Betrayed: Days of the Rogue (30 page)

He cursed softly not enjoying
feeling as if he were part of some bad slap-stick comedy. Buck
naked and hiding in the bushes. Having had no clothes on when he’d
phased into a wolf, he couldn’t ‘think’ clothes back on when he
shifted to human. A growl of frustration escaped him, and he curled
his toes against the coldness that was starting to creep up his
legs.

One minute, then another…finally
she moved away from the window and he darted across the open space
heading towards his bedroom. Once there, he grabbed the window
ledge and began to lift himself up. Barely had he begun the
manoeuvre, when he heard Eve knocking on his bedroom door. An
unfamiliar wave of panic washed over him, and he scrambled to get
inside, but the door was already being pushed open.

Eve opened Rafe’s bedroom door
without waiting for him to respond to her knock. Urgency meant that
social niceties would have to wait for another time.

“Rafe, come quick. There’s a—” Eve
stopped mid-sentence, her mouth ajar.

She hadn’t been in Rafe’s room
since that first day when she’d madly rushed about checking that
the doors and windows were locked. At that time, she hadn’t paid
too much attention to the décor. And now, well… Vaguely, she noted
the rumpled covers on the large king-sized bed, the landscape on
the wall, the minimal clutter. What really drew her attention was
the icy cold air that filled the room, the curtains that were
fluttering in the breeze and…Rafe McCrae climbing in his bedroom
window…completely in the nude!

The light spilling in from the
hallway revealed him in all his glory. One leg was drawn up and
resting on the window ledge, the other was hanging down, stretching
to touch the floor. His muscles were still bunched from the effort
of levering himself up. She gaped at him, not sure if she was more
surprised that he was naked, or that he had obviously been outside
like that.

“You were looking for me?” Rafe
nonchalantly finished climbing in the window and then snagged a
robe from a nearby chair. After pulling it on, he tied it shut and
then closed the window before giving her an inquiring look.

Realizing she’d been staring at
him, Eve felt her cheeks heat up and she belatedly averted her
eyes. The covers on his bed were a tangled mess. If she didn’t know
better, she’d say he’d been having a sexy romp. However, since she
was the only other person here, that didn’t seem likely.

“Um…yeah. I got up to get a drink
and was looking outside when I saw a wolf. It was different from
the last one—more of a chocolate brown—and slinking towards the
house. Sorry I barged in.” She flicked a glance at his bare legs
and then the window before averting her eyes again. “I sort of
panicked.”

“Another wolf?” Rafe looked
concerned and ushered her from his room. “Where did you see
it?”

She led the way to the kitchen,
shivering slightly in her sleep-shirt; the cool air in Rafe’s room
had penetrated the thin material. Rubbing her hands up and down her
arms in an attempt to warm up, she nodded towards the window that
faced the meadow. “It was right over there, where we were early
today.”

“Hmm…” Rafe glanced outside. “And
you’re sure it wasn’t the same wolf? It’s awfully dark
outside.”

Eve shook her head. “The moon is
still nearly full. I had an excellent view and I’m positive it
wasn’t black.”

He was silent for a moment; she
could almost see the wheels turning in his head. What was he
thinking about? When he answered, he seemed to be weighing his
words carefully, as if not sure of her reaction to what he was
about to say. “I suppose there could be two wolves in the
area.”

“Two wolves stalking us?” That
wasn’t very comforting. Her consternation must have shown on her
face, for Rafe stepped closer and placed his hand on her shoulder.
The thin material of her sleepwear was no barrier against the heat
that generated from his body. It chased away the chill and she
relaxed her tense muscles. Biting her lip, she held back the
contented sigh that filled her.

“Don’t worry, they’ll be gone
soon.”

She looked up at him, saw the
concern in his eyes, the faint lines of worry that marred his brow.
He looked tired, too, as if he hadn’t slept properly in ages.
Without thinking, she reached out and cupped his face, gently
rubbing her thumb over his jaw. It was rough with stubble and she
shivered, imagining how it would feel against other parts of her
body. Slowly, she trailed her hand down to his chest and let it
rest when her palm was over his heart.

