Ryan's Treasure (8 page)

So much power, yet he didn’t use it. A shiver raced over her, chased by the strange fever in her blood and an overwhelming urge to test him. Even though the men at the mill had often worked shirtless, before Ryan she’d never seen a man without any clothing. He obviously wanted her to stay behind him, out of sight, but she refused to be out of mind. Slowly, she trailed her fingertips over each muscle in his back, starting at his shoulders and spiraling ever lower until she reached the top of his sexy ass. His back rippled.

His touch had distracted her from studying his body by the river. To have him trapped in front of her, held in place by his own need to hide her from the others, proved too tempting. Biting her lip, she scratched her nails down the firm globes of his butt, dipping beneath to tease his thighs.

He jerked, and she could have sworn a growl rumbled clear from his toes. When she brought her hands together to follow his ass crack upward to the base of his spine, he spun and grabbed her wrists. His dark eyes glowed, and his canines gleamed. “You’re playing with fire, gorgeous.”

“I’m sorry.” She couldn’t stop a grin. Stretching her fingers forward, she caressed his hardening cock.

He pulled her hands higher, pressing them to his chest. “Behave.”

For a second, his face resembled the massive creature from the mill, then the black wolf. How had she been distracted by his gentle façade? A beast hid within the sweet man who played with puppies and rescued animals. Her breath hitched. The creature before her had stripped a steel gate from its hinges without even breaking a nail and ripped out a gunman’s throat with his fangs. She tugged from his hold and stumbled back.

“Sir, the clothing.”

Ryan reached behind him for the bundle, his attention on Nadi. She had paled suddenly, the spirit of fun gone in an instant. He glanced down and shook out the clothes, claiming a thick cotton T-shirt rather than the oversized pants. Her time had come faster than he’d expected, perhaps accelerated by danger or the proximity of so many unmated males.

When he reached for her, she flinched but took a defensive stance. His wolf lunged inside him, desperate to show his female who ruled. He maintained a sliver of control, but even knowing he frightened her, he could not halt the half shift. Half man half animal, he towered above the slender woman. His claws and fangs lengthened, but his human mind remained superior. Certain he could not touch her and maintain his meager hold on his wolf, he tossed the shirt at her feet.

“Put this on.” Nearly inaudible, his voice growled from his throat.

Fear escalated in Nadi’s expression, but she grabbed the cloth from the ground. Attitude stiffened her shoulders, womanly sass her only defense. She jerked the fabric over her head and down smooth against her thighs. Her nose wrinkled in disgust. “It stinks of Drake.”

Unwilling to risk misunderstanding, he switched to mental communication.
Better him than one of his men. An Alpha’s scent demands respect above anything
.

“You want me to smell like him?”

No! Mine!
His wolf howled, and Ryan stepped forward, invading her space, forcing her to meet his gaze.
I can’t allow you to parade naked in front of a bunch of horny males too dazed by your scent to think
.

Trembling despite her brave front, she wrapped her arms around her waist, a glare on her pretty face. “Are you dazed?”

Desperation rode his shoulders. The heady perfume of desire and fertility wafted from her, an aroma too potent to ignore for long. He had to get her away from the others, somewhere safe from everyone including himself. Catching her shoulders, he pushed her gently against the rock and buried his face in the curve of her slender throat.
You smell so fucking good. I can barely resist shoving you to your knees and taking you right here, but I won’t claim you before you’re ready, Nadi.

He lifted his head to stare into her frightened mismatched eyes, earth and sky—his breathtaking, wounded goddess. He drew his nail lightly over her cheek, anxious to prove he would not harm her no matter his form.

Every unmated male within a mile radius is imagining mounting you, swelling your belly with his pups. They’ll have to kill me first, but maybe if you reek of an Alpha, and they fear me just a little bit, I can save us both. So shut up and pretend you want me until I get us out of here
.

