Her expression softened. "Okay. But only because you"re right in this case."
Rick smiled at her. "I"m always right."
She rolled her eyes and turned away from him. "Don"t let the door hit you on your way out."
Rick laughed and left the room. As soon as he closed the door, his smile faded. Stephanie was suffering all the symptoms he had suffered before he became a werewolf. Were all the things happening to her simply a coincidence? Could they all have a logical explanation? He didn"t think so.
There weren"t many explanations for people suddenly developing keen night vision. For a vegetarian to suddenly develop a taste for raw meat. Or for a woman who might not normally give him the time of day to fight primitive instincts to mate with him whenever she got within sniffing distance.
If he was responsible for changing Stephanie, changing her life forever, Rick didn"t think he could deal with the guilt. She was a young, vibrant, beautiful woman. He couldn"t stand to think of her as a monster. An animal like himself. A virtual recluse who had shut himself off from those he loved most. A man denied normal life in both worlds that claimed him.
Rick ran a hand through his hair, angry with her for intruding upon his territory, angry with himself for allowing even minimum contact with humans. Because of his own selfishness, he had not ruled out the possibility that he might bite someone.
"Rick?"
Stephanie"s voice floated to him from behind the closed door. He walked over and eased it open. She"d slipped beneath the covers. The sight of her in his bed had the animal in him creeping to the surface. He fought it back and moved into the room.
"Do you need anything? A gla.s.s of water or-"
"No, I"m fine. I may borrow your shower again after I"ve rested, if that"s all right."
He nodded, trying to ignore the steamy image of her naked and soapy. "Would you like me to wash your... clothes?"
She smiled. "Somehow, I never would have pictured you offering maid service. No." She glanced toward her clothing draped over the old rocker. "They were clean this morning."
"Fine." He needed to get away from her. That scent, the one that hovered just below the surface of her sweet natural fragrance, was about to drive him crazy.
"I"ll let you get some sleep then."
"Rick?" She stopped him, patting a place on the bed next to her. "Can we talk for a minute?"
He bit back a groan and walked to the bed. With more than a little trepidation, he sat beside her. "What"s on your mind?"
She glanced up into his eyes. "I know you"re not a medical doctor, but what do you think could be wrong with me? Fatigue might be responsible for my not noticing that I was eating your meal earlier, but what about last night? My vision has always been good, but I could see in the dark. I mean really see. And there was something else."
Rick started to feel sick to his stomach. "Something else?"
Despite her earlier claim of feeling better, tears filled her eyes. "I-I know this is going to sound crazy, but I thought I smelled that old woman. I had a sense that she was still close by, waiting for something to happen."
He squeezed his eyes closed for a moment, then opened them again, hoping she didn"t see the panic rising inside him. "You"re just tired. You need rest. We"ll talk more about it later, all right?" He eased her down on the bed. She didn"t argue.
"All right. I am tired," she mumbled, closing her eyes.
He settled the covers around her and stared down at her beautiful face. His excuses for Stephanie"s increasingly strange behavior were wearing thin. He didn"t want to face facts. He"d obviously bitten her the night she saved his life. His curse had now become her own. He had to save her. Do something-find a way to spare her from the same h.e.l.l his own life had become. He thought he knew how, but he wanted to be certain.
He also thought he knew who could tell him the answer. After a.s.suring himself that Stephanie slept soundly, he grabbed a jacket and left the cabin. He didn"t get far before the wolves joined him. They moved in single file, as if on a hunt. He had a keen sense of smell, just as Stephanie had developed. He followed the old woman"s trail easily. It led him to the abandoned shack on the road where he"d first spotted the old woman. He was surprised to see her sitting in front of the shack, as if she were waiting for him.
"Have you come to kill me?" she asked calmly.
A stab of guilt cut through him. Not long ago, his answer might have been different. "No. I"ve come to ask how to save her."
Her gla.s.sy eyes widened. She rose and walked toward him. "Today, I see more man than wolf in you. You have met a woman who has made you see the light. Understand that with love comes sacrifice."
"What do I have to do?" he demanded.
She eyed him sadly. "You already know the answer."
He glanced away from her. "I thought so. I wanted to make certain."
"Are you afraid?"
Oddly enough, he wasn"t. "Only for her."
