A Wolf's Obsession (4 page)

“Of course. I take you home, you tell me where Emily is. I let you go and you can get back to your life. I’ll live happily with Emily and no one will ever hurt her again. I’ll make sure of that.”

Drop dead gorgeous and a fantastic actor…Ethan, you’ve really outdone yourself this time. Too bad I’m not falling for it this time.
Plastering on a beaming smile she held out her hand to him in the age-old gesture of agreement. “You’ve got a deal….” Her brow furrowed as she realised she didn’t even know his name.

Placing his hand in her, Wyatt rewarded her with an equally wide smile. Heat shot along his skin as soon as they touched, his body reacting to the innocuous meeting of flesh as though they were plastered against each other’s naked bodies. His breathing became heavy and he swallowed hard, trying not to let her know how much she affected him. It wasn’t natural that he reacted so strongly to someone that wasn’t his mate and it reminded him of just how broken he was. He had been without his mate for too long and if he was without her for much longer he was going to have to be put down because he’d pose a risk to everyone. Forcing his mind away from his body’s strange reaction, he swallowed again trying to force his mouth to work. “Wyatt. My name is Wyatt.”

“Wyatt,” she said, experimenting with the sound of his name on her lips.

Shouldn’t have told her my name,
he growled angrily. The simple sound of his name was making his shaft harden, his treacherous body clearly as mad as his wolf. He wouldn’t be having sex with Kass or any one else for that matter. The only woman he wanted to claim was his mate. It didn’t matter that he could easily picture himself nestled between her slender thighs as he thrust into her tight warmth. He could almost hear the sound of her pleasured moans filling his ears as he watched her pale cheeks flush in arousal.

Growling, he put an end to that chain of thought.
It’s because I haven’t slept in days,
he decided. Exhaustion was the only thing he could think of that would explain his strange emotions and he clung to it desperately.

“Shall we head out now?” Kass’ enthusiasm was showing, her eyes wandering constantly to the door and the promise of escape it offered.

Rolling his shoulders Wyatt tried to shake off his tiredness. “Where do you live?” he slurred.

“On King street.”

“Good.” He turned and walked away. “We’ll go tomorrow.”

“Where are you going? If we leave now we can go out separate ways by the morning. We’ll never have to see each other again.”

The thought of never seeing the flame haired waitress didn’t sit well with him. “Some of us haven’t slept for five days and need to get some sleep so that they can function well enough to get out of this room. So I’m going to bed.”

“And what about me? What do you expect me to do while you’re out for the count?”

“You’re a big girl, I’m sure you’ll figure something out. This is a big suite, there’s lots to do.” He strolled out of the room, forcing himself not to look back or take any more breaths of her sugary sweet scent. She was a temptation, one that he couldn’t afford if he was going to find his mate and there was nothing he wouldn’t do to be reunited with his Emily. Nothing.

Chapter Three

“Why is there never anything on TV?” Her eyes narrowing as yet another advert graced the massive screen that had been her only companion for the last few hours, Kass grumbled and turned it off angrily. Considering her situation, she thought she was being rather calm about everything. She hadn’t screamed, she hadn’t cried and she hadn’t suffered a mental breakdown. All things considered she was doing exceptionally well. It helped that she’d been here before. Never in such beautiful surroundings, but being held captive was something she was sadly too familiar with. This was by far the most beautiful prison she’d stayed in and she’d had lots of time to look about since Wyatt had left her and gone to bed.

It was difficult for her to believe that she really was in a hotel when the suite was so self contained. There was a living room, a dining room and a fully functioning kitchen, all of which put her modest apartment to shame. When she’d walked into the kitchen and seen all the razor sharp knives she’d thought, for a split second, that she could end all the inevitable pain she’d have to endure. Wyatt should never have left her with weapons, she’d thought to herself. Her fingers had even twitched as though to take one but she couldn’t do it. Wyatt, with his clearly broken mind, called to something within her that made her want to protect him, to take care of him. He was the enemy but it felt like she should trust him. That was a secret she’d take to the grave. Charlie could never know that she’d felt sympathy for the enemy. But it was that odd feeling in her gut that meant she was alone and awake in the very early hours of the morning watching advert after advert about things she’d never want or need. Sighing, she let her head fall back and tried to relax but a loud shout quickly put an end to that.

At least it’s more interesting than the best wax to make your car shine.
Scrambling to her feet, she covered her ears and moved towards the ear piercing shrieks. She stopped in the doorway and watched as Wyatt tossed and turned, his nails shredding the bedding.

“Emily! Emily!”

His thrashing only got worse as he kept calling Emily’s name. A tear rolled down his face as he shouted again and her feet moved her to his side. It was heart breaking to watch. If she didn’t know better, she’d genuinely think he knew Emily, loved her even but it was impossible. He couldn’t be older than thirty and Emily…the age gap was too big for him to know her as well as he claimed. He was just a very good actor.
Who’s crying in his sleep? What if he’s different? What if he doesn’t work for Ethan? What if…
“There are too many what ifs. I can’t take that risk.” Unbidden, her hand reached out to wipe one of his tears away and a small smile came to her lips when he leaned into her warmth. “Ssh,” she said soothingly. “Just sleep.”

