by Lee Mae
Taryn pulled away from him, sniffling.
“I’m sorry. You didn’t need to hear this.” She sat up, holding the sheet to her chest, not meeting his eyes.
Sam sat up next to her, his fingers beneath her chin, gently turning her to face him. “Yeah, Taryn. I do. I can’t fix what happened in your life before I met you. But I can try my hardest to make sure nothing ever hurts you again.”
“But why? Why care so much…about me?”
There was such a naked vulnerability in her face that he couldn’t speak for a minute. When he found his voice, it was rough, with passion, with his love for Taryn, with a whole range of emotions he didn’t even know he could feel.
“Because I love you. And beyond that, in my heart, in my very being, you are the one for me, my mate. The one I want to spend my life with.”
Sam leaned forward, his lips on Taryn’s, softly, barely touching her. She tensed beneath him and he stilled himself, until she relaxed, until she moved against his mouth.
The kiss was slow and bittersweet. There was longing and an aching need evident in Taryn’s kiss and it touched Sam so deeply, so profoundly, that this girl in his arms could be so starved for love.
Instinctively he pulled her against him, and she tensed again before slowly relaxing, her fingers slowly tracing patterns across his back.
He lifted his head after a time, looking at Taryn. The room had gotten brighter, a dim sun finally struggling through the clouds. In the back of his mind he was aware the rain had stopped.
“You’re crazy, you know?” But she was smiling at him, her fingers on his cheek. He rolled over, pinning her to the bed, her body shifting beneath him.
“I might be. But as far as I know, it’s a good kind of crazy.” He kissed her face, her eyelids, her cheeks.
This time coming together was slow and long and sweet. He took her gently, content to just have her surround him, to lie still in her arms, listening to her breathing, moving occasionally against her warmth.
Something had changed between them. For Sam, everything was strangely new, undiscovered territory, but still familiar. Taryn’s eyes no longer had the haunted look of longing. She looked at him fully, her eyes showing a burgeoning confidence and trust.
“I love you, Taryn. I’ll keep loving you, crazy or not. That’s just how I am.”
She’d started moving, slowly at first but now she was coming alive beneath him. He responded, slowly thrusting into her, giving her a little bump at the end. She smiled, giving him a little bump of her own.
“So, you’re loyal? Like a dog? Always there when I need you?”
“More than you know. And, for the most part, I don’t shed or need to be walked.”
She laughed, and then words weren’t necessary. Sam kissed her and as soon as their lips met, the slow-burning fire that had been smoldering between them hit its flash point, passion and heat and lust boiling up between them.
It was quickly all consuming for Sam. He was caught up in a swirl of his own sensations, aware of Taryn joining him, both of them clinging to each other as their bodies reached release, fast and hard and complete.
Sam flung himself onto the empty half of the bed, breathing hard, sweat covering his chest. Taryn finally sat up and leaned over him, looking lush and wanton and utterly beautiful.
“Yeah, you are crazy, Sam…crazy good.” She smiled, delicately tracing a line down his chest with her fingers.
He returned her smile, still gasping a little. “And maybe crazy good for you, too.”
20
It had been late afternoon when Taryn finally left Sam’s house, in a cab he’d called and insisted on paying for.
They’d stayed in bed most of the day, Sam going down to the kitchen at one point t and bringing her back the biggest ham sandwich she’d ever seen, with all the trimmings. She devoured it, along with a huge glass of beer, unsuccessfully trying to stifle a series of burps as she lay back, stuffed with food.
She didn’t want to go back to her apartment, really didn’t want to be alone, so she had the cabbie take her to Lori’s.
Lori met her at the door, immediately breaking into a wide grin as she looked Taryn up and down.
“You, love, have been fucked beyond all reason and sense, haven’t you?” She grabbed Taryn by the arm, pulling her inside.
“And still wearing the same clothes you had on last night? My, how things change in…” She glanced at an imaginary watch on her wrist “…less than twenty-four hours.”
Taryn stood in the living room, rolling her eyes, watching Lori. “Are you finished? If you weren’t such a bitch about it, I’d give you all the details.”
