The Keeping (34 page)

If he didn’t know
better, he’d think his wolf was a tad love-sick; all moody emotions
and more randy than ever. But Mel wasn’t a werewolf, so that
explanation fell short. To be sure, weres and humans occasionally
met and fell in love, but it followed a more slow, mushy, ‘human’
pace.

When werewolves
met, the attraction usually grew quickly, though not always. He
recalled that his brother, Kane, claimed he and Elise took a while
to form a bond. Mind you, that was an arranged mating, so Ryne
suspected that circumstances skewed events a bit. Of course, in the
end the two fell in love and were now inseparable.

A car passed by
and honked its horn. Automatically, Ryne raised a hand and waved,
not really knowing who he was waving at, but Stump River was
friendly that way. The noise had brought his focus back to the
immediate situation, Melody, and his wolf’s attachment to her.

It wasn’t safe. It
made no sense. There was no future in pursuing a relationship with
the girl, so his wolf might just as well give it up. They were not
having Melody, not anymore, no matter how much growling and
protesting went on. An unsettled feeling roiled around inside him,
but he set his jaw and pushed off from the wall. Covering the
remaining distance to the bar in a few steps, he grasped the door
handle and entered.

All the usual
scents and sounds swirled around him. Sweat and beer, oil for
frying, colognes... The room was dimly lit, the glow from the big
screen TV casting a bluish hue over the people and furniture near
it. It was a typical Wednesday night crowd, not packed, but still
sufficient bodies that it took a few minutes to find whoever you
were looking for.

Ryne narrowed his
eyes, scanning the crowd and searching the scents. Was Melody here
yet? He was a few minutes late and she’d been prompt last time.
Ah-ha! She was by the pool table with Bryan and Daniel. Pushing his
way through the crowd, he made his way over to his friends.

As he drew nearer,
he could hear Melody’s excited voice accompanied by Bryan’s
laughter and the guffaws of other males. He frowned. What was going
on?

Quickly covering
the last few yards, he shoved between the shoulders of the gathered
crowd and stopped short. Melody was playing pool. That in itself
was not so shocking, but her appearance was. With a practised eye,
Ryne scanned her and concluded that she was more than a little
tipsy. Her face was flushed, her eyes a bit unfocused. She was
giggling away, as if there had never been anything funnier than
leaning on a pool cue and wobbling back and forth with a distinct
lack of balance.

Before he could
move, Melody leaned over the pool table to take a shot and the
crowd erupted in approving catcalls. She looked up at her fans and
smiled, batting her long lashes and giving her ass a little wiggle,
which elicited even more cheers. Then, frowning in concentration,
she stuck the tip of her tongue out of the corner of her mouth and
lined up her shot. Ryne took in the angle and arrangement of the
balls. It would be difficult, but a skilled player could feasibly
clear the board. Somehow, he doubted Melody fell into that
category. Ignoring the game, he looked at her instead.

Her hair was
pulled up on top of her head in some form of knot though quite a
few strands had escaped and fell about her face in interesting
little ringlets. She exhaled, arranging her mouth so that the poof
of air went upwards and lifted the curls for a moment before they
settled back in place. Ryne noted that she wet her lips as her arm
drew back, ready to strike the ball with the cue. She was wearing
that red top he’d admired the other day, the one with the draw
string around the neck.

He shifted his
gaze to the neckline and stiffened. The tie was undone and the top
was gaping open, giving everyone assembled an unrestricted view of
her bountiful assets! Little wonder they were cheering! A rumble
rose in his throat. No one should be looking at her, except him.
Stepping forward, intent on hiding her from prying eyes, Ryne
didn’t even notice that she’d made her move and the balls were
rocketing across the pool table before tumbling into the
pockets.

The crowded
cheered and Melody stood up grinning, raising her arms in
victory.

“Way to go, Mel!”
Bryan whooped in obvious delight. “All right everybody, time to pay
up!” He pulled a piece of paper and pencil from his pocket and
looked expectantly at a disgruntled looking group of men.

Daniel grabbed
Melody by the waist, gave her a congratulatory peck on the cheek,
and then spun her around. “I knew you could do it, Mel! Three games
in a row!”