The touch of her leathery hand against his face startled him. "When I first saw you, I saw only the wolf hiding beneath your face. Now I look into your heart, into your soul, and I see they are both good."
Another fear plagued him. "Is there hope for my soul?"
"If you do what must be done, you can save your soul. For your sacrifice, you can be reborn."
"What does that mean?" he asked, confused.
She turned away from him. "Go home, wolf. Do what you must; then you will see."
"Who are you?"
The old woman paused, glancing over one humped shoulder. "No one of importance. An old gypsy who makes my living telling fortunes at county fairs. A wanderer who, at times, runs across an unnatural such as yourself."
"Then you"ve seen others like me?"
With a heavy sigh, she answered, "Yes. And some even more unnatural than you. I do what I can, and sometimes what I must to ease their suffering. But now I trust in you to see to your own fate, and to that of the woman you love. She has been your destiny from the beginning, and you hers."
Rick didn"t know if he believed in destiny, but then there was little he couldn"t believe in since he"d be-come a monster. He"d come to get verification of what he"d known he must do all along. He turned and walked away, feeling remarkably calm, almost at peace with himself. The answer was simple. All he had to do to save Stephanie was kill himself.
Darkness fell. Stephanie paced the small cabin. Where was Rick? She"d begun to worry about him-worry over the strange feelings the darkness brought with it of late. She felt restless, not quite herself beneath the skin. The walls were closing in on her. She needed to go out.
Wearing only Rick"s oversized shirt, she walked outside. Stephanie drew in deep breaths of fresh air. She glanced up at the moon, surrounded by twinkling stars so close it seemed as if she might reach up and touch them. The moon wasn"t full, but it was bright, and again she marveled at how well she saw the surrounding area.
Close by, a wolf howled. Did he call to a mate? She felt tempted to throw back her head and answer him. Instead, she rubbed her arms, the chill penetrating her body as well as her heart. There was nothing worse than being alone. Feeling empty inside because she had no family. No mate. No children. No one to turn to in times of sorrow, or in times of joy. She"d thought her heart couldn"t withstand the pain of loving again. The truth she"d come to realize was that her heart needed to love again in order to heal.
Lifting her face to the wind, she caught Rick"s scent. A moment later, she heard sounds of his approach. The slight snap of a stick, the fluttering of a leaf as he pa.s.sed. Her pulse quickened. Other emotions gripped her. Need, hunger, desire.
Drawn to him, Stephanie walked out into the woods. His soft footsteps halted. He had caught her scent, as well. She sensed these things-also knew he battled his need for her. Would he fight or flee? Retreat or surrender?
She found him in a clearing a few feet away. He stood straight, rigid in the night. The moon bathed him in a soft glow. His hands were balled at his sides, his jaw clenched.
"You don"t know what I am."
"I know that I want you," she said, then moved toward him. "That"s enough for me. Enough for tonight."
As if her words, the very sight of her, caused him pain, he glanced away. She ached to be held by him, to feel his arms around her. Reaching out, she touched his face, forcing him to look at her.
"Don"t you want me? Can"t you give me one night?"
The light dancing in his eyes flared. "You deserve more than one night."
"I deserve you," she whispered. "We deserve each other."
Standing on her tiptoes, she pressed her lips against his. He didn"t respond for a moment; then it was as if she"d opened the floodgates to his pa.s.sion. He clutched her shoulders and pulled her close, his mouth moving over hers possessively. His tongue danced with hers, teasing, then delving deep. The chill faded-the night sounds drifted away. All she heard was the sound of their breathing. All she felt was his hands moving over her, down to the bottom of the shirt where he bunched it up around her waist.
She wore her bikini underwear beneath the shirt, but hadn"t slipped on her bra. His hands moved higher, cupping her b.r.e.a.s.t.s, his thumbs brushing her sensitive nipples.
"I want to see you," he said. "All of you."
He unb.u.t.toned her shirt and slipped it off her shoulders. Stephanie realized she should be freezing, considering the temperature, but she wasn"t. She stood before him wearing only the moonlight and her silky panties. He bent, placing soft kisses against her stomach before he eased her panties over her hips, kissing every inch of flesh he exposed.
