Ryan's Treasure (6 page)

Once in the kitchen, Jake turned on him, displaying more spunk than he’d ever seen from the kid. “What happened?”

Ryan grabbed a beer from the fridge and handed another to his brother before dropping into a chair. “We took a run to the river, talked a bit, and she passed out.”

“You didn’t touch her?”

With a snort, he downed his drink and set the empty bottle on the table. “That, little brother, is none of your damned business.”

“Meaning something happened. Do I need to kick your ass?”

“You could try.” Irritation and understanding battled. He’d be just as protective if he were in Jake’s shoes…had felt much the same when Ja came into Kya’s life. “I’ll tell you what. I promise to never hurt her if you agree to stay the hell out of it. Deal?”

“Even if she can never be with you—or any man?”

An ache he didn’t want to deal with burned in his chest. He headed for the door. If he hurried, he could get in a long run and then take over the second part of his shift at the Sanctuary. He’d left Grant shorthanded too many nights lately. Once on the porch where the cool breeze could clear his thoughts, he turned back. “If she decides she doesn’t want a mate, I’ll defend her right to choose to the bitter end. However….” Words eluded him for a moment, but the questions in Jake’s stiff posture and rigid jawline demanded answers. “Once Nadi chooses, if I’m not what she wants, I’ll back off. Until then, I’ll do everything in my power to persuade her to see things my way.”

Chapter Six

Ryan waited until Jake had left for his early shift at the Sanctuary before he knocked softly and slipped into Nadi’s room. He expected her to be asleep. Instead, she walked from the small attached bathroom, wearing nothing except a towel over her head and face as she rubbed water from her short hair. Moisture dotted her beautiful skin, trickling down to bead at the end of one nipple, hesitating before it fell away. He bit his tongue to suppress the need to lap up the remaining droplets. A hint of her approaching heat danced on the air, feminine and alluring, rousing his wolf.

He would have left, but she dropped the towel before he could tear his gaze from her naked body. She dove for the covering, her squeak of protest alerting him to the deep shit he had floundered into.

“I knocked.”
Smooth, Jones
. He lifted his hands in surrender to the shock rolling off her. “I wanted to show you something.”

With a huff, she wrapped the towel around herself. “Looks more like you came to see something.”

Answering her glare with a helpless smile, he put his hands behind his back and tipped his head to minimize any threat she might perceive from him. Her spirit had not deserted her despite the trauma she’d faced most of her life, and the combination of strength and vulnerability drew him. He strolled across the room to where she stood trembling with indignation. Her emotions ran high with rising hormones. In full heat, she would offer a spectacular challenge, one he couldn’t wait to meet.

Not until she’s stronger
.

His human side lectured his wolf, but it snarled and strained to claim his female. Careful not to startle her further, he touched her short wet hair. “I like it this way.”

“You like when I look like a drowned rat?”

“No.” He chuckled low in his throat. Everything about her, even when she acted hissy as a wet cat, appealed to him. The scent of her fertility enhanced her attraction but did not account for it. No female had ever affected his inner animal in the way Nadi did. “Your hair looks good curling by your face. It emphasizes those stunning eyes of yours.”

“Do you think if you flatter me enough, I’ll forget you walked in while I was naked?”

Her moodiness didn’t lessen the fire raging in his blood. “You had no clothes last night.”

“I had fur.”

“Not by the pond.”

She slipped around him. Gaze down, she hurried to the low dresser near the wall opposite the window. “That was a mistake.”

“You think so?” The denial of her passion hurt unexpectedly. He caught her arm, so she couldn’t avoid him. “I disagree.”

“It doesn’t matter what you think, Ryan. It won’t happen again.” She pulled away to jerk on a pair of jeans and an oversized sweatshirt, hiding her fading bruises and her pretty little tits.

His groin tightened. Before the day was out, her breeding instinct would overshadow her fears, and his ability to control himself would weaken accordingly. He’d ensure she was back in her room, safe and sound, by the time her heat reached its crest—with him and every other randy male locked outside. Until then, he’d play protector no matter how much he wanted her wrapped around his dick. “Take all the time you need to adjust to the idea, gorgeous. I’m in no hurry.”

