Guarding Mari (8 page)

“Yes.” She moved her hips forward, silently urging Daniel’s fingers to break through. “Please, don’t tease me.” He removed his fingers and she cried out.

Being with her brought out a primal side inside of him, his wolf guided his steps. He pushed her down until her back touched the bed and followed her up onto the sheets. Daniel tugged her leg over his hip and claimed her lips in a heated kiss, letting her taste her own desire. He nibbled at her bottom lip as he plunged his fingers into her wetness. Needing cries of desire swept over him. She chanted his name when he curved his fingers and hit the sweet spot. Pain spiked as she dug her nails in his shoulder. She rolled her hips.

He pulled away from her again, kicking off his jeans and pants before returning between her legs and burying himself fully inside her. “Oh, Goddess, yes. You are perfect,” he whispered holding himself still inside of her wanting to prolong the moment.

He glanced at her when she touched his face, commanding his attention. “I love you.”

He grinned. “Are you sure, or is it me inside of you making you say that?”

She wrapped her legs around his waist. “Heart and soul. I never told you, and if something goes wrong, I don’t want there to be any doubt about how I feel about you.”

Her words struck him like a physical blow. A part of her still thought he wouldn’t be able to save her. Nothing on this earth would stop him from keeping her safe, even if he died. He worked himself inside of her, not thinking about the next day or the day after that. Her body responded to his every touch, every thrust. Wetness encased him, hot and absolute in her desire for him. Pressure coiled at the base of his spine, his balls hard and desperate for a release on their own.

“Come for me sweetheart; come for me one more time.”

“I can’t.” Sweat beaded and trickled down between the curves of her breasts.

A truer challenge had never been uttered. “There’s no such word.”

“I’ll...get...a dictionary.”

Even now, when she reached for an orgasm she wasn’t sure she could reach, she sassed him? Oh Goddess, he loved this woman. He reached between their bodies and slowly worked in and out of her. With his thumb and forefinger, he captured and teased the cluster of nerves between her legs. If he hadn’t been holding on and weighed a hundred pounds more than her, she would have thrown him off. It was like riding a bucking bronco as the orgasm she claimed she wouldn’t have torn through her. She clung onto him, nails biting into his shoulders. The sharp pain tipped him over. He roared with the strength of it exploding inside of her.

Reluctantly, he pulled out of her, collapsing next to her, catching his breath.

“Wow, if that’s you tired as hell, you might actually kill me when you’re at full strength,” she said lightly.

“You can take it.” He laughed when Mari punched his shoulder. “Let’s get some sleep. We’ve got a long day ahead of us tomorrow.” He curled up against her.

The light coming through the window woke her. It didn’t take her long to notice her mate wasn’t in bed with her again. She rested her hand on his side, cold. Did he ever sleep? He might have done it to protect her but he wouldn’t be much use if he slipped up due to lack of sleep. Mari rolled onto her side and rested her head on the cold pillow.

Today, she would be the bait. The thought didn’t make her happy even if she knew that it was the only plan they had. The quickest way to get Ryback’s attention, to make him think he had a chance. What were the chances he’d actually make a mistake? He’d been planning this for a while, probably since the night he attacked her. What made him wait so long to finish the job?

Ryback wanted them isolated. Too far away from anyone who could help them. It wasn’t a good plan. Actually it was pretty damn stupid, since Daniel used to hunt rogues. She rolled onto her back. Noises—the clatter of dishes—came from the kitchen, and she found it oddly comforting. Her mouth watered as the smell of bacon reached her nose and her stomach grumbled. It felt like home, even if they were in the middle of nowhere being stalked by a crazy serial killer.

The door to the bedroom swung open and Daniel walked in. She smiled as the aroma of coffee announced his arrival. She sat up and held the bed sheet to her chest, “Morning.”

“Morning, did you get a good night’s sleep?” The way he smiled at her drew one out in response. That morning he wore another pair of jeans; these were zipped up but not buttoned. The T-shirt he wore highlighted broad shoulders and lean forearms. It looked like he’d run his fingers through his blond hair a few times. A few stray strands brushed his forehead. The sight of him, barefoot and delivering breakfast, couldn’t have gotten any more perfect.