“Daniel!” Ryne’s
voice cut through the general air of jubilation like a knife, his
fury a tangible thing.

Despite the noise
of the crowd, Daniel seemed to have no difficulty hearing his
Alpha’s voice; his response was immediate. The boy froze and
unceremoniously let go of Melody who stumbled at the sudden lack of
support.

“Ryne! You’re
here.” Daniel winced even as he spoke and took a step back, his
expression wary.

“And not a moment
too soon. Did you forget my instructions?” Ryne snarled and flashed
his eyes towards Melody before staring at his pack mate again.
Daniel gulped and nudged Bryan who was busily collecting money from
one of the patrons, not having noticed the general stillness that
fell around the pool table. Bryan looked up, paled, and backed
away.

Good. Get away
from the girl
. Ryne nodded in a brief acknowledgement of their
obedience before focusing his attention on Melody. She was still
looking a bit tipsy, but smiling happily none the less at the small
group of men gathered around her. One was shaking her hand while
another congratulated her, patting her on the back. Someone pressed
a kiss to her cheek— No! They had no right. Without caring what the
crowd might think, Ryne reached out and grabbed her by the arm,
yanking her to his side. Despite the protests of those gathered, he
strode across the bar, hustling Melody along with him.

He moved swiftly
down the long dark hallway that led to the employee’s washroom, but
when he reached the door his hand hovered over the handle. No, not
here. Moving farther along, he opened another door and stepped
inside. The sign proclaimed it to be Armand’s office, but he didn’t
care. Kicking the door shut, he flicked the lock and turned with a
growl to face the surprised woman by his side.

“What the
hell
do you think you are doing?”

Melody blinked at
him owlishly, and then frowned. “Are you angry with me?”

“Angry? I’m...” He
clamped his mouth shut unable to put into words the multitude of
emotions he was feeling at that moment. She’d put herself on
display, let other men touch her. On top of that she’d been
drinking and who knows what might have happened with her
inhibitions all...un-inhibited! Breathing heavily, he fought to
remain in control.

“Ryne? Don’t be
upset. I didn’t lose any money. I won all the games.” She was
sliding her hand up his chest while staring up at him earnestly. He
closed his eyes as delicious little frissons of electricity erupted
along the pathway her hand had travelled. “What’s wrong? I was just
waiting for you.” A hiccup escaped her lips and she giggled.

Ryne wrinkled his
nose at the smell of beer on her breath. “You’ve been
drinking.”

“Uh-huh. Armand
gave me beer. Lots and lots of beer because you didn’t come at four
like you said and I was waiting and waiting and waiting.” She shook
her head disapprovingly and made tsking noises before ruining the
whole effect by giggling again.

Letting go of her
arm, he ran his hands through his hair while trying to remember
that he was angry with her. Melody was adorable when she was a bit
drunk. Ringlets swished back and forth as she shook her head and he
longed to wrap them around his finger. He forced himself to remain
stern. “I left you a note, saying I’d be late. It’s your own fault
if you arrived too early.”

Her lips formed
into a pout. “No, it’s not. Bryan never gave me the note. Oops!”
She clamped her hands over her mouth and stared up at him
wide-eyed. Whispering between her fingers, she continued. “I wasn’t
supposed to say that, ’cause we don’t want you to be angry. You
won’t yell at him, will you?”

Suppressing a
growl, Ryne agreed. “No, I won’t yell at him.” Kick him in the ass
maybe; put him on the night watch for a month, possibly. But yell
at him? No.

“That’s good.” She
grinned at him, happy once again. “See? You can be nice when you
want. You’re not always an ass-hole.”

“Oh really?” He
folded his arms and stared down at her. If she wasn’t acting so
cute, he’d have ripped a strip off of her for that comment, even if
there was a grain of truth to it. “And how have I been an
ass-hole?”

“Well you won’t
talk to me about your work, and when you do, you give stupid
answers. Then you lied about Harley and you keep getting me all
worked up by being nice and sexy, and then suddenly you’re cold and
sarcastic. And you left me sitting in the bar by myself for hours
and hours...” By now Melody’s happy mood seemed to have faded and
she was scowling at him. She ended her statement by shoving against
his chest and turning to leave.