Lori laughed, unfazed by Taryn’s comments. She walked into the kitchen and opened the refrigerator, calling back over her shoulder. “You want a beer? Or something to eat? I have two-day old Chinese or day-old pizza.”
She straightened just in time to see the grimace on Taryn’s face. “Oh, so the food’s no good here anymore?”
“I just ate, but I will take a beer.”
Lori emerged from the frosty depths of the refrigerator with two bottles. She opened them and holding one out to Taryn.
“So, it was good?” Lori tipped the bottle back, taking a hefty swallow before sitting down at the other end of the couch.
“Yeah. It was.” Taryn settled on the couch, kicking off her shoes and tucking her legs beneath her.
“Good as in really amazing sex? Or good as in relationship good.” Lori grabbed a cigarette, leaning back against the arm of the couch, long legs stretched out, dropping her feet onto Taryn’s lap.
“Relationship good, I think. And the sex part.” Taryn took a swallow of beer, the cool liquid sliding down her throat. The beer at Sam’s had been good, but something peaty and complex, like nothing she’d ever tasted. This was crisp and light and just what she wanted now.
Lori grinned around her cigarette. “You’re blushing. I haven’t seen you blush since…wait. I’ve never seen you blush. He must be pretty amazing.”
Taryn ducked her head, the heat in her cheeks intensifying. “Lori, it’s like nothing else…nothing I’ve ever known. No guy has been like this, not even the ones I thought were decent.”
“Does he have a really big cock?”
Taryn shook her head, grimacing. “Seriously, Lori? Don’t be crude.” She took another swallow of beer. “I’m not sure what it is about him though… I just don’t know.” She shrugged, blowing out a deep breath.
“You don’t know why the sex is so good?”
Taryn swatted at Lori’s feet, laughing. “Never serious, are you? It’s the other stuff…he actually listens to me when I talk. And the thing is, I want to talk to him, about things I never talk about.”
“Your parents?” Lori’s smile faded, her eyes suddenly serious. She blew out a thin stream of smoke before stubbing out her cigarette.
“Yeah. That. It was hard, but afterward, it felt…not good. But somehow it seemed right. Like he was supposed to hear it all for some reason. Like I was supposed to tell him.”
Taryn set her beer on the coffee table and slid down on the couch, she and Lori rearranging their legs to fit together. She started rubbing Lori’s foot, eliciting a deep sigh from the girl. They were quiet for a few minutes, outside sounds reaching Taryn, traffic noises, someone yelling down out in the hall, the slam of a door.
Taryn thought about Sam’s house, how quiet it was, how secure it felt. Big and solid and warm, like a fortress or a castle. So, different than any place she’d ever lived, either growing up or now, on her own.
Lori stirred, not so subtly poking Taryn with her other foot. Taryn switched, rubbing the proffered foot. She glanced up. Lori had her eyes closed, head leaning against the back of the couch.
“You knew that, last night, didn’t you?”
Lori lifted her head. “Knew what? That he was going to be good in bed? Or good for you? Both, sort of.” Lori shrugged, frowning.
“He’s got something ab
out him, like you say. Beyond the fuck-me good looks there’s something really genuine. And you, my dear, need someone genuine. Not like that guy…what was his name? The one that you found out had been married like three times? Jeff? Nick?”
“You really have a knack for making me relive all my bad memories, you know?” Taryn let go of Lori’s foot, sitting back.
“Yeah. I made bad choices. But maybe I don’t have to anymore.” She could hear the hesitancy in her voice. As soon as the words were out, she wasn’t sure it was what she’d wanted to say. Lori was her friend and she told her everything, but Lori sometimes took things the wrong way or got defensive.
Lori sat up, her eyes wide. “It’s that serious? That fast? Did he tell you he loves you?”
Taryn nodded.
“Holy shit. Wow. He’s the real deal then. You tell him you love him?”
Taryn shook her head. “No. Couldn’t do it. That’s for another day, another time.”
“And he was cool with that?”
