Blood Wolf Dawning (11 page)

“Son of a bitch,” Cian snarled, but no
one was paying him any attention.

They were too busy heading out the front door, and taking his woman with them.

* * *

Cian was still cursing under his breath about meddlesome assholes as they walked across the grass-covered Alley, and Sayre had to bite her lip to keep from laughing. Without saying a word, she climbed up the front porch steps of his cabin, caught between embarrassment
that everyone knew what had been bothering her about staying there with him, and relief that they weren’t going to have to bunk down with her sister and brother-in-law. She loved Jilly and Jeremy like crazy, but she wasn’t sure how much interaction with others she could take before needing some space. She was doing fine for the moment, but was still cautious and didn’t want to push her luck.

The others left her and Cian to make their way inside on their own, and she could have sworn she heard Jeremy snickering under his breath as he and Jillian headed back to their place after hugging her good-night. She wondered just how bad it could be as Cian used his old key to unlock the door and walked in. Moving to his side, she heard his swift intake of breath as he flicked on a light,
and she swept the room with a glance, then looked over at him. The expression of horror on his face was so hilarious she had to spin away, using the excuse of shutting the front door as she tried not to burst into choked gales of laughter.

Gone were the rustic furnishings, cream walls and gleaming hardwood floors. Everything had been redone in a brilliant shade of shamrock green, from the
upholstery on the furniture to the carpet and the paint on the walls. It looked like some kind of psychotic nightmare—one where a demented leprechaun had thrown up all over the room—and she had to silently commend the creative nature of their revenge.

As if he’d been listening in on her thoughts, he shoved both hands back through his hair and said, “I can’t believe they were so angry at me
that they actually spent money on all this shit. Jesus.”

“It’s, um, interesting, I’ll give them that. But maybe they thought you’d like it.”

He sent her a
get-real
look. “They knew damn well that I’d hate it, Sayre. You know that as well as I do.”

“If you don’t like Ireland,” she murmured, pushing her hands in her pockets, “then why do you live there?”

“This isn’t Ireland,”
he growled, running his tongue over the edge of his teeth as he looked from one eyesore to another. “This is the seventh circle of Hell.”

“So then you do like Ireland? Is that where your family lives? Is that why you moved to Dublin?”

He grunted in response, then rolled one of those muscular shoulders. Apparently, that was the only answer he was going to give her, and she held back a
frustrated laugh. He took stubborn to a whole new level when it came to being closemouthed about his past, but she was willing to cut him some slack, since there were things she didn’t want to tell him, either.

When a soft knock came on the front door, he muttered something under his breath as he stalked down the hallway, leaving her to see who it was. She smiled when she found Jillian standing
on the front porch, and stepped outside to join her, leaving the door open so that she could see when Cian came back down the hall. Judging by his reaction to the living room, he was probably searching the rest of the cabin to see what else they’d done to it. It was either that, or he’d scented Jillian on the other side of the door and decided to give them some privacy.

“First off,” Jillian
said with concern, keeping her voice low enough that they couldn’t be overheard, “how are you feeling?”

Sayre crossed her arms over her chest to ward off the slight chill in the air. “So far, so good. There’s...I don’t know how to describe it. I’m tuned in to everyone’s energy, but it’s not overwhelming me. At least not yet.”

As a wave of relief spread across her beautiful face, Jillian
nodded. “That’s good. Maybe you’re learning to control it.”

A slight shrug lifted her shoulders. “Or it could be that there simply aren’t that many people here at the moment.”

“Maybe,” Jillian murmured, tucking a long strand of blond hair behind her ear. “But promise you’ll let me know the moment you start to feel that it’s too much. Please don’t keep it to yourself.”

“Stop worrying,
Jilly. I’m a big girl.”

“I know that. But...God, Sayre. What are you doing?”

Not really wanting to have this conversation, she deliberately misinterpreted the question. “Um, I’m pretty beat, so I was planning on getting ready for bed.”

Her sister didn’t look amused. “You know I meant with Cian.”

Softly, knowing her sister was only looking out for her because she cared, she
asked, “Is that really any of your business? You know I love you. But there are some things that should be private, don’t you think?”