Fear and lust screamed in her head, a banshee wailing of death, a siren screeching for forbidden pleasure. Her body did not seem to belong to her. The hybrid animal towering above her scared her shitless. Teeth and claws designed to shed an adversary with little effort, its neck and shoulders too thick to belong to a man, but Ryan remained beneath the fur and fangs. The tender giant wore the skin of a beast, but she wanted him…almost as much as she feared those who prowled behind him. For the first time in her life, she trusted a male enough to desire his seed. The need to sink to the ground and welcome him weakened her knees. Who cared if others watched? Would he be gentle? If he claimed her, the strangers would back off, but what if he couldn’t control his wolf? The idea wasn’t entirely without a dangerous appeal. A shiver washed through her.

“Ready, gorgeous?”

His gravel-laced voice tempted insanity, and she reached to stroke the thick beard hiding his rigid jawline. Heat zipped along her nerves, and her wolf cried for his. “Yes, for now, I choose you. No one else.”

“Fuck, your scent just doubled, and the rogues have circled back. I can hear them.” He grabbed her waist and threw her halfway up the boulder. “Get up there and stay until I come for you.”

A warning growl sounded behind him, and he spun to face the threat. She scrambled out of harm’s way. The strangers had returned, and while Drake’s scent prevented his soldiers from making a play for her, the leaderless band apparently had no such compulsion. They attacked as one.

Ryan’s beast grew larger with rage, and he lashed out. Two wolves went flying, blood spraying from vicious wounds.

Nadi screamed, and he glanced her way, leaving him open to the fangs of his enemy. “Pay attention, you big idiot!”

He spun in time to protect his throat from oncoming teeth. The wolf bit down on Ryan’s forearm but released as quickly when slammed against the boulder. Blood and brain matter spattered the granite. Her own wolf howled, and the change came without warning though she did not have the control to stop it halfway. Drake leaped into the fray, his beast savage and unmistakable. Soon his soldiers followed their king.

Nadi prowled on top of her haven, safe while the males battled. Watching made her useless, so she pounced. An attacker rolled beneath the momentum of her fall, stronger than his wiry body implied. He flipped her, teeth sank into her ruff, holding her steady so he could mount…then he was gone. Her hero stood over her moments later. Blood dripped from his fearsome muzzle, her assailant’s carcass limp and battered beside him.

The remaining interlopers fled, tails between their legs.

Nadi staggered to her feet and forced her wolf away so she could tend the wounds of those who’d saved her, starting with her champion. She reached for his arm.

He snarled and jerked away then grabbed her and shook her hard. Fangs and fur coated in enemy gore.
I told you to stay put!

Holding her breath against the stench of death, she stepped close to lay her head on his chest, arms gripping his waist. “I couldn’t watch them kill you. You shouldn’t have asked me to.”

Ryan shuddered and jerked her closer. Slowly, he changed, beast becoming man. Claws shrank to gentle hands. Fur gave way to smooth, beautiful skin. “I saw you jump. I couldn’t get to you fast enough.” He hugged her tighter. “Don’t ever do that again.”

Drake cleared his throat. “I have wounded who need tending. Come back to camp with us.”

“No.” Ryan looked at the battered group. “Take care of your people. My sister lives not far from here. We’ll stay there tonight.”

“With the cats?”

“Away from anyone who will care about Nadi’s condition.”

His brother looked down then up again. “Who will protect her from you?”

Fear rose once more, but Ryan chuckled and patted her back. “If I can get past Kya and Ja, or the feline guards my brother-in-law will station at her door, then I deserve to have her.”

“Never against her will.” Drake caught his arm. “I need your word.”

“You have it, as does she.”

Chapter Eight

Nadi watched Ryan and his brother-in-law stroll the perimeter of the property. Dim path lamps did little to part the darkness, but neither panther nor wolf would require much light to find the way.

“Do you need anything else before I call it a night?” Kya entered the guest bedroom carrying a tray filled with meat pies and a pot of tea.

“Oh, no, thank you.” She gestured around the small but beautiful room. “This is really nice.”

“But…?”

A quick glance outside revealed no sign of the males. “Nothing. I just wondered where your brother would be sleeping…I mean…I wouldn’t want to take his bed.”

Ryan’s sister laughed while she turned down the covers. “He’ll be fine. My husband has a cot in his office.”

“Oh. But that sounds so small. Shouldn’t I sleep there?”

“Ryan would never allow it. It’s on the first floor in a room with far too many windows. You’re safer here.”

