Patrick's Heart (9 page)

“Then I’ll kill it for you.” He tugged her along as they moved deeper into the cavern. They had to hunch over as they walked, which made Cassidy feel claustrophobic. The air was dense with the strong scent of pine needles and something she couldn’t place.

She saw some light ahead. Cracks and fissures in the rock above allowed some natural light to filter in. The ground was covered in a thick layer of pine needles. She could feel the soft, spongy surface as she walked.

“What is this place?” she asked. Cassidy lowered down to her knees, feeling the needles between her fingers.

“An abandoned den. Or not. Either way, it’s ours for tonight.” He continued to do a perimeter check of the room cut out of the rock face. She’d missed him. Even if they’d only been separated one night, it felt like a lifetime considering he could have chosen never to return.

“What do you mean ‘for tonight’?”

“Garret wants me to keep you here. Your little brother is a lot more trouble than he appears to be.” Patrick finally settled down, sitting opposite her with his back to the stone wall.

“He’s not my brother. Whatever he told you is likely a lie.”

“A boyfriend, then?”

“Definitely not.”

Patrick scrubbed a hand over his stubbled jaw, his eyes staring off into nothingness. “He knew a lot about you. He even had a picture.”

She shook her head. “We worked in the same office building, but that’s the extent of our relationship. Whatever he knew was likely common knowledge.”

Now he looked at her, his eyes so beautifully hypnotic, reminding her of her protective wolf. “He was going to be my gift to you. Now I have nothing to offer.”

“For what? I don’t remember it being my birthday.”

“So you’ll accept me? The way I am.” His words were filled with doubt. Doubt she wanted erased.

Cassidy felt like an asshole. She’d always been a misfit growing up—the girl with no parents. When Mother’s Day and Father’s Day came around, she stood out in class. When parents would come to watch their children in school concerts, she had no one cheering her on, no one to wave or offer a kind word. For Patrick to feel unwanted because of her inability to accept something beyond her reasoning was cruel on her part. She wanted to make things right, to show him she liked him just the way he was—fur and all.

“Why wouldn’t I?” she asked.

“You said so yourself—that you’d be happier with me gone.”

“No. I didn’t mean it.” She crawled over to him, resting a hand on his bent-up knee. “I wasn’t thinking.”

He narrowed his eyes, not fully accepting her answer as truth. She wanted to feel his affection, to see a smile on his face.

“If you care so much, then why have you kept so distant from me? There’s a rift between us. Maybe you want a woman like you.” There. She’d said it. Ever since finding out that Patrick was a werewolf, she’d felt insecure, wondering if he’d prefer a female shifter. It could be the reason he hadn’t fully committed to her emotionally like the other four men had.

“There are no women like me.”

She tilted her head. “How can that be possible?”

“We mate with humans. It’s the only way.” He set his hand over hers, his warmth anchoring her. “Only I’ve had my reservations about humans for a long time.”

“Then you don’t want me?”

He pulled her forward until she lost her balance and fell onto his lap. She straddled his legs, and he loosely draped his arms around her hips.

“Yes, little human,
you
I want.”

The safety guards around her heart, in place just for Patrick, began to thin.

She lightly touched his face and then ran her fingers through his tousled hair. “You’re so real. It’s hard to believe you were a wolf a few minutes ago. It’s just too amazing.”

“I’m quite real.”

“Does it hurt? You know, when you shift forms.”

He shook his head, a hint of humor framing his eyes.

“What?”

“You’re cute.” Patrick slid his hands under her shirt, trailing them up and down her back. The touch made her nipples pebble, and without a bra, he’d be able to see them through her shirt.

“I want to go home,” she said. Cassidy was ready to end this day and feel the love and security of her miners. With her body quickly heating, she wanted to get out of the dank cave and somewhere with a comfortable bed.

A wave of disappointment crossed his features and his grip loosened.

“
Our
home,” she clarified.

He smiled and she basked in it. “Sorry, but this is it for tonight. Garret’s orders.”

“Why? I don’t understand. How does he even know about Peter or this place?”

“Hush, little one. Tonight it’s just you and me.”

As much as she wanted to continue to argue and question Patrick, she couldn’t when he looked at her with such passion in his eyes. She could feel his cock nudge her crotch, and she dared not look down to see what she knew awaited her. She was putty in his palms, especially when she knew how good he was capable of making her feel.

He sat up straight, bringing them chest to chest, hard muscle to soft curves.

She whispered now, not even caring about the words when her body was heating internally, making her feel flush. “It’s cold and scary here.”

He kissed her lips, and she savored the brief contact. “I’ll keep you warm, and nothing will harm you when I’m here.” Another kiss. “I’ll protect you, Cassidy.”

“Yes…” She let her head fall back as he trailed kisses down her neck.

“My wolf likes you.”

Her pussy clenched. Being in the arms of such a unique and powerful male was the ultimate turn-on. He actually wanted her, chose her. Then why was he so standoffish before? Did he worry she’d reject him?

“That’s good because it’s been like pulling teeth to get you to care.”

He growled, the sound traveling all the way down to her clit. Patrick flipped around to her back so fast the world was just a whirl of movement. “You shouldn’t try to goad a wolf. He may bite.”

Her breathing picked up as he slid her pants off, leaving her with just her T-shirt and panties. “I’m not afraid of you,” she murmured and dropped her knees open to the sides. She felt wanton and dirty. The soft pine needles beneath her were prickly in places, the scent rustic and untamed—just like the man hovering over her.

“You should be.”

“I’m only afraid of you running off again and not coming back.”