“Oh, no you
don’t.” Ryne grabbed her arm and hauled her back. “You’re not
leaving yet. We have to talk.”

“We have talked.
Now I remember why I was mad at you and I want to go.” She huffed
and blew a strand of hair out of her eyes.

“No!” His wolf was
stirring restlessly again. The female was defying him, trying to
leave. He pulled her closer to him so that their bodies were
touching.

“Stop that.”
Melody squirmed in his arms and he chuckled at her feeble attempts
to escape him. The sound apparently pissed her off because next
thing he knew, she’d kicked him in the shins.

“Hey!”
Instinctively, he moved back and she kicked at him yet again. Ryne
lost his balance and fell backwards, but not before grabbing Melody
and pulling her down with him. They landed on an old couch that
creaked in protest at the sudden application of weight. “Why you
little...!” Ignoring his throbbing leg, he wrapped his lower limbs
around hers, stilling her movements. When she began hitting against
his chest, he held her even tighter. Melody opened her mouth and
realizing she was about to scream, he silenced her by clamping his
mouth over hers.

Her struggles
pleased his wolf and he began to kiss her thoroughly, plunging his
tongue into her mouth while moulding her body against his with his
hands. He pulled her hips into firm contact with his while holding
her head in place with the other. Melody’s struggles lessened and
he sensed a change in her. No longer was she fighting against him,
she was struggling to get closer.

Ryne relaxed his
grip and shifted so that she was on her back and he was partially
on top. She ran her hands up and down his chest, tugging at the
bottom of his shirt. He obliged her by sitting up and pulling off
the offending piece of clothing, tossing it over his shoulder. As
he leaned over her again, she used her fingers to explore the
exposed skin. Melody flicked his male nipples before raising her
head slightly and licking at them, eliciting a groan from deep
inside him. For a moment he stilled, enjoying the sensation of her
hot wet tongue lapping at him. Softly, she skittered her fingers
down to his stomach, and he quivered from her gentle touch, feeling
his manhood springing to life in response.

Suddenly,
something inside of him roared, spurring him to take action. With
quick precision, he stood and stripped off his clothing. Melody
gasped as his throbbing erection was revealed and he smiled at her
obvious appreciation of him. He reached down and tugged off her
boots before easing her jeans over her derriere and down her long
slender legs.

At his urgings,
she sat up and tugged off her top, then moved to unhook her bra.
Ryne noted how her hands slowed when she saw him watching her
avidly. A blush of pink swept over her and she lowered her
eyes.

“Ryne, I...”

Giving her no time
to think or worry, he placed on finger on her lips. “Shh... Let
me.”

He sat beside her,
his hips brushing hers on the narrow couch. Cupping her neck in his
hand, he kissed her tenderly while brushing the curves of her
breast with the back of his other hand. Obviously wanting more,
Melody pushed herself against his hand and he caressed her through
the silken cups of her bra. She purred her delight.

“Do you like
that?” He smiled against her lips and she nodded her head
enthusiastically. She clutched his shoulders tightly, her fingers
digging deeper into his flesh. A rumble of approval echoed in his
chest at the sensation.
Yes, she is clinging, just as she
should
. Continuing to kiss her languorously, he released his
grip on her neck and used his other hand to deal with the back
clasp of the bra, all the while stroking and teasing her exposed
flesh.

The material
loosened, falling forward and Ryne drew back, ending the kiss. He
watched with avid interest as the cups slid downward revealing her
lush curves. Already her nipples were peaked with arousal and he
longed to feel their stiffness against his palm; in his mouth.
Making quick work of the bra, he palmed the soft flesh, rumbling
his approval of the warm weight. He flicked the nipples with his
thumbs then bent forward to suckle first one and then the
other.

Melody whimpered
in appreciation, digging her fingers into his hair and lifting her
hips towards him in an age old invitation. A rush of pride swept
through him; she wanted him. He made short work of her panties then
brushed his hands over her lower curls. There was moisture seeping
out, ready to receive him. Pressing between her lower lips, he
flicked her sensitive flesh and she moved against him, moaning with
need. Delving further, he tested her opening, finding it hot and
wet, begging for his possession.