers came up behind Sherry and pulled her up gently.
The man was huge, and dwarfed the redhead by at least a foot, but Sherry didn’t appear intimidated in the least. She turned and hugged Piers before standing on tiptoe and kissing his chin. He smiled and rested a hand on her swollen belly. The intimacy made Melony blush just as Rose and Knox’s embrace had earlier. Good God, the heat the couples gave off around here was near sinful.
Fighting the urge to fan her hot cheeks, Melony yawned, and stretched her back instead. The last few days—the last few months—had been stressful, and exhaustion crept into her muscles and bones. She covered her mouth with the back of her hand to stifle another yawn.
“Sorry. I think I’m going to turn in now.” Melony stood.
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Sherry turned back and tapped Lorent on the shoulder. “Lorent will see you home safely. Won’t you?”
He nodded and stood. Melony thought he looked as if he’d probably rather chew his own arm off than walk her home at the moment.
“I can make it back on my own.” Melony tried to move away, but Sherry interrupted her progress.
“It’s your first night here, and it’s really dark. Let him walk with you.”
Sherry smiled. “It was nice to talk with you, Melony.”
“You too, Sherry.” Melony told Sherry and Piers good night before stopping to tell Knox and Rose good night as well. She waved at the other couples before starting home with Lorent by her side.
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S. K. Yule
Chapter Four
Melony glanced surreptitiously at Lorent as they walked along the darkened path to her cabin. She wasn’t normally a person who was bashful, usually dove right into conversation, but for some reason, with him she lacked her normal confidence. It wasn’t that he frightened or intimidated her, but he had an unapproachable, hands-off air about him that made her nervous.
She felt as if she were walking on the proverbial eggshells around him. As ridiculous as it may be to think that about a man who stood well over six feet and could turn into a predatory animal at any moment, her instincts told her that he was one who could be hurt easily. And for some unexplainable reason, she wanted him to trust her.
“Do you like Sanctuary?” She figured that was an unobtrusive, innocent enough question.
“Yes.” Lorent’s voice was quiet, hesitant, as if he didn’t want to answer even that simple inquiry.
She sighed and wondered how long it would take until he’d loosen up around her. Then another thought occurred to her. Knox and Rose knew her fairly well at this point, knew she was an outgoing, talkative, initiative person.
Maybe they’d paired her up with Lorent, made him her instructor not just for her benefit, but for his as well. Yes, he could teach her everything she needed to know, but maybe she had something to teach him too.
A smile tugged at her lips. If that were the case, she’d do her job well. “I bet the gathering for Thanksgiving here is phenomenal.”
“In what way?” He glanced at her and kept walking.
“I meant, I assume that it is a fairly big gathering. My family has always been on the small side, and for the last few years before my mom died, it was just her and me at Thanksgiving dinner. It will be nice to be around so many people this year for the holidays. They tend to get a bit lonely, seem somewhat pointless when you have to spend them alone.”
She didn’t miss the way his dark brows drew down as he mulled over what she’d said. He wasn’t forthcoming with words, but his expression gave 31
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away his deep thoughts. She wondered what it would be like to kiss away his frown lines, to replace them with happiness.
Whoa! Slow down there. A little quick to be thinking of things like that, don’t ya think, Melony?
“It’s got to be magical to share it with so many people who care about you, who you care about.” Melony prodded just a little, as she was pretty sure if she pushed too hard, he’d shut down completely.
“Yes, I suppose so.” His quiet response hinted at regret.
She worried her bottom lip, a habit she’d tried many times to quell, but had finally given up after several attempts to do so had ended in failure. She imagined that his life as a rogue hadn’t been easy, and wondered at the things he may have witnessed, the things he might have done. That last thought gave her pause. She looked at his hands, barely visible from the moonlight shining through the thick treetops. Was he capable of harming others for the sheer pleasure of it? Had he hurt others for amusement? A shiver slid down her spine, but a nagging voice in the back of her mind was adamant that he wouldn’t do such a thing.