They stood there, staring into each
other’s eyes, a warm cocoon-like sensation imperceptibly wrapping
itself around them. Eve felt herself being pulled into the depths
of his eyes, like she was melting into a pool of warm chocolate. A
feeling of peace and security spread through her. No matter what
happened, she knew Rafe would take care of her. His strength and
caring flowed into her, filling her with a sense of contentment. A
smile hovered on her lips and she pushed the same positive feelings
towards him, wanting to give as much as she was receiving.

His eye lids lowered and the corner
of his mouth curled up just before a contented, rumbling sound came
from deep within his chest. Startled, Eve broke eye contact and
jerked her hand away from his chest, staring in surprise as the
muscular wall in front of her where the noise seemed to have
originated.

Rafe coughed and cleared his
throat, stepping back. Eve blinked questioning what she’d heard…or
at least thought she’d heard. It must be all this talk about wolves
that was affecting her mind; for a split second she could have
sworn the man had sounded just like a contented wolf! At the same
time, the feeling of well-being that had filled her moments before
began to fade. Realization hit that she’d been forging a bridge
with Rafe once again, and the idea pushed any questions about
rumbling sounds to the back of her mind.

Shock and embarrassment filled her.
“I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have done that.” The words felt inadequate
to Eve. She’d just invaded his feelings, shared her inner self with
a man who’d stated earlier in the day that he wasn’t looking for a
relationship with her.

“My fault as well and no harm was
done.” Rafe’s eyes seemed harder now, the welcoming warmth notably
absent. His face was stony, too. “As I explained to you earlier
today, it’s a common hazard that two empaths encounter once they’ve
formed an initial bridge.”

“But we weren’t even trying.” She
frowned, perplexed at how easy it had been. “Surely, if all the Fae
who’ve ever been…er…close to each other have this problem—”

He finished her thought for her.
“They end up having ‘awkward’ moments such as we just had.
Originally, I suppose the bridging existed to build a sense of
community between members, but in the end it felt…invasive to those
that wanted to be more independent. Which is one of the reasons why
the Fae tend to seek relationships outside of the species.”

Eve looked away, staring out the
window. The moon was still almost full, a silvery orb all alone in
the blackness of space. Rather like how she felt at the moment. She
didn’t like how Rafe had called their moment ‘awkward’ and
‘invasive.’ She’d thought it was quite lovely; warm and intimate
and comforting. However, if that was how he felt about it, she’d
better stay on her guard around him. Just as she came to that
conclusion, Rafe reached out and tucked her hair behind her ear,
the slight brush of his fingers over her cheek sending a streak of
warmth through her.

“Don’t.” His voice was gruff.

“Don’t what?” She slid him a
sideways look.

“Don’t think that I dislike
experiencing you. It’s just better if we show some restraint. In
the end, it would be too difficult to part.”

“And do we have to part?” She
couldn’t believe she’d said that and inwardly cringed.

He exhaled slowly, regret showing
on his face. “Yes. Eventually. We’re too different. There are parts
of my life you’d never understand.”

She turned to face him fully,
studying his features, his firm jaw, the arch of his brow, his now
shuttered eyes. Such a puzzle he presented. Reaching out, she
touched his mouth then ran her fingertips over his jaw, down his
throat to linger on the expanse of bare chest revealed by his
gaping robe. A smile quirked her mouth. “Like I’ll never understand
why you were wandering outside naked when it’s barely above
freezing?”

His eyes crinkled, amusement
showing in them. “That’s exactly it. You’d never understand.”

Eve cocked her head. “You could
always try me.”

Interest flared in his eyes, and
then he shook his head, laughing softly. “Don’t tempt me, Eve.
Don’t tempt me.”

An imp must have taken possession
of her, for suddenly she found herself standing on her tiptoes,
pressing a kiss to his lips before spinning away and heading back
to her room. “Me? Tempt you? Rafe McRae, what kind of a girl do you
think I am?”

As she shut her door, the sound of
him chuckling made her grin.