She lifted her head up with a defensive snarl. “You’re awfully cocky in another man’s house.”

“Jake’s not
your
man.”

“He’s my brother.”

He fought a grin but failed. “Exactly.” When she scowled at him, he sat on the corner of her bed, no longer even trying to hide his smile. “Put some shoes on.”

She eyed him warily but sat at the desk and tugged on socks and hiking boots. Struggling with the unfamiliar laces, she tried to tie her shoes, a task so familiar to most adults, so foreign to her. Suddenly, she paled from bending forward too long, her strength not up to par. He was at her side before she could fall and pressed her back against the wide chair.

“Easy, Nadi. Don’t rush.” He rubbed his thumbs over her wrists, soothing her and testing her pulse. Once color returned to her cheeks, he laced her boots for her, pulling the strings tight around her slender ankles.

“I hate being weak.”

“I know.” He stood and offered her a hand up. “I make a good pack mule. Want a lift to your surprise?”

Pulling away, she shook her head. “No.”

“Would you rather wait another day or two until you’re stronger?”

Her spirit returned, and she straightened her spine. “Will I like it?”

“I hope so.” Stepping to the side, he gestured toward the door. “You game?”

“Is it far?”

“I have my motorcycle. All you have to do is hang on.”

Nadi’s fingers were cold, and her knees felt weak. A strange warmth hummed in her blood. Whether dizzy from the proximity of the massive man in front of her or the head rush she’d suffered, she didn’t know. Jake had promised his foster brother wouldn’t hurt her, and when their sister and her kitten had dropped by, Kya had said the same thing. Lynx had rushed to curl and spin around her uncle’s legs until he scooped her up and blew against her tummy to make the baby scream, her tail whipping in delight. His family believed Ryan had hung the moon in the sky just so others had something to howl at.

Memories of his gentle touch combined with his rough voice while he led her to orgasm near the creek sent a shiver through her. The guy sparked a wild hunger in her, which frightened her almost as much as the man himself. Not that he’d reacted violently against anyone except Diablo, but the potential sat on his broad shoulders and circled his thick biceps. He didn’t have to raise his deep voice or lift a finger to be intimidating. Great beasts bowed to his command. His wolf had ripped out the throat of a man and walked away while the body bled out. But the mighty beast had cradled a runt pup in one hand while assisting its mother into a van with the other before nestling the baby at her side. Goodness rode his wide back in the same manner power swelled his muscles. Everyone insisted he wouldn’t harm a fly, but such a notion felt foreign. With strength came arrogance, a characteristic he couldn’t deny, and arrogance spawned violence, didn’t it?

A gentle hand touched her cheek. “You okay? Would you rather stay here?”

Looking up, she studied the sincerity in his deep brown eyes and longed to trust, if only for a little while. “Sorry, I’m distracted today.”

“So, we’re on, then?”

She nodded and took the helmet he held out to her. He helped settle it correctly and fastened the chin strap before swinging on the motorcycle and shoving his own helmet in place. Patting the seat behind him, he grinned. “Hop on.”

Nadi swung astride the bike and clutched the bars of the backrest behind her.

Ryan shook his head. “Uh, uh. Hold on to me.”

She didn’t see how she could fall with her legs spread wide around him, but he held her gaze until she gave in and put her hands on his hips. He faced forward then and kicked-started the old bike. It came to life with a roar and a shake. Once he sat down, he balanced the motorcycle with one hand on the bars and used his other to pull her arms tight around his waist. She ended up pressed to his back. The sexy scent of his cologne teased her awareness higher.

“All set?”

At her nod, he shifted gears and turned onto the narrow logging road leading from Jake’s cabin toward the Sanctuary. The trees flashed by at an alarming rate. At first the ride terrified her, but soon the rushing wind offered a thrill, freeing and exciting. He leaned against her. His relaxed attitude comforted her and tension dissipated with the engine’s roar into the forest.

***

Nadi placed her fingers in Ryan’s outstretched hand. He tucked her to his side, and they strolled across the open parking lot toward a long low building near the perimeter fence. The place smelled of animals, humans, and a scent she now recognized as shifter but had always known as nothing more than family.

“Is this where you work, Ryan?”