The sound of her voice soothed him and his thrashing slowed the longer he breathed in he sugary fragrance. “Emily.” He gripped her wrist firmly and pulled her down to lie beside him on the bed.

Arms quickly wrapped themselves around Kass’ body preventing her escape as she squirmed against his bare chest. His skin was hot, heat seeping into her flesh and he smelled divine. She was half tempted to take a bite out of him. The longer he held her, the more feeble her struggles became. She knew it was wrong but there was something right about lying in his arms. It felt like a homecoming, like she’d been searching for this feeling her whole life without even realising it and now she didn’t want to let it go.

“Emily, I’ve missed
you so much,” he mumbled, kissing her brow tenderly. “I’ve missed you so much.”

The sound of another woman’s name on his lips made her brow furrow in anger. She wasn’t Emily and if he wanted to pretend that she was, she wanted no part in it. She squirmed, trying to get out of his grip but it was inescapable. Sighing, she glanced up at his strong features. “My name is Kass, use it.”

He sighed contentedly and pulled her closer. “Kass.”

The dreamy sound of her name on his lips crept along the halls of her mind until she was boneless and relaxed.
Maybe I should use my voice…No, it’s too risky and I’m too close. In a few weeks I’ll be twenty-seven and I can put all of this behind me. If he’s telling the truth I’ll find him and tell him and if he isn’t…I’ll be immortal and none of this will matter.
Her decision made, she let herself relax fully into his embrace. The gentle rise and fall of his chest was soothing and it lulled her to sleep despite the extraordinary events of the day.

********

Wyatt woke feeling rested, something he hadn’t felt in a very long time. It was hard to get a good night’s sleep when your dreams were filled with nightmares of what could have happened to the one person destined to love you. Blood, mayhem and destruction were all that waited for him when he closed his eyes and his wolf was no help. He took a deep breath and waited for the angry snarls to come and for the vicious curses to fill his ears and remind him of his failure. His wolf was even harder on him than he was on himself. A night’s sleep to the wolf was a night they hadn’t spent looking for Emily and the wolf never ceased to remind him of his failure. Except for now. This morning there was silence, his wolf practically purring with contentment.

Wyatt’s eyes fluttered open and everything became clear. Pressed against his chest, Kass’ sweet scent was stuck to his skin. When her breathy sighs ghosted over his flesh his wolf growled in appreciation. His wolf was confused and as he stared into her face Wyatt tried to understand what it was about her that made his wolf so crazy about her. She was beautiful, he admitted reluctantly. Her skin seemed to glow with life, her face looked like it had been crafted by the gods and her lips… He barely stifled a moan. This early in the day he knew the enticing red was completely natural. He couldn’t help but wonder what they would feel like under his and when she parted them in a soft sigh he felt his defences crumbling. Fascinated by the beautiful shape of her kissable lips, he traced them with a finger. His eyes grew heavy the longer they touched. Pleasure washed through his body, his breathing becoming ragged as his hands wandered over her face and down her throat.

She feels so soft, so perfect.
His eyes landed on the dark skin at her throat, his hand print large and ugly in the cold light of day.
She’s so fragile. I should be the one protecting her. I should be taking care of her.

Loving her,
his wolf injected smugly.
She’s our mate. Even you can’t deny it now. This is where we’re meant to be. With her, our beautiful Kassandra and the next time we leave a mark on her throat it’ll be our mating mark.

His hands, inches from the exposed slither of skin at her stomach, pulled back. He was making the same mistake that his wolf was and one of them had to be thinking straight. Kass might be beautiful but she wasn’t Emily. Jumping out of bed, Wyatt raced to the bathroom. Splashing cold water on his face, he tried to snap himself out of the haze of confusion that had settled over him. It didn’t work. He brushed his teeth, took a shower and still could only think of her.

“Emily, Emily, Emily,” he muttered her name constantly, a talisman against his wayward thoughts. His whole body was tense by the time he was dressed and his knuckles were white from the strain of resisting the impulse to break something. He’d been tempted to plough his fist into a wall but Kass had looked so peaceful, he couldn’t bring himself to wake her. His sympathy for her only made things worse.

Muttering his mantra to himself, he stomped into the kitchen and began throwing open cabinet doors. “They have to be here somewhere.” He moved through the kitchen like a hurricane until he found what he wanted. Stacked floor to ceiling were bags and bags of candy floss and he quickly plucked two from the cupboard needing something to satisfy his cravings. He devoured the first bag in minutes, each bite easing his tension until he was completely relaxed. Today he was going to find his mate, be reunited with Emily after years of searching. It was going to be a good day. Even the weather agreed with him. The sun was shining, the sky was a brilliant blue and the air was crisp. Things were going his way and he was calm as he began on the second bag. At least he was until he heard the shower.