Chapter 28

Damien hefted another set of boards
off the back of the truck and then dusted his hands on his pants.
The smell of fresh cut lumber made his nostrils twitch while small
motes of sawdust drifted past. Some clung to his damp skin while
others added to the layer of dust that covered the old truck. He
brushed a few persistent specks away from his eyes and then spat a
few more out onto the ground. Surveying the remaining wood, he
decided he was about half done unloading the planks.

Grabbing a bottle of water, he took
a swig to ease his dry throat and then slowly replaced the cap
while surveying his domain. It was a pretty place, not that he’d
taken much notice these past weeks. An early morning mist shrouded
the distant mountains and drifted across the lake. It twirled
around the still starkly bare trees before lightly blanketing the
grassy expanse that surrounded his temporary home. Through the
white shroud, the faint hues of soft pink and gold could be seen
staining the sky as they announced the return of the sun.

By most standards it was early to
be working, but his sleep had been fitful, memories of Beth causing
his body to ache with need. His dreams of her were so vivid; her
thighs cradling him, her soft whimpers tickling his ear as she held
him close, begging him to give her release. More than once he’d
woken hard as a rock, his hand drifting low on his body, but he
wouldn’t sully their bond with a mere carnal release. What they’d
had was so much more. And so he’d risen early and pulled on his
clothes, determined to purge the ache through physical labour.

It had worked—as long as he kept
from thinking too much. Stay in the present, that’s what he told
himself. Notice what’s right in front of you; the roughness of the
wood, the smell of sawdust, the pull of his muscles as he lifted
the boards, and the satisfying clatter they made upon hitting the
ground. This was real, nothing else.

Taking a deep breath, he slowly
exhaled and pushed his hair from his eyes. The cool air felt
refreshing as it filled his lungs and caressed his skin; a thin
sheen of sweat already covered him despite the early hour. He
hadn’t returned Rafe’s truck yesterday, and needed to get it back
before the man went ballistic. Not that he really cared; it would
just keep things simpler.

His last communiqué with his
contact had said to expect something within the next twenty-four
hours. Damien had snarled, questioning the delay, but had been told
to shut up and await orders. God, he hated that. Wait for orders,
follow orders, do this, don’t do that; it was like being back at
the fucking Academy, and everyone knew how well he’d handled that.
If it hadn’t been for his friends—the other two thirds of the Black
Devils—he’d have been out on his ear and where would that have left
him?

He sniffed and rubbed his nose.
Hell, if he hadn’t graduated from the Academy, he wouldn’t have
become an Enforcer. In fact he’d likely be…a rogue. A sardonic
laugh escaped him. All those years of putting up with tight-assed
instructors and he still ended up in the same damned place. Only
difference was he likely wouldn’t have met Beth. His lips curved as
a vision of her appeared before him. Dove grey eyes, a shy smile,
her hand rubbing the gentle swell of her body where their child
grew.

The thought sobered him; if he
hadn’t met her, she’d probably still be alive. Once again, guilt
sliced at his heart, leaving him raw and bleeding.

At one time, being an Enforcer for
Lycan Link had seemed like his salvation; instead it had led to the
death of the only person who had ever really loved him and accepted
him for what he was. Beth had looked past his flaws; claimed she
could see the good in him, that she was proud of what he was doing
with his life. What would she think of him now?

He pulled out his wallet and
flipped to her picture. His beautiful Beth… Lightly, he traced his
fingertip over her hair, the corners of his lips curling as he
imagined her with him. She’d like it here; the mist rolling over
the meadows would delight her. It was easy to imagine how she’d
awake in the morning, throwing off the covers and then peering out
the window. The weak morning light would show through her
nightgown, giving him a tantalizing glimpse of her soft curves and
he’d call to her, urging her to come back to bed. Instead, a giggle
would escape her and she’d twirl around, calling a challenge to him
before dashing outside. He’d sigh, then chuckle before leaping out
of bed to follow her. Once outside, he’d catch a glimpse of her
running barefoot through the damp grass, before the mist hid her
from sight.

‘
Damien, try to find me!
’
Her voice would call out, encouraging him to join in an impromptu
game of hide and seek.