Then again, she did like to believe only good things about others. She barely kept a snort from escaping. Maybe she was being a naive fool, but the one thing she could count on was Knox and Rose. They’d never let her near, much
less be alone with, Lorent if he was a danger to her. No. He was a man who’d been led down the wrong road in life, probably born into unfortunate circumstances. He had proven by coming to Sanctuary that he wanted to change, that he knew what he’d represented as a rogue had been wrong. He’d made bad choices, and he deserved a second chance.
As her cabin came into view, she turned to him. “Thank you for walking me home.”
He shook his head. “I will see you all the way to your door.”
“Okay.” Well, he had the honorable thing going for him.
A couple dozen more steps and they were at her front door. She turned to him again, and he’d already started away from her.
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“Lorent?” She waited for him to turn back to her before continuing.
“Would you mind stopping by here tomorrow afternoon so I can walk with you to the Learning Center? I don’t know where it is.”
He nodded. “I’ll be here at one.”
“Thank you.” She watched until he disappeared into the darkened tree line, then peered up at the sky.
The moon hung low and peeked through the thick boughs of the evergreens. Its glimmering, silvery light danced between the branches as they blew in the soft breeze. She shivered. Skirts were not going to be an option for much longer, and she was surprised she’d been able to get away with it tonight after hearing the stories Knox and Rose weaved about the dreadful winters in Michigan.
The breeze picked up, and she wondered if Mother Nature had gotten sidetracked, forgotten it was winter, and was now preparing to remedy the situation with a vengeance. She really didn’t mind the snow—when she was sitting inside a cozy, warm room, sipping hot chocolate, and admiring it from a well-insulated window. However, she would make an effort to embrace it, give it a chance since this would be her life from now until the foreseeable future.
She made her way inside, closed the door, and went to let Puss out of the bedroom. She reached down and picked up the fluffy ball of fur. Puss cuddled close to her chest and started purring.
“Aw, you missed me, huh?”
She stroked the cat on the head and carried her to the kitchen before setting her down. She got a bowl from the cabinet, filled it with water, and put it on the floor for Puss. After rummaging in the fridge—which was stocked surprisingly well—she got out the fixings for a ham sandwich. She found plates in the cabinet and slathered mustard on some wheat bread before piling on the ham, cheese, and lettuce. Once she put everything up and poured a glass of milk, she sat at the small pecan-colored table and began to eat.
Puss sat and watched her, licking her lips every time Melony took a bite.
“Have patience. Yours is coming in just a minute.”
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She finished eating, positioned some of the ham she’d placed on the side of the plate when she’d made her sandwich in the middle, and set it on the floor, where Puss began to eat with gusto.
“Hungry, huh? I guess you’re going to get fat here, since you’re probably going to be eating people food mostly.”
She vowed to make sure Puss got a variety of things that were good for her. The ham would suffice until tomorrow. She smiled when Puss finished her meal and sat down to clean her paws. Her pink tongue darted out and in, not missing one tiny spot on or between her toes. Cats were persnickety about certain things, cleanliness being one of them.
She picked up the empty plate, put it in the sink, and started off down the hall, Puss close on her heels. “Let’s go to bed.”
As she lay in the dark room a while later, Puss curled up at her side, she tried to imagine what her life would be like at Sanctuary, but even her imagination wasn’t that big. She drifted off to sleep thinking about how nice it was going to be to have family and friends around.
* * * *
Lorent stood in the deep shadows of the forest watching Melony’s cabin.
The lights had gone out a few moments ago, and he wondered if she was in bed, wondered if she was thinking of him. Why the hell would she be thinking of you? He’d barely spoken a word to her, not because he hadn’t wanted to, but because he was afraid of what would happen if he allowed himself to get too comfortable with her.
When she’d gazed up at the trees earlier before going into her cabin, she’d seemed as mesmerized by their beauty as he was by hers. How could he be destined to spend his life with someone as sweet as Melony? She didn’t deserve the likes of him.
When he’d walked her home, he’d tried hard not to let her scent—the scent that called only to him—tantalize, entice, and fool him into believing he was worthy of her. But his heart, his soul, his wolf refused to listen. They wanted her with a fierceness that bordered on the line of insanity, but his 34
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brain—always in the background chattering—had argued that he wasn’t right for her. He was petrified that giving in to his emotions and pursuing her would ultimately lead to hurting her. Deep down he was certain the hellish things he’d survived thus far in life would fail to rival seeing any pain in her eyes—especially pain he’d caused.