“Yeah, one of the places anyway. Jake, too. And Kya when she can fit it into her schedule.” He opened a door and ushered her inside. “Most everyone else is a volunteer, but Grant pays the family to keep us close.”

When he led her down a long hall past kennels housing recovering animals, the smell of wolf and dog intensified. Before she could ask any more questions, he opened a gate to a large pen. Straw covered the floor, and puppies of all sizes and breeds frolicked, chasing balls, or pulling on ropes. Children and adults were scattered about the room, laughing and playing.

She recognized a few of the pups. “They’re from the mill, aren’t they?”

“Most of them. Some were dumped here or came to us from other raids.”

She sank to her knees and held out her hand to a shy Great Dane with sad eyes. Black spots mottled his white coat, and a black mask made his long face even longer. He’d been born to one of the older bitches a month before the liberation. “Hey, little guy? Where’s your mama?”

Ryan sat beside her and scratched the puppy’s ears. “She didn’t make it. The stress of the move, on top of a large litter she had no business carrying at her age, was too much. We lost her yesterday.”

“Where are the rest of her puppies? She had nine, I think.”

“Ten actually.” His hand clenched against his thigh. “Dumbass breeders should be shot.”

“What happened to his litter mates?”

He hesitated, not meeting her gaze. “Grant had to put three of them down. They were too far gone and in pain.”

“And the others?”

“Are in temporary foster homes until they regain their health.”

The pup whined and flopped on his side with a huff. Nadi laughed and rubbed his tummy. “Why did no one take this one? He’s adorable.”

“We ran out of contacts. I was actually hoping you’d volunteer.”

“Me?” A look of awe crossed her face, and she leaned close to the pup. “Would you like to come with me, little guy?”

“Hey, what’s the status on the animals from the mill?” An older man opened the gate and joined them. When he looked her way, he staggered and paled. “Lyusya?”

The name she hadn’t heard in years startled her. Her mother used to talk about the handsome wolf who had called her Lyusya. Nadi rose slowly to her feet.

Ryan stood and grabbed the stranger in a quick hug. “Grant, this is Nadi. Nadi, I’d like you to meet Dr. Grant Ferris. Owner, fundraiser extraordinaire, manager, and surrogate father to every shifter here.”

“I have to go.” Shock blocked the joy of the day. Her father was alive. He hadn’t come back for them—at least not before it was too late. Hadn’t cared his family was trapped in a horrid place. He’d left her sisters to be raped and allowed her mother to cry herself to sleep nearly every night, missing him, fearing the worst. Nadi shoved past the men.

A hand closed over her arm before she could escape. “Baby girl?”

She froze at the tenderness in the older man’s words. “Let go.”

Ryan stepped between them, his chest a wall hiding her focus of anger. “Nadi, what’s wrong?”

“Ask him.”

He turned to her father. “Grant?”

The stranger dropped his hand but continued to stare. “You smell so much like your mother, look much as I had imagined her in human form.”

“You never came back.”

“I thought they killed you all the day I left.”

She laughed. Needed to scream,
liar
. “Jake’s been here for years. You knew. You could have saved my sisters if nothing else.”

“Jake?” The old man gasped.

Ryan caught him and lowered him to a nearby bench. “Are you their father?”

“I didn’t know. I swear.”

The door banged, and her brother burst in with his usual exuberance. “What’s up?”

Nadi glanced from Jake’s slender form to the thin man before her. Same coloring, same golden eyes, same everything. A blind man could see they were father and son. Had Jake known all along, too? Had he stayed away, uncertain if their mother lived or if his sisters suffered? He’d said otherwise, but had he ever checked? He hadn’t come on the raid the night she’d escaped, hadn’t cared enough to destroy their mother’s killers back at the first mill where they were born. The two men, who should have protected her, could have saved Gray and Sable before it was too late—they had this massive resource at their fingertips but couldn’t be bothered to use it to locate their family. Rage unlike any she’d ever known choked her. Even Diablo had not sparked such emotion. He had been nothing more than a stupid and brutal man. But Jake and Grant were family. They should have done something.

Her brother dropped an arm over her shoulder, but she shoved him back with a snarl. “I trusted you.”