“There’s something to be said about sleeping in the arms of a sexy man,” she teased as he handed her the tray with the coffee and sandwich on it.

“I wouldn’t know.” He sat down next to her, a small grin on his face. Did the same blissful feeling fill him at the realization they were finally together? “We need to talk about the plan. I’ve kept my senses open but, wherever he is, he must be downwind from us. Have you sensed him?” She shook her head. “It doesn’t matter, he’ll show up eventually, but I think we should go for a run. Get your scent out there.”

“Okay.” Mari brought her cup to her lips and sipped it. The hot liquid coursed down her throat fighting away the last of the cold. “Good coffee.”

“I should hope so. I packed it for you.” He grinned, getting back to his feet. “When you’re finished, we’ll get started. We’ll run to the pool and back. Don’t need to make it obvious we’re trying to draw him out. I need to take one more look around the perimeter while you eat breakfast.”

Mari watched him as he left; the man with a butt so tight she could bounce a quarter off of it. She finished her coffee and bit into the sandwich, moaning,
so good
. If they were traveling as wolves to the pool, it wouldn’t take long to get ready. She threw off the bed sheets and swung her legs over the side, placing them on the floor. The jarring contact made her swear. A single fireplace and thin wooden planks made the space impossible to heat well. The cabin was nothing like the compound; at least there they had heating, however primitive. She stretched out and half-skipped across the floor before pushing the door open.

Daniel glanced up when she left the bedroom. Raw lust sparked to life behind his eyes. She’d never considered herself a morning person—it took several cups of coffee and a shower to make her feel vaguely human—but from the way he looked at her, she felt confident and sexy as hell.

“You’re wearing too many clothes.” Cold air caressed her naked skin, goose bumps erupted all over her body, but Daniel still wore his jeans.

“If I’m constantly naked around you sweetheart, I don’t think we will get anything done.”

His words made her blush. The world could come to an end around them and she might not even care. She smiled and the change rippled over her, her wolf running up a path only she could see, leaping to the surface. Mari landed on her paws and stalked toward her still-sitting mate, flicking her tail at him as she passed. Daniel’s laughed traveled over her, warming her heart. She loved to see him like this, happy and content. He wasn’t truly relaxed and she knew he wouldn’t be until Ryback was dead, but that moment was enough. She waited for a few seconds by the door, as Daniel kicked off his jeans. Judging from the impressive inches between his legs, he wished they were doing something a lot different. The smell of his desire, musky and intoxicating, filled the air.

Mari watched as Daniel shifted seamlessly. Now that they were both in wolf form, they communicated through the shared bond between wolves.
Let’s start this. All we’re doing is running to the lake. I want him to think we’re just dipping in for a quick bath and heading back. You can run around some of the trees so he gets a good idea where we are from your scent. I want it to seep into him, to override his senses.

You’re hoping he’ll slip up?

I’m counting on it
. Daniel made his way to her. 
You go first. I’ll be right behind you
.

She nudged her head against his, a kiss without lips and took off through the door. Snow crushed underneath her feet, leaving a trail of paw prints in her wake. The biting cold air stung her sensitive nose. The pool of water could be found slightly higher up, hidden away and surrounded by trees. She hadn’t spent much time around the area, preferring to run near the cliff face and the forest, but Kat had told her about it. They’d giggled about how Adam ran into the water butt naked and screamed so loudly he could have shattered any glass within a ten-mile radius.

Rocks mostly made up the makeshift path, partially covered by overgrown weeds, rocks, and tightly packed snow.
Is Ryback watching me?
  A shiver traveled down her spine. She ducked underneath a branch and came to a halt. Daniel stopped next to her.

The spot reminded her of a morbid Christmas card, picturesque with a morbid twist. The bare branches of weeping willows hung like skeletal fingers skimming across the edges of the pool. She took a few more steps toward it; a mountain in the distance reflected on the still body of liquid. A brief second of warning then a hard shove toppled her into the icy water. The violent cold forced her back into her human form. Water and fur didn’t mix unless she wanted to sink to the bottom of the pool like a stone. When she broke through the surface of the water, icy droplets clung to her body.

Mari shivered, trying to keep her balance. The cold was quickly forgotten when she realized why Daniel had knocked her into the water.