Sweat beaded on his brow as his mind conjured up images of what she looked like naked and dripping wet. He hadn’t got a good glimpse of her beneath her ugly uniform but he’d felt her body against his while they slept and that little bit of information was fuelling his fantasies. Her skin would look even more tempting wet, droplets of water gliding over her gentle curves. The heat would flush her skin the same hue it would be if he caressed her intimately. Her hands would glide over her breasts, cupping them as the nipples hardened beneath the water before they moved lower, her slender fingers caressing her stomach as she moved lower and lower.

Stop it!
he snarled at his wolf.
Why are you thinking of Kass like that when we’re going to be back with Emily later today?

The wolf laughed, the sound grating on Wyatt’s ears and pushing his anger even higher.

What is so funny?
He demanded.

You. I had nothing to do with what you were thinking although I will admit they were very good thoughts. All of that was you. You think our mate is beautiful and want to claim her as much as I do, there’s nothing to be ashamed of and I bet she looks better than what you were thinking. She’s not far away, we could go and check.

What the hell is wrong with you? Emily needs us and you’re thinking about another woman? Don’t you want to get our mate back?

She’s right there.

That isn’t Emily. She looks nothing like her. You’ve tormented me for years about how useless I was for not finding her and now you act like she doesn’t even exist.

Because I’m listening to the instinct. Our mate is right there and I want to claim her, protect her, love her. If you can’t do that then just let me have control and I’ll take care of everything.

You’re insane and as soon as I find Emily I’m going to find a doctor for you.

I’m not crazy. You are.

“No I’m not!” he roared, jumping to his feet, his hands balled into fists of impotent rage. There was nothing he could do to hurt the wolf regardless of how much he might want to pummel the beast until he saw reason.

“You’re not what?” Kass asked quietly, walking into the room.

His words died as soon as he saw her dressed in one of his over sized shirts and nothing else. The long shirt came down to the middle of her thighs leaving the rest of her exposed. She’d used one of his ties as a belt, finally showing him how beautiful her body really was. Speechless, he stood staring at her, his heart pounding in his chest.

Squirming under the intensity of his stare, Kass tugged at the hem of his shirt. “I hope you don’t mind, I borrowed one of your shirts. It’s just that my uniform was filthy and you had so many I didn’t think you’d mind.”

Swallowing hard, Wyatt shook his head. “I don’t mind.”

The corners of her lips lifted in the beginnings of a smile “That’s good to hear. I hoped you wouldn’t mind and obviously I don’t plan on wearing this for long,” she rambled, pulling at the hem of his shirt and wishing that it was longer. “I was sort of hoping that you had some women’s clothes somewhere for me to borrow. I’ll give them back, I promise, and I’m sure whoever they belong to wouldn’t mind. Whatever they are has to be better than this.”

I really doubt that,
Wyatt thought, his eyes wandering up the length of her legs. There was something right about her wearing his clothes, that the shirt that he’d once worn was protecting her delicate skin and covering her in his scent. “I don’t have anything to give you.”

“You don’t? Your girlfriend not leave a dress, a shirt…anything?”

He scowled angrily. “I don’t have a girlfriend and my mate has been missing for years so you’re the first woman to ever be in here.”

Brown eyes glanced around the gorgeous suite, confusion evident on her face. “You can’t be serious. I can’t be the first woman to stay the night.”

“You are.”

The simplicity of his words told Kass all she needed to know. He might be crazy but he was telling the truth about this. She wasn’t going to be getting the clothes she’d hoped for as she’d washed the dirt and grime from her skin in the shower. She was going to have to go back into her dirty uniform and put up with feeling uncomfortable until she got home. “I’ll go and change,” she said as she turned away from him and moved towards the bedroom.

A hand quickly shackled her wrist, preventing her from moving forward and heat shot along her skin at the simple contact. “Why?”

His amber eyes were genuinely perplexed and Kass couldn’t stop herself from laughing. He’d asked the question so innocently despite the fact that the answer was glaringly obvious.

“I don’t understand what’s so funny.”

“I can’t go anywhere like this. I need to put clothes on.”

“You have clothes on. Mine.”

Kass’ smile widened. “I know that and when we’re in here it’s fine but I can’t wear these outside. People will get the wrong idea.”

“What will they think?”

“That I’m a prostitute.”

The laughter that had filled the room died quickly when Wyatt began to growl, his lips slipping back to reveal his sharp canines.

Why would our mate even think that?
his wolf snarled, angrily throwing itself at the bars that kept it contained.
Let me out of here Wyatt! She needs me if that’s what she thinks of herself. Look at her, look at how beautiful our mate is. Why would she even think that anyone would think so little of her? She’s precious. She isn’t someone that you can use and throw away. Let me out!