He closed his eyes and groaned. He longed to touch her creamy skin, wanted to see if it was as soft as it looked, yearned to bury his nose in her jasmine-scented hair. And he’d give up everything just to gaze into her wide brown eyes while he claimed her. His body hardened and throbbed as he thought about how she’d cry out his name as he slid into her over and over, how her thighs would tighten around his hips, securing him to her, how her inner muscles would squeeze around him and pull him deeper until they both came.
True, he’d never slept with a woman, but he’d witnessed the act, heard enough stories to know everything that happened in vivid detail. He groaned again, wishing he didn’t have such an understanding about sex, because picturing it with her, along with all those vivid details, was torturous.
His heart raced, and he gritted his teeth as he ran his palm over the uncomfortable bulge that strained behind the zipper of his jeans. His eyes shot open, and he punched the tree next to him hard enough to rattle a few pieces of bark off. Stop it. She is not for you, no matter what fate says. Besides, who said fate couldn’t get one wrong once in a while, because the old bitch had definitely gotten this one wrong. Maybe this was punishment for his past deeds. Maybe fate wanted to show him what he could never have, rub his nose in it like a naughty puppy that piddled on the floor.
He grunted in frustration, backed deeper into the woods, and started for his own cabin. If someone caught him leering at her like some perverted stalker, he’d never hear the end of it. If Knox or Rose caught him, he might lose his pecker. Knox and Rose. Yeah. And he’d actually entertained the idea of touching Melony? If Knox didn’t kill him, Rose would. He’d already crossed the line once with them, and doubted they would be as willing to forgive and forget a second time. She’s yours. It doesn’t matter what they think. It’s your job to protect her, not theirs.
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He shook his head as he stepped up on the cedar porch of his cabin, opened the door, and slammed it hard enough to rattle the hinges. How was he going to keep his hands off her when he was supposed to spend hours each day with her? He’d barely been able to control himself the first time he saw her.
He undressed and showered, hoping the hot water would ease his turbulent thoughts, but ten minutes later, as he lay in bed, all he could think about was pink spiky hair, sparkly brown eyes, a tinkly laugh, and luscious curves. She was intuitive, too, and he hadn’t missed the way she’d tried to coax info out of him without being pushy. He’d practically been able to hear the wheels turning in her brain when she’d talked to him as he’d walked her home.
But why? Did she honestly want to know about him, or was figuring him out some kind of game to her? He didn’t think it was the l
atter because although he’d only just met her, he was a good judge of character. That trait had saved him numerous times when he lived amongst the rogues, and it was rarely wrong. That left the first choice: she was genuinely interested. The thought sent a quiver of joy through him, an emotion he hadn’t felt often in his lifetime.
Or maybe she was simply being a normal human trying to communicate?
He stretched his legs on the cool, crisp sheets and willed his raging hard-on to behave. Unsurprisingly, it refused. Deciding he’d get more sleep if he put himself out of misery—no matter how temporary the fix may be—he reached down and encircled his erection with his hand. He squeezed firmly, pushed down to the base, and pulled back up slowly. The slide of his palm against his stiff flesh became smoother with his precome, and he increased the rhythm until he was gritting his teeth and arching off the bed.
Within seconds he came, his breathing ragged, his body satiated, yet still unfulfilled. He cringed as he reached for the towel he’d tossed onto the floor beside the bed from his shower and cleaned up. He closed his eyes and let sleep creep in, knowing he would never have a satisfying release again until he had Melony.
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Chapter Five
An insistent banging on Melony’s door awoke her the next morning around nine. She was normally up before now, but she had apparently needed the rest. She stumbled down the hall, still half asleep, and made her way toward the knocking only to find none other than Shannon standing outside, holding a laundry basket.
“Hi, hon.” Shannon pushed past her and set the basket of clothes on the floor just inside the door.
“To what do I owe the pleasure?” Melony mumbled before a blast of cool air hit her sleep-warmed backside, sending a shiver down her spine, spurring her to hurriedly close the door. Wow, what a difference in the weather from last night. And what had Shannon called her? Hon? Hon? She was definitely not “hon” to Shannon.