“Yeah. Said he didn’t expect it. Just wanted me to know. Like, it was important for him to tell me, but not like he was demanding I feel the same. He seemed okay, more than okay, with me not saying it back.”
Lori sat up, setting her feet on the floor. She put her hand on Taryn’s leg. “You’ve got a rare find there, Taryn. Really rare.”
Taryn watched Lori closely, for that certain look that came with the bitchy sarcastic tone she’d get sometimes, but it wasn’t there. She sounded sincere. Something relaxed in Taryn, a bit of tension leaving her that she didn’t realize she was holding on to.
“You working tonight?” She half-hoped Lori would say no, but being shorthanded, Taryn was pretty sure Lori would be working.
“Yeah. Mack’s really not happy with you.”
“I’m sorry, Lori. It’s made it harder for you. I wasn’t thinking when I left.” Taryn bit her thumbnail. Lori reached out, taking Taryn’s hand away from her mouth.
“Stop that. Can’t blame you for quitting. Would’ve done the same thing. And yeah, Mack’s working my skinny ass off, but the tips are great. He’s hired some new girls too, not nearly as fun as you through. I slapped one on the ass and she complained to Mack.”
Taryn laughed. “What did he say?”
“He told her not to complain or he’d fire her. I seem to be the golden child at the moment, I can do no wrong. I think it’s just because I’m still there, and I’m not causing trouble. For once.”
Lori stood. “I gotta take a shower. Make yourself at home. You want to spend the night?”
“That okay with you?” Taryn hoped the begging tone she heard in her voice wasn’t as evident to Lori.
“Yeah. Sure. You’re monogamous now, so I guess it’s going to be different, you know…sleeping with you, but you’re still my best friend.” She leaned over, kissing Taryn on the forehead.
“And for what it’s worth, I still love you, you know. But it’s probably different hearing it from a guy.”
Lori turned away quickly but before she did, Taryn caught the glint of tears in her eyes.
21
Bec was in the kitchen when Sam came downstairs, sitting at the table reading the newspaper. He looked up as Sam padded in barefoot and bare-chested in faded jeans. In the other downstairs rooms, Sam could hear other pack members talking, moving about. Someone was watching television in the big living room, occasional laughter drifting in to the kitchen.
Sam liked the feeling of having the pack around, the guys and their mates occupying many of the rooms on the second and third floors. He’d always known the pack’s close-knit bond was strengthened by them sharing the big old house.
“Sleeping in these days? Or did you have another slumber party?”
Sam caught the tone in Bec’s voice, but decided to ignore it for now. He was still riding the high from being with Taryn and not even Bec’s jabs could bring him down.
“Late night. Any new information about the murders? Or anything else unusual happening in our fair city?” Sam stood in front of the open industrial-sized refrigerator, surveying the contents. He’d created two huge sandwiches for him and Taryn, both of them devouring them quickly.
But that had been hours ago and he was ravenous. And he was hungry for meat. There was a package of steak on the shelf and he pulled it out. Within in minutes, he had it sizzling in a pan, sliced onions in another.
“You want any of this?” Sam pointed at the stove. Bec looked up, frowned, and shook his head.
“No. I already ate.” He flipped through the paper. “There’s nothing new about the murders, just a rehash of what was here yesterday. No suspects, no real clues, just torn up bodies and one strangled stripper. And some report of a lady seeing a really large dog—she calls it a wolf—outside her house, let’s see, on the night of the full moon. But that’s way over in the suburbs, not around here. Could have been any one, from any pack, careless enough to be seen.”
Sam turned the steak, lost in thought for a moment. Something wasn’t right, something didn’t add up. The steak popped and sizzled in the hot pan as images of the alley rose up in his mind. He tried to push those of Taryn away, to focus on the rest of the alley, the dumpsters, the scents that were left behind.
And the fact that the thing had been in some kind of wolf form the night before the full moon. That was the biggest question in his mind. What exactly were they dealing with? A werewolf? An actual wolf? Or something else, something they’d never encountered before? Something not bound by the moon, able to change at will? Or unable to change back?