Her fingernails bit into his shoulders. Despite his skillful attentions, she wanted to see him-touch him the way he touched her. She twisted her fingers in his hair and forced him up, their mouths meeting again while she unb.u.t.toned his shirt. His skin felt smooth and warm beneath her touch. She shoved his shirt along with his jacket off his shoulders, allowing both to fall to the ground.
The sensation of skin against skin sharpened her desire for him. She wanted to feel all of him. Fumbling with his belt, she undid the buckle. His jeans were tighter than usual in the area of the zipper, but she managed to free him. His size impressed her. She wrapped her fingers around his s.e.x. He sucked in his breath sharply, then rid himself of boots, socks, and all clothing that remained. When he stood before her naked, she could only stare, marvel at his perfection.
He was sleek, muscled, tall, and dark. She would have been content to stare at him longer, but he pulled her back into the warmth of his arms. His mouth sought hers, his hands roaming, teasing, pleasing. He found her greatest weaknesses, her most private secrets. His fingers stroked her gently, but her response was not tender. She wanted him to claim her-wanted to claim him in return. With that intention in mind, she wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him down to the dew-damp ground.
Rick wanted to love her gently, slowly, completely, but she drove him beyond rational thought. He allowed her to pull him down, then covered her beautiful body with his. Her long legs parted, inviting him inside. He went eagerly, gasping at the tight, hot feel of her as their bodies joined. She gasped, as well, and he realized he might be hurting her.
Man overcame beast, and for her, he gentled the wolf. He eased back, dipped his head to her full b.r.e.a.s.t.s, tracing the circles of her nipples with his tongue before taking them in turn inside his mouth. She moaned, her fingers twisting in his hair. He slid his hand between them, stroking her into readiness. Her hips arched and she took him deeper inside her, forcing a moan from his lips.
The sounds of their labored breathing echoed around them, and then the song began. A serenade from the wolves gathered on the distant bluffs. A song of celebration. The song they sang when one mate found another. Louder and louder the cries echoed around them, and harder and harder he strained, pumped, fighting for the control to wait for her. She was heaven, inside and out, perfectly made for him and him alone. Even as he felt the tremors of her approaching climax, saw her eyes glowing up at him, he realized that his surrender had been a mistake. Leaving was much easier when loving wasn"t involved. But he did love her, had loved her from the beginning.
Her back arched, she cried out, sucking him down into the deep vortex of his own release. It was heaven, loving her, and it was h.e.l.l, because he knew he had to let her go. Her arms crept around his neck; her mouth found his and drained the fight from him. As he surrendered to her again, dark whispers floated through his head. The selfish side of him suggested he could keep her. Could make her his and his alone. His mate. His lover. His monster.
Chapter Ten.
Stephanie ran her hands over Rick"s soap-slick skin. They had spent the night making love. Only once outside; then they"d gathered their clothes and moved their activities inside. Virile was definitely a word she"d use to describe him. The man had a hearty appet.i.te for more than food. He"d put the coffee on while she started her shower; then he"d climbed inside the steamy enclosure with her.
She could get used to this, she admitted, tracing lazy soap designs on his back. He turned and pulled her into his arms, kissing her deeply. Her pulse jumped. She has thought she"d be too sore from a night of vigorous lovemaking to want him again this morning, but she"d awoken feeling wonderful. Finding herself wrapped within the arms of a handsome man hadn"t hurt.
The soap slipped from her fingers. She kissed him, sliding her tongue inside his mouth. He groaned and pulled back.
"You dropped the soap," he said, then smiled wickedly. "I"ll get it."
He took his sweet time about retrieving the soap. Stephanie didn"t complain. He kissed her knees, the inside of her thighs, and moved higher. She braced her hands on each side of the shower wall to keep her legs from buckling. He was very good with his mouth, with his hands, his whole body, for that matter. She closed her eyes and let sensation take over.
Her body, long starved for affection, responded quickly to his tender explorations. She felt the tightening in her stomach, the gathering ecstasy with each steady stroke of his tongue. When she could stand no more, she urged him up. He lifted her onto his straining s.e.x. She wrapped her arms and legs around him, felt her back pressed against the slick shower wall.
