Destined for Harmony (6 page)

“Are you awake?”
Sorin’s voice startled her from dreamland.

“I am now.”

“What you said before…” He stopped and seemed to consider his words. “When you said love isn’t about control…what did you mean?”

The insecuri
ty in his voice charmed her down to her toes. “Well, I just think that love is supposed to empower, not subdue. To love someone unconditionally, is to give them the freedom to be who they are. There’s no room for control. If you’re telling someone who they should or shouldn’t be…well, that’s not unconditional, is it? And there’s no such thing as conditional love.”

She waited for hi
s response, but he didn’t say anything so she continued. “My dad always said love is like a stallion. You can try to tame it but you’ll miss out on its most beautiful form.” She snuggled closer to his warmth. “When it’s wild and free, with no restricting fences, it can go on forever.”

He di
dn’t say anything for a moment and her lids grew heavy. His deep voice shook her awake again. “But, if you love someone, you do what’s best for them.”

Though he phrased it as a statement, she heard the question in his voice.
“No. If you love someone, you support them in figuring out what’s best for themselves.”

With a
drowsy yawn, she asked, “Where did you get your ideas about love anyway?”

She fell asleep waiting for his answer.

How could
Sorin spend a whole night in bed with a woman then miss her so much his heart ached only a few hours after they parted?

He stood to the side
of the picnic area outside the cafeteria as families filled plates with delicious-smelling food lined up on tables. They were having an Indian summer. The cooks had taken advantage of the unusually warm day and grilled the dinner food outside. A spontaneous barbeque get-together had formed. Bands of children wove through the chatting grown-ups, shrieking and laughing. Women prattled about baking recipes with babies on their hips. Usually he’d be first in line for food, discussing war strategies with the men. But today he watched the world go by, his thoughts never straying far from his mate.

Harmony’s
work shift had started at six that morning. If he’d known that last night, he wouldn’t have kept her up so late. Visions from their night together formed in his mind – her naked body laid out across the bed, arms restrained overhead, her creamy breasts plump and nipples begging to be licked. No, he admitted, he still would’ve kept her up.

She’d surren
dered to his domination, though not without some fight. He chuckled, remembering the bite of her anger when he’d pretended to check Facebook. What she didn’t know was that it had been equally hard on him. But the screams in his ears when she’d finally come had been worth it.

By g
od, she was a responsive, passionate little thing. Intelligent and witty, soft and sweet. After the kiss they’d shared two nights ago, there was no doubt she was his. His mate. To protect, to treasure, to love, forever. He hadn’t known having a mate could make him feel so…alive. He craved her like he craved the moon.

The possessive streak of a mated werewolf male had come roaring to the surface that morning when she’d left his bed
. The thought of his mate working alongside men – most of who were werewolves – eight hours out of the day nagged at him. He’d held her down before she’d left and marked her again. She’d rolled her eyes and threatened to kick his ass in the training ring. The adorable threat had made him want to tie her to the bed and have his wicked way with her again.

Cute?
He shook his head. Since when did Sorin, pack beta and son of Ivander, the Romanian clergyman of the
Fier
pack, ever use the word “adorable?”

To obey authority invites the Lord’s favor. To questi
on authority invites His wrath
. How many times had his father said those words when Sorin was a child? Ivander believed himself to be the divinely appointed wrath of God – one to mete out justice in His name. And Sorin had been on the receiving end of those lessons – and the rod – far too often.

The child in him rejoiced at Harmony’s innocent defiance – whi
ch wasn’t really defiance, he was coming to realize, just a proud desire to stand up for what she believed in. He’d almost hesitated when she’d asked him, again, to join the fight against vampires. But he’d told her that it was forbidden. His heart gave a satisfied leap when the spitfire determination burned in her eyes. She wouldn’t give up. Not like his mother.

His last memory
of his mom made a lump of sadness lodge in his throat. A woman, broken, stripped down to nothing. Emotionless, vacant from years of repression.

I know what love isn’t
,
Harmony had said only a few nights ago.
It isn’t control.

“
Sorin, my man,” Luke clapped him on the back. “What are you thinking about so hard? I can see steam coming out of your ears.”

“Nothing,” he mumbled to his friend.

Luke shrugged then left to stand in line for food.

A child – about six or seven years old – caught his attention standing by a nearby stream. A tree had fallen over it
, creating a small footbridge for someone with good enough coordination to cross. But that child was so small. Sorin scanned the area for the boy’s parents.

He found Paul, his
father, sitting calmly at a nearby table. Sorin approached him, gesturing to the boy now hesitantly placing a foot on the tree. “You gonna do something about that?”

Paul looked at his son then back down at his food. “He’ll call me if he needs help.”

Careful not to sound like a worried mother hen, he said, “It looks like he’s gonna try to cross it.”

“I would guess so. His brother’s been doing it all day. I think he can make it. If not, it’s not a far drop to the water.”

Sorin’s looked back at the boy. “The current can be fast.”

“He’s a strong swimmer. And I’m here if he needs me.”

He couldn’t calm the pounding of his heart as the little boy moved slowly, step-by-step, across the tree. He breathed a sigh of relief when he made it to the other side.

The boy beamed then looked at his father. “I did it!”

Paul yelled back, “I knew you could.”

The boy went happily along and Paul finished his dinner, completely unfazed by the harrowing event.

Love empowers.