“But the security fence and the guards—”

“He’d have a fit.” Kya laid an extra blanket on the end of the bed and started for the door then stopped. “Ja’s office is downstairs, last door at the end of the main hall. Just in case you need to find my stubborn brother for anything.”

Nadi sank to the edge of the bed and stared until the door closed. Desire unlike anything she had ever felt thrummed in her blood. The long, cool bath she’d taken had done nothing to alleviate the situation. She needed Ryan, ached for him, despite the doubts that would not leave.

He claimed he wanted her. If she went to him, would he send her away? He had given his word not to touch, but she had made no such promise.

Ja came upstairs, his rumbling purr whisper quiet as the door to Lynx’s room opened and closed and then another farther down the hall. The house grew still. Outside, wolves howled at the gate, but the answering scream of a cougar pierced the night, and all went silent once more.

Nadi rose to stare at herself in the darkened window. The chocolate satin nightgown Kya had lent her left little to the imagination. It clung to her hips and waist, and dipped low between her breasts. The color and sheen reminded her of Ryan’s skin after their time in the river, rich and shimmering. She flopped on the bed and stared at the intricate tin ceiling, counted to a thousand forward and back, and recited every reason why she should go to sleep before she finally gathered the courage to slip down the stairs. The stone floors chilled her bare feet, but she tiptoed to Ja’s office and eased inside.

Ryan stood at the window, staring into the night. A pair of sleep pants hung low on his hips. “Go back to your room, Nadi.”

She moved closer to him. “I need to talk to you.”

“In the morning. Or better yet, in a few days when you’re feeling better.”

“That’s what I wanted to talk about. I’ve never felt this way before.”

He turned toward her, his hands fisted in his pockets. “I don’t have answers, only maybes.”

“I’ll take whatever you have to offer.” Her body yearned for his touch, and a hollow place swelled beneath her breastbone, making breathing difficult.

“Kya would know more than I do.”

“I’m not going to ask your sister why I want you so much when you scare the hell out of me. So you’re it.”

“All right, sit down.” She started for the cot, but his pain-filled growl stopped her. “Not there!”

Hiding her smile, she sank into a chair near the desk and crossed her legs. The slit in her gown fell open to reveal her calves and half of one thigh. The soft lamplight highlighted the contrast between the sable-colored fabric and her pale skin. Thoughts of Ryan’s dark skin pressed to hers accelerated the heat vibrating through her body and coiling between her legs.

He pulled another chair close and sat, hands clenched in front of him. “Haven’t you ever gone into heat before?”

“No. The dogs did a couple times a year and the wolves in the spring, but I never did. Mama used to talk about it, but then it stopped after my father…after Grant left. The mill owners would try to breed my sisters and I whenever the wolves entered estrus.”

He touched her knee then jerked his hand away. “We need to talk about your father and Jake.”

She leaned forward, offering him a glimpse of her breasts, pretending not to notice the animalistic spark in his eyes. “I can’t think about them right now. You’re the only one in my head.”

“Stop it.” Ryan rose and paced the small office. “I promised I’d wait. You’re not ready if I frighten you.”

“Answer my questions first. Why haven’t I felt this way before?”

He flashed a half smile but did not stop his agitated movement. “I’d like to think it’s me, but my bet would be on the availability of male shifters. Your body instinctively rejected the wolves and dogs for a potential mate, so without a male, you didn’t prepare to breed.”

“That makes sense.” She stood and stepped in front of him. His naked chest drew her gaze, and she couldn’t resist pressing her hands to his firm muscles, his skin warm and smooth. Her wolf howled in her head, jerking to get at the beautiful specimen before her. What had begun with a slow burn escalated to pure fire. Desire buzzed over her nerves and sensitized every inch of her skin with a painful ache. She raked her nails down his stomach and inhaled his inviting musk. “So what can you do to help me out?”

Ryan stepped away. “Keep the wolves from your door. Otherwise, nothing. Go back to bed, Nadi. We’ll talk in the morning.”

“I can’t.” Even the satin of her gown abraded her sore nipples. “I need relief.”

“I promised I wouldn’t take what wasn’t given freely.”