“Hello, Mari.”

They’d underestimated Ryback.

A tall man stood over the still wolf form of Daniel. Ryback hadn’t changed, tall, lean, and pretty damn scary. He wore pale clothes; the colors helped him to blend into the shadows. His dark hair brushed back to reveal an angular face. All sharp angles, Ryback resembled a weasel more than a wolf. The sun caught on the metal of the gun in his hand.

“It’s been a long time.”

She glanced down at Daniel. Blood stained the fur on his shoulder. “What did you shoot him with?”

He raised his eyebrows in a mockery of surprise. “What, no chit chat?”

She carefully walked out of the cold water, ignoring the effect the cold had on her. The smell of blood tainted the air. There wasn’t any way she could close the distance between them without Ryback putting another bullet into Daniel. Panic clawed away inside of her. She scowled at him and he shrugged like he knew what ran through her mind, but didn’t care.

“Silver-dipped bullets.”

Panic gave way to fear. No, no, no. How long did they have before the presence of silver in his blood stream proved fatal?

Ryback laughed. “He thought he was protecting you. Poor schmuck didn’t realize he was my first target.”

“Why? Why hurt him? It’s me you want.”

She wanted to shift, to tear out his throat in a hail of blood and gore. Ryback studied her. “I still want you, but it would hardly be fair if our reunion got interrupted. This is between the two of us, but to show I’m not a bad guy, you can take lover boy back to the cabin. He has an hour or two less before the silver kills him. Spend your last moments together and then we can finish what we started so long ago. I don’t think you will want to leave him to die in the snow. A mate can’t survive without their other half. I will be doing you a favor by putting you out of your misery.”

“Why would you let me take him back to the cabin?” She didn’t understand. It didn’t make any sense. Why not put a bullet into her?
Because he wants me to suffer. I’m the one who lived
.

“I’m not a monster.” Ryback edged back into the cover of the trees and turned, walking back into the white. “You’ll find me. Use the connection. Oh, and if you’re thinking of calling backup? I’ve planted bombs around the area. I’ll kill a lot of your friends before they get close to me.”

When he vanished back into the line of trees Mari closed the distant between them. His shallow breath barely raised his chest. She rested her head on his body, listening for the tell-tale beat of his heart through the thick pelt. “Daniel, can you hear me?” She shook him softly. If she stayed out in the cold for much longer, she risked frostbite and shock. “Daniel?” She didn’t want to move him, but she didn’t have much choice. “I need you to help me. I can’t get you back to the cabin while you’re in this form. Shift back, please, Daniel. Shift back.”

A shudder traveled through him and he was back in his human form. A quick brush over his forehead burnt her hand. His body fought the silver in his system. He opened his eyes. “This didn’t go how I thought it would.”

She laughed anxiously, scooping her arms underneath his armpits and pulling him to his feet. “Come on. I need to get you back.” They didn’t have long, but if Ryback thought she’d willingly walk to her death, he didn’t know her at all. If Mari died today, she’d take him with her.

Daniel lost track of time, focusing on placing one foot in front of the other. The silver burnt its way through his system. He’d seen the effects of silver on a wolf. Soon he’d slip into a sleep he wouldn’t wake up from, as his insides boiled. Mari had been talking to him but he hadn’t heard any of it. It was like an out of body experience watching her help him to the cabin. She kicked the door open and he fell to the ground.

She gripped him beneath his arms, and pulled him in the rest of the way, stopping only when they reached the dwindling fire. He opened his eyes and watched as she ran into another room and came back with blankets.

“Daniel, I need you to talk to me.”

“I’m sorry; I should never have brought you into this.” Tiredness swept over him, and he closed his eyes again.

A soft pressure on his face had him turning into the touch. If he died, he was glad they’d had time together. They deserved a lifetime together, a family. Ryback had stolen it all with one bullet. “
No
, Daniel. Look at me. Do you think I would have forgiven you if you hadn’t involved me? I need to take the bullet out.” A sharp pain erupted at his shoulder, cutting through the heat of infection. He tried to breathe through it, but it wasn’t easy. A bomb exploded inside of him as she used her fingers to try and retrieve the bullet. “Next time, we need to bring a first aid kit with us.”