Death had a distinctive odor, no matter the cause or being.
Harmony walked along the edge of the forest, heading in the opposite direction of the bison carcass in the meadow. The gray wolf pack must’ve taken it down last night. Poor bison but the wolves needed food in their bellies to last the winter. Death was a natural part of her world.

Streaks of orange and pink lit up the western sky. She’d com
e here to watch the sunset and stretch her legs. Four days of office duty was wearing on her nerves. She longed for fresh air and a challenge. More than once it had crossed her mind that Sorin may have had something to do with the switch to office work. Overprotective bastard. They needed to have a talk.

A twig snapped to the right and her senses we
nt on alert. After taking a whiff of the air, she relaxed. To speak of the devil. “Stalking me?”

Sorin’s
voice came from darkness already falling on the forest. “Courting you.”

She snort
ed and turned to face him. “You call this a date?”

At last he appeared. Dark jeans and a striking blue shirt that brought out his eyes, his hair falling over his forehead in the sexiest way…she fought back a groan as her libido switched on. Damn this mat
ing dance. She was in an almost constant state of arousal whenever he was near.

A hint of a smile played on his lips. “Don’t expect flowers and chocolate with me, sweetheart.
You’ll be forever disappointed.”

She rolled her eyes. “We’re not fully mated,
Sorin. I haven’t said yes.”

“It’s as good as done.” In less than a second, she was in his arms, his hands locked behind her lower back.

“Cocky.”

He leaned in and sniffed her hair.
“Mmmm.”

His breath against her neck tickled and she squirmed, trying to hold back a laugh.

“You’re adorable when you giggle,” he whispered in her ear.

Adorable?
She pushed at his chest but he only gripped her harder.

“You’re not going anywhere.” Slowly, he slid his hands from her lower back over her ass and yanked her hard against his groin.

What would he do if she played hard to get? She pushed him again. He didn’t budge. “Not here, Sorin. You’re interrupting my pondering.”

“Pondering? What do you have to ponder?”

“Well, there’s this guy bothering me at work.” She crinkled her brow to look forlorn.

Finally, he let her go and stepped back. His fists clenched and his jaw locked.
“Who?” he demanded with a guttural sound.

Hands clasped
behind her back, she innocently strolled away. “Just this overbearing, meddling, know-it-all Neanderthal who keeps rearranging my schedule so I’m stuck indoors.” She turned to watch his expression.

His face relaxed and she caught the start of a smile before he pushed it back in favor of a disapproving frown.
“Brat.”

She grinned and walked backward, keeping a good distance between them as he stalked toward her.

“Come here,” he said, dark and dangerous. In that way that made her stomach sink and her feet yearn to obey. Though now she dared to resist – to test and to play.

She shook her head. “Catch me.”

He stopped in his tracks and blinked as if surprised. She didn’t wait another second. Heart pounding, she turned and fled. Would he take the bait? Did the uptight pack beta know how to play?

Through the meadow, she soared, yellow grass rushing by her in a blur. She was fast, especially for a girl, but she had no doubt
Sorin was faster. Every muscle tensed in anticipation of him tackling her. Any moment now. She pushed her legs faster.

A few minutes more then she started to slow. There were no footsteps behind her. No sound of heavy breathing but her own. She inhaled the sweet air – no fam
iliar scent either. Did he desert her?

She stopp
ed and looked toward the trees where she’d left him. It was too far to make out any details. Movement in the tall grass to the left caught her eye. A shape – too big for a rabbit or ground animal – slithered close to the ground. Two human eyes glared up at her, bright against the shadowy ground.

A smile spread across her face. Of course he would
n’t chase her. He was a hunter – stealthy and sly. She took off again, heading back toward the trees. The open meadow had seemed like a smart plan at first because she could run faster. But now that she knew he was stalking her, she wanted the cover of the trees.

“Harmony.
Stop.” His sharp command seemed to cut through the night, stilling every creature in the meadow.

Instinctually, she slowed the
n, with a shake of her head, sped up again. He wasn’t getting her that easily.

“Harmony, stop now!”
There was a desperate edge to his order this time.

She halted and imm
ediately saw why he’d sounded panicked. About a hundred feet away, a bear stood on four legs, head hunched low, looking in Harmony’s direction.

Her heart fluttered and every muscle tensed.

Behind the yellow and brown bear, two cubs played in a stream, splashing and romping, oblivious to her presence.

Oh shit.
Mama grizzly.

She gulped and took a step back. The grizzly looked at her and growled
. Should she run? No. She’d look like prey and a grizzly could outrun even her.

“Drop your gaze, Harmony,”
Sorin said. His voice didn’t sound far off. He was there. For some reason it made her feel a little better, even though he was in danger too.

She did as he said. Staring at the ground made her feel more vulnerable but that was the point. Let the bear know she wasn’t a threat.

“Back away, slowly. No sudden moves.”

Trying to keep her breathing even, she walked backward,
listening carefully for signs of aggression from the bear.

It growled again, louder, and her inner wolf fought to get free and run. But even as a wolf, she was in danger. And she’d definitely look and smell like prey.

“Don’t shift,” Sorin said. “Just keep moving back. You’re almost to me. The bear is losing interest.”

A few more shaky steps a
nd she felt him at her back. He pulled her into his arms, kissed her cheek then shoved her behind him. “Keep walking back. All the way to the trees.”

Together, they shuffled backward. The mother grizzly
must’ve deemed them unworthy because she went back to looking over her cubs. In the safety of the trees, Sorin turned around and gathered her in his arms.