He filled her completely, gave unselfishly, and sent her plummeting over the edge into madness. His own release exploded inside her. She loved the deep animal sound he made when he surrendered to pleasure. The gentle nip of his teeth against her neck. The husky words he whispered in her ear.
In his arms, she felt complete, whole, and happy for the first time in a long while. But happy for how long? She pushed the thought away, not ready to deal with it. She"d bravely told him that one night would be enough for her, which had been easy to believe until morning found them still together. What now? She must have said the words out loud, because he nuzzled her ear and answered, "Coffee and breakfast."
Rick turned out to be an excellent cook as well as an exceptional lover. Stephanie sat at his small kitchen table, attacking the scrambled eggs and toast as if she hadn"t eaten for days. He watched her over the rim of his coffee cup, smiling at her enthusiasm.
"I have a surprise for you today," he said.
Since her mouth was stuffed with eggs, she lifted her brows to indicate he should continue.
"You wanted to see a den, remember? I know where one is."
"Are there pups?" she asked despite her full mouth.
"A litter of four about five weeks old."
"Can I film them?"
"I think I can convince the mother to allow you close enough."
Excited, Stephanie jumped up from the table. "I need to go back to my campsite and get my camera equipment." She moved around the table and hugged his neck. "I"ll meet you back here in thirty minutes." She left humming a happy tune.
Rick wished he felt as carefree. The night he"d spent with Stephanie had been incredible. And not because it had been so long since he"d made love to a woman. With her, it wasn"t just s.e.x, but something deeper. A commitment because his heart had been included in the exchange. He loved her. Maybe he had from the moment he glanced up and saw her green eyes shooting sparks at him because he"d taken advantage of her. He"d taken advantage again last night. Knowing what he must do, he should have walked away from her. But he hadn"t... couldn"t, in fact.
He couldn"t be honest with her, either. She wouldn"t believe him if he told her the truth. She"d think he should be locked up in a mental hospital. So he"d taken that one night with her. Told himself it was his last chance to give and receive love. His last time to feel human again. But last night had been a mistake, because now that he loved her, he wasn"t sure he could let it end with one night.
Rick rose from the table and gathered the dishes. He glanced at the calendar and cringed. Only three days until the full moon. Three more days of loving her; then he must end the nightmare. Why? the dark whispers began again. Why couldn"t he continue his life, but with a mate by his side? He"d no longer be alone.
He could help Stephanie adjust to her new life.
He shook his head, denying the tempting thoughts. Forcing Stephanie to share his cursed existence would be a selfish act. A cruel one. His plan was to help her finish her research and get her the h.e.l.l gone. He only had three days. They"d have to hurry. He"d promised to contact the Fish and Wildlife Service himself as soon as she left. She could scurry back and get her project up and running.
Then he"d be called to do what he must. On the first night of the full moon, he"d take his life and save hers. He"d do it before the changes began. He"d have to or she"d suffer. Her scent still hung in the air. Rick closed his eyes and breathed deeply. Visions of tangled limbs and smooth, damp skin filled his head. He could happily spend the rest of his life with her, and he guessed he would.
Trusting or not, the female wolf hadn"t been all that compliant about allowing them to stick their heads in her den. Just in case, Rick had brought along a mild sedative. The female had let him give her the drug; then they"d waited until she grew calm. Stephanie had both camera and video recorder. She took several shots of the frisky pups. Now she sat among them, cooing and lifting them, kissing each one on the head.
Despite the dark clouds gathering overhead, Rick smiled at her antics. She glanced up and smiled back at him. His heart warmed at the sight of her, wolf pups climbing all over her lap. She looked so beautiful to him in that instant, so innocent and trusting. She deserved a special man. Deserved a normal home and children of her own. She deserved all he could not give her.
"Come play with us," she urged.
Rick walked over and sat beside her. "That sedative will be wearing off soon," he warned her. He glanced up. "And it looks as if we"re in for a storm tonight."
She turned her gaze on him. "I may have to take refuge at your place. I"m scared of storms."
He laughed. "You"re not afraid of anything."
"We could pretend I am," she said, smiling seductively. A moment later, she sobered. "I mean, if you want me to stay." What he wanted was forever, but he"d settle for another night with her. "Or we can pretend that storms frighten me."
It was her turn to laugh. "Okay," she agreed. "I like that better."