“The strangled dancer. She wasn’t killed by whatever the hell that thing was. Right? Its scent was all over the alley, but I got the impression it was less where she’d been found. Like it had found her and dumped her, got her out of the way. And then killed the other two.”
He stirred the onions. “Taryn said the guy was stalking his ex, the other dancer.”
“I like how they’re dancers now, and not strippers. Is there really a difference?” Bec shook the paper again.
This time Sam wasn’t going to let it pass. “Do we have a problem here, Bec? Do we need to talk about something besides the murders? Because I’m getting real tired of your barbs. Last I heard, you were alpha male of your own pack. Which means you really have nothing to say about what I do…or who I do it with. Or what I call women from the club.”
Sam stood at the end of the table, fists balled on his hips. Bec looked up and Sam was startled by the scowl that darkened Bec’s face, the clenched jaw and flashing eyes.
“Do you really think this is how dad would have handled this? Or that he would have acted like this?”
“If you’re talking about Taryn, there’s a big difference. Dad had a mate...Mom. I don’t. I need a mate and I’m trying to change that, so this pack can have leaders and move on. If you’re talking about the murders, he would have taken the pack and gotten to the bottom of it. Which is what I intend to do, with or without your help.”
“Move on.” Bec shorted in disgust. “You sound like a therapist. We can’t really move on from what happened, can we?”
Sam turned back to the stove, snapping off the burners. His steak was charred on one side and he pried it out of the pan, dropping it onto a plate and dumping the still-raw onions over the top. The conversation had diminished his appetite and he looked at the plate, sighing. He spoke without looking up.
“They’re dead, Bec. Our parents are dead. I can’t change that. I would, if I knew how. But they were killed and we’re the ones left behind, left to pick up the pieces. To take care of the pack.” He left the plate on the counter and pulled out the chair across from Bec.
“But you’re the one who’s supposed to take care of the pack, Sam, not me. And you’re not taking care of it, not by bringing home a stripper to fuck. You know how things are…how they’re supposed to be.”
Sam regarded Bec sitting across from him, the defiant thrust of his chin, the challenge in his eyes. “You think
I’m ruining the pack by wanting to take Taryn as a mate?”
“What? You’re actually serious about this? This is worse than I thought. Sam, come on… it’s never been like this…”
“Exactly. And because it’s never been like this, that we’re in serious trouble. Look, Bec, history is just that, history. I can’t live in the past and neither can you. Or, you can go live with your pack and do as you see fit and let me lead the rest. But if this pack is going to survive, things need to change. We can’t be elitist’s anymore.”
Bec pushed his chair back so suddenly it fell over. He stood over Sam, breathing heavily.
“You know, I don’t know you anymore, Sam. You’re not my brother.”
“Bec, I’m the same brother I always was. But I’m alpha male now, too.”
“No, you’re alpha male only.” Bec strode to the back door. “You’re not my brother anymore. And I miss my brother.”
The door slammed. Sam sat at the table, head in his hands. What exactly was he supposed to do with Bec? He, of all people, should realize the needs of the pack came before his own needs. That Sam needed to be alpha male before he was his brother. And finding a mate was part of being an alpha male.
He didn’t know what Bec thought any more, other than the obvious, that Taryn was the wrong choice for alpha female. And he knew the reason why Bec would think that. She was cheap, she was a stripper, and she danced for pay… for men. What kind of alpha female would that make?
To Sam though, it didn’t matter at all. What Taryn did for a living…he didn’t care. He got up, rubbing his hand across his face, stubble rasping beneath his fingers. He glanced at his dinner on the counter, hesitated briefly and then threw it, plate and all, into the trash.
His mood was soured. He needed a shave and wanted a shower and he headed upstairs, laughter from the living room following him.
22
Lori had left for work, promising to clean out Taryn’s locker at the club. She’d told Taryn to make herself at home, eat what she wanted and, if she felt at home enough, maybe do the dishes. Taryn had laughed, closing the door after the departing Lori.