“I won’t leave you,” he said, running his hands along the tender insides of her thighs. Every cell he touched sparked to life with erotic intensity. She began to wriggle, needing him to drop down over her so she could feel the heat of his skin against hers.

He nodded to her shirt, signaling her to strip out of it. She didn’t delay, struggling in her thick bed of pine needles. The promise of his mouth on her achy tits was enough incentive to strip naked.

“There are a few things that separate me from regular men, even now,” he said as he lowered his head between her legs. She tensed.

“Oh?”

“When I get aroused or angry, sometimes my fangs come out. Like now.” He licked his teeth in a slow, sensual drag. The meager light in the cave reflected off the sharp, white tips of real fangs. She should be terrified, but it only served to arouse her more.

“You’re–you’re like a vampire.”

“No such thing.”

“Are you going to bite me?”

He shook his head, his breath hot against her legs. “Garret would kill me. But know that it’s all I can think about right now. Well, almost the only thing.” He smirked before disappearing from her sight. Within seconds he’d managed to rip her panties off with just his teeth. The flat of his tongue swiped up her folds, making her arch off the ground. Would he bite her sensitive parts?

* * * *

Patrick had Cassidy exactly where he wanted her, her sweet pussy in his face, and her trembling body safely in his hands. It was just the two of them, a rarity being a member of a pack. More than that. She’d accepted him, the real him, and was ready to commit. The first time had been about lust. Tonight there was so much more at play. Patrick could feel a strong connection solidifying between them, the one his pack mates had spoken about. For once he wanted to show Cassidy he was capable of love and emotion. He’d been holding back due to events in his past, but he had to look to the future now. Living with fear and hatred was slowly tearing him apart, eating at his soul a bit each day like a cancer. How would he tell her about his past without appearing pathetic and weak? She was his female, and it was his duty to be strong, fearless, unbreakable.

“That feels amazing,” she said. He had to hold her still with both arms as he feasted on her pussy. She was writhing, so close to reaching a peak. But it was far too soon to allow her to come. He wanted to savor her, enjoy every moment alone with his woman. Tonight would be the building block for every day to come.

He paid extra attention to her clit, stopping long enough to stave off her release, and starting again to keep her in a frenzy. He loved the sound of desperation in her mewling, her nails raking along his skin.

“No more,” she cried, her head thrashing back and forth. “You’re doing that on purpose.”

She was wet and ripe now. He climbed up from between her legs, allowing his erection to graze her sensitive folds. She gasped, trying to reach between them to grab his cock. “Ah, ah, ah. That’s not for you. Not yet, anyway.”

“Don’t you want me?”

He hooked his forearms under her shoulders, securing her close. “Yes. But first I have to give you my heart.” The last time they were together, they’d had great sex, but she still claimed to want nothing to do with him afterward, her one word of rejection sending him running. He had to be one hundred percent sure she wanted him and his wolf for the right reasons.

His hand movements were limited, but he stroked her hair as he looked into her pretty blue eyes. The moonlight made them shimmer like sapphires.

“You know
what
I am but not
who
I am.”

“Then tell me.”

What did he have to lose? He took a breath, ready to share a vital part of his past, the events that molded him into the man he was today. “What you see now is only a shadow. I may be a man—strong, capable, and independent—but it wasn’t always so. When I was a boy, my parents were killed by hunters. The men found me soon afterward hiding in some briars. I had shifted into my fur when the chaos broke out, and rather than kill me, they decided to keep the wolf pup as a pet. Not any kind of pet you’ve heard of. They battered and beat me, barely fed me, anything to make them feel superior. Little did they know there was a nine-year-old boy locked up behind the wolfen façade.”

Her mouth was slightly agape before she spoke. “Oh God, that’s horrible.”

“I was held captive for over a year, traveling with their hunting party like a sideshow freak—the hunters and their wolf. I just kept replaying the words my father had drilled into me—never shift in front of a human. It’s the reason I didn’t try to escape for so long. Getting away took months of planning, learning their routines and habits. I swear, by the end, I knew them better than they did themselves. One night they were all pissed drunk so I dared to shift into my skin. It had been so long, so I was unsteady on my feet. I set off a flare, creating confusion.” He spoke so evenly, as if speaking of the weather. His strength astounded her. “Once I was free, there was no chance I’d allow myself to be caught again. I knew I would kill first. Ever since I escaped I’ve had a deep-seated hatred of all humans. It took many, many years for me to even tolerate another male near me, which is hard in a world dominated by humans. It was Garret and my new pack that helped me overcome my weaknesses.”

“What weaknesses? Anyone else would have felt the same way.”

“But your mate should be fearless.”

She smiled. “There’s no such thing in man or wolf, Patrick. But you’re brave, courageous, and loyal. Those things mean more than anything. They mean more to me.” Her smile faded. “After what you’ve been through, I’m ashamed to be a human. I’m surprised you want anything to do with me.”

He kissed her again, her lips so soft and full. “Garret may have helped me tolerate humans, but you’re the reason I’m capable of loving one.”

“Love?”

“I’ve known ever since you met my red wolf by the river. Well, he knew. I was too hardheaded to see a good thing when it was right in front of me.”

“Will you be able to share me?”

Had he appeared that selfish? Although he enjoyed their private time now, his pack mates were like his vital organs, and he could only survive so long without them. “They love you, too. And we’re all closer than blood.”

Cassidy didn’t think she could love Patrick any more than she did in the present. She had wondered if he was genuinely uninterested in her or if he had walls built up to protect himself. Considering it was the latter, a great wave of relief washed through her. He was opening up to her, bridging the distance between them.