Heart of the Wolf (11 page)

 
But Ren wanted her to choose him freely, to come with him because she wanted
him,
not because she was afraid of her father. So he told her the truth.

“No, he won’t. He might try to call you, might even show up on your doorstep someday. But he’s a patient man. He won’t force you.”

The sun broke over the horizon abruptly, flooding the room with brilliant light. Ren closed his eyes against the glare and felt the heat on his eyelids.

“I’m going back to
Europe
, Kathryn.” She stiffened slightly in his embrace, but he continued. “I have to report in to Clanhome first, maybe even see Dom, but then I’m going home. I want you to come with me.”

She rolled over in his arms, pressing the length of her warm, lithe body against his and burying her face in his shoulder. And he knew what she’d say.

* * * *

“Right,” Ren said, switching the phone to his other ear to check his watch. “I’ll drive over there now. They can home in on my
GPS
. I’ll call you.” He disconnected and walked over to the bed where Kathryn still lay, half asleep after their long and exhausting night. She opened her eyes, and he saw her surprise that he was up and dressed already. She glanced at the clock quickly, then back at his face.

“Tommy’s downstairs,” he said. “The storm let up during the night, and the plows are working. I’ve got to meet Dom’s cleanup crew. Paul Jorgens—you remember him?—is with them, so I might be able to avoid going all the way out to Clanhome, especially since I still have some details to clear up with the police in town.”

“Ren—” she started, but he interrupted.

“Don’t say it, Kathryn. I understand, I really do. You’re free for the first time in your life, and you want to see what it’s like. And you should.” He sat down next to her. “But you need to remember one thing. Well, two things actually. One.” He leaned over and took her mouth in a long and searing kiss. She made a hungry little noise that had him wishing he could spend the rest of the day in bed with her. But, hell, one day wouldn’t be nearly enough.

He pulled away reluctantly. “I love you, Kathryn. I always have.” He stood up, pulled his jacket on and started for the door.

“Wait!” she cried. “What’s the second thing?”

He paused and looked back at her. “You don’t need to be alone to be free. When you realize that, you’ll know where to find me.”

Epilogue

Kathryn grabbed the slatted back of the bench as the ferry bumped against the dock. The rough wood of the pier was dark and pitted with age, water pooling in deep gouges and runnels, gleaming silver in the morning sunlight.

The rain seemed gone for good this time. At least she hoped it was. The locals had all assured her the bad weather was unusual for this late in the spring, but she didn’t believe them anymore. It had rained on and off for almost three weeks now, while she traveled from one tiny town to another looking for Ren and his small clan of wolves. Everywhere she’d gone, it seemed as if someone had seen them just yesterday, or maybe it was last week. One step behind him all the way and she was beginning to believe he didn’t even live around here, that this was just a big joke the locals were playing on the dumb American lady.

She stood, closing her eyes and raising her face to the weak sunlight. One way or another, she was staying put for a while. This town was big enough to have a hotel of some sort, good enough for a few days anyway, while she checked her sources and tried to figure out where the hell Renjiro Roesner had gotten off to. It had only been two months since she’d lay in that big bed all alone, telling herself what a fool she was to let him walk away. How could he have disappeared so thoroughly in only two months? And why had she waited so long to start looking?

Kathryn knew the answer to that one. She’d wanted to be free, to have no one telling her what to do, how to behave, where to go. So she’d sold that damn penthouse of
Preston
’s along with just about everything in it and walked away. And then discovered the only place she really wanted to be was with Ren—wherever the hell that was.

She sighed and made her way down the rickety gangplank to the dock. Turning to one of the men lashing the ferry in place, she spoke to him in the local language, asking if there was a café nearby. He grinned in obvious surprise and rattled off directions, offering assurances as to the establishment’s fine cuisine and fair prices. Probably owned by his cousin, she thought.

But still, a cup of tea would be nice, and something rich and sinful to go with it. If she couldn’t have Ren for breakfast, she’d just have to settle for something chocolaty instead.

* * * *

Ren strolled down the cobbled street, breathing in air freshly washed by yesterday’s rain. The narrow streets were still damp, but today the sky was clear and blue, and already he could see the brown hillsides around the town turning green with new growth. This winter had been hard, and the spring far colder than usual for this part of the world. It had taken a toll on both minds and bodies. But if today was any harbinger, the winter was finally gone for good.

Next to him, Alec gave a low whistle. “Look at that,” he said admiringly.

Ren followed his gaze to a small café down the block where several tables had been set out on the damp walk to take advantage of the unexpected good weather. He stopped walking.

“She’s gotta be new in town,” Alec marveled. “I’m sure I would’ve—”

Ren growled deep in his chest and swung his head slowly to regard the other wolf through half-slitted eyes.

“Mine,” he snarled.

Alec’s eyes widened. He glanced at the woman and back to Ren, then lowered his eyes submissively and kept them there as Ren strode away.

Kathryn stood up when she saw him. Her silver hair had grown long enough to brush her collar, and it glinted brightly in the new sunlight. She smiled as he drew closer, and he could see the spark of laughter in her gray eyes.

He stopped two feet away. “Did you find what you were looking for?”

“Yes,” she said, closing the distance between them and stepping into his open arms. “I did.”

THE END

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