“If he was committed to you, then yes. But that’s not the feeling that I’m getting from the two of you.”

With a lopsided grin on her lips, she said, “Can’t a girl just be in it for a good time?”

Jillian didn’t so much as crack a smile. “Some girls,
yes. But...that’s never been you. And with the male who’s your life mate? This is a recipe for disaster, Sayre. You
know
that.”

“Maybe. Probably.” She tilted her head a bit to the side, willing her sister to understand. “But what’s my other choice, Jillian? Go through life never knowing how incredible it is to experience what the rest of you enjoy on a daily basis?”

Shaking her head,
Jillian argued, “Sex without love is different than being with the person who holds your heart, Sayre.”

“And you know this how?” she asked with an arched brow, fully aware that her sister had never been with anyone but Jeremy.

But Jillian wasn’t going to concede her point so easily. “I know from watching others.”

“Well, even if you’re right, you don’t need to worry about me.” Trying
to look strong, she lifted her chin and straightened her spine. “I know what I’m doing.”

“I just don’t want to see you get hurt. Either physically
or
emotionally. You’ve been hurt enough by all this.” Jillian blinked, and Sayre hoped like hell she wasn’t about to cry, because then she’d cry right along with her. “I can’t help but feel like I’ve lost you.”

“Maybe this will help me,” she
said gently. “Maybe I can actually get to the point where I can function normally. Then I could come home, and maybe even start a life with someone else.” But they would have to be human. She wouldn’t risk depriving another Lycan of their life mate.

Though she’d tried to be convincing, she could tell by her sister’s expression that Jillian wasn’t buying it. “I’m worried for you.”

“I
know,” she whispered. “But you don’t need to be. Really, Jillian. Just trust me, okay?”

“I’m afraid that’s easier said than done. And not because I don’t think you’re equipped to handle whatever life throws at you. I just... I don’t trust Cian not to break your heart.”

She shot a quick look through the open front door to make sure they were still alone, then gave her sister a solemn
smile. “He doesn’t have my heart. At one time, that might have been a possibility, if he’d...if he’d wanted the same thing. But he didn’t, and what’s done is done.”

“And what of the danger he’s brought down on you? Something we still don’t know anything about!”

“I don’t think that was on purpose, Jillian. I
know
it wasn’t. So as much as I’d like to, I can’t blame him for it.” Not that
he’d bothered to share any of the details with her, either. She could only hope that now that they were in the Alley, he’d open up and tell them exactly what was going on.

Jillian’s next breath released on a heavy sigh. “I know that Cian wouldn’t put you in danger on purpose. It’s just...I’m worried and I’m angry, and right now blaming him sounds like a really stellar idea. And it doesn’t
help that I’ve missed you so much. You hardly ever even email me, Sayre, much less call.”

“I know,” she said, feeling incredibly guilty, “and I’m sorry. It’s just...staying in touch makes it harder. But I think about you guys all the time.”

“Just please promise me that you won’t shut me out again.”

“I promise,” she murmured, giving her sister another hug.

Before she left, Jillian
warned her that their mother was going to flip when she found out she was back, but assured her that she would try to buy her a little time before Constance Murphy descended on the Alley like a force of nature. As Jillian headed back to her cabin, Sayre walked inside and locked the front door, hoping they were done with visitors for the night. She went in search of Cian, and instead found her
things sitting on the foot of the bed in the master bedroom, which had been decorated as hideously as the living room. He must have gone out the back door and brought everything back from the Audi while she’d been talking to Jillian, and she hoped like hell that he hadn’t overheard any of their conversation.

Stepping back into the hallway, she saw that the cabin’s back door had been left
slightly ajar, and she could smell cigarette smoke, which meant he was probably out on the back porch polluting his lungs. Deciding to get ready for bed while he enjoyed his vice, she changed into a small tank-and-short set, then went into the horrendously green bathroom to brush her teeth. When she came back into the bedroom, a magnificently bare-chested and barefoot Cian was sitting on the bed with
his back resting against the gaudy headboard, his long legs stretched out in front of him and crossed at the ankles.

“You look exhausted,” he said the moment she walked into the room.

She snuffled a soft snort under her breath. “Thanks. Lines like that must get you laid
all
the time.”

Instead of laughing, he gave her a hard, steady stare that brought a rush of heat to the sensitive
surface of her skin. “You could look dead on your feet and you’d still be the most beautiful woman in the world, Sayre. I was just trying to say that I’m worried about you.”

“Oh. Um, thanks.”

“Come on,” he said, jerking his chin toward the empty side of the bed.

“Are we both sleeping in here?” she asked, unable to hide the surprise in her voice. After the way he’d pulled away from
her today, she hadn’t thought he’d want to get near her again so soon.

She watched his strong throat work as he swallowed. “Yeah, we are. I...I don’t want to take any chances being away from you. Especially at night. And the bed is big.”

She didn’t say anything more as she put her toothbrush back in her bag, then made her way over to the bed. Trying like crazy not to drool at the mouthwatering
sight of him sprawled on top of the far side of the mattress, his lean, muscular body the most mesmerizing thing she’d ever seen, she pulled back the blankets and climbed in. There was a hole in the left leg of the faded jeans he’d thrown on, and she could see a glimpse of the dark hair that was sprinkled over his strong, powerful thigh. Given how hot that little glimpse of his leg was
making her, she knew better than to let her gaze drift higher, taking in his ripped abs, rugged chest and those broad, sink-your-nails-into-them shoulders. And then there were his big, round biceps, corded forearms and thick wrists that led to large, beautiful hands.

God. Her body temperature was rising, her heart pounding like a freaking jackhammer, and she knew her power was on the verge
of breaking free in an embarrassing display of sparks any second now. Doing the only thing she could, she squeezed her eyes shut, praying he would turn off the bedside light as she started to roll over, giving him her back. But he stopped her with the touch of his big, warm hand on her arm.

“Don’t,” he groaned, pulling on her arm until she’d rolled onto her back and found herself staring
up into his breathtaking face, his lips slightly parted for his uneven breaths. He lifted his hand and gently tucked a strand of her hair behind her ear, a slight smile tugging at the corner of his mouth. The look in his molten, heavy-lidded gaze made her shiver, and she licked her lips, so nervous and excited she thought she might come out of her skin.

Then he completely blew her mind as
he said, “You forgot to let me kiss you good-night, lass.”

* * *

Cian didn’t know where those words had come from, but he couldn’t take them back. Didn’t
want
to take them back. He didn’t want anything but the feel of her mouth under his again, slick and hot and opened wide for the ravenous demands of his lips and tongue, and so that’s what he took. With his weight braced on his elbow,
he leaned over her and ran his tongue over her juicy lower lip, then sank it deep inside that sweet-as-hell hollow of flesh. And, Christ, it was perfect. Soft and wet and impossibly addictive, making him crave even more of her—
all of her
—in a way that was even deeper than the visceral hunger for this woman he’d been carrying with him for years.

“I want
more
,” she moaned, curving her feminine
hands around the back of his neck, his skin hot and damp beneath the softness of her palms.

With his right hand cupping the side of her face, he tilted her head back at a deeper angle with his thumb under the delicate edge of her jaw. “More of what, baby?”

“Of this. Of you.”

“Sayre,”
he groaned, rubbing her name into those cushiony, kiss-swollen lips, fighting the instinctive urge
to reach down and cup one of her perfect breasts in his hand, her nipples tight and thick as they pressed against the thin cotton of her top in a way that was guaranteed to drive him insane. “Damn it, you little witch,” he panted, his blood pounding in his ears. “You’re going to be the death of me.”

She broke away from the kiss and pulled on the back of his hair to get him to lift his head
until she could see his face. “Don’t say that,” she whispered, stroking her fingertips across the stubble that covered the lower half of his face, reminding him that he still needed to shave. There were too many tender, intimate places on her body that he
needed
to put his mouth on, and he didn’t want to be worrying about scratching her when he explored every single one of them. “With everything
that’s happening,” she added, “I don’t want to hear you talk that way.”