The Witch, the Wolf and the Snowstorm: (Book 6, Grey Wolf Pack Romance Novellas) (14 page)

He shook his head in disgust.  “I thought you were better than this, you think you can trap me into a relationship by lying about my true mate?!”

She was gobsmacked. 
Did
he honestly think she was trying to ensnare him to be with her?
  “You arrogant bastard!”  She screeched. 

He
bared his teeth, fury racing through him.  “We had sex that’s all.  You were a decent lay I’ll give you that but now we’re done.”

Don was seething with rage, he felt it through every inch of his body but he didn’t understand why.  The feelings pouring through him felt so alien and uncontrollable.  He didn’t want to be angry or hurtful to
Kayleigh and yet he couldn’t stop himself. 

His body shook as his beast fought to push forward, to force the shift. 
The wolf was fearful of Don hurting Kayleigh and desperately needed to take charge.

Her eyes prickled with hot tears. 
“You really think so little of me?  You really think you’re so irresistible that I’d make this up?!”

“Enough!” 
Bellowed Don.  “Get your stuff together.  I am going to get you home and out of my house if I have to carry you all the way on my fuckin’ back!”

With that he threw his clothes back on and stomped out of the cabin, forcefully slamming the door. 
The window frames shook
.

Kayleigh’s
eyes were fixed on the door.  She was quivering as tears streamed down her cheeks. 
If he wanted her to go then she was gone
.  On shaking legs she stumbled round the cabin. She quickly threw on her underwear, a pair of his rolled up jeans, a t-shirt, a shirt, three pairs of socks, one of his coats and a pair of boots.  Everything was a little baggy but she didn’t care, she just needed to leave. 
And if he wanted his cheap-ass clothes back she would mail them to
him
.

Grabbing her purse she gingerly stepped outside.  She could hear him banging around in the garage. 
Good, stay there
.

Determinedly she began trudging out into the snow.  As the freezing cold wind whipped
, a shiver racked her body. Anxiety niggled at her,
maybe this wasn’t a good idea
.  She shook her head trying to force away her worries.  If she just stuck to the road she’d be fine.

She pulled the coat around her, trying to ignore the fact that it smelled of Don’s enticingly spicy scent. 
Yep, everything was just peachy...

Chapter Fourteen

Don raked his hands through his hair.  He’d spent the last hour hiding from her in the garage.  He didn’t know how to talk to her.  Part of him wanted to apologise and tell her he didn’t want her to leave.  But then another part was still mad about her insinuations about Melinda.

Melinda was his mate.  End of story. 
And yet... 
Since meeting Kayleigh a number of things had unsettled him about his relationship with Melinda.

A deep, dark part of him had to admit that he didn’t really like Melinda.  It wasn’t supposed to be that way with your true mate.  You were supposed to love every single part of them,
warts and all
.  But Melinda was cruel and shallow.  She flirted with other men, and didn’t even enjoy having sex with Don.  He hated the way she dressed and acted, she belittled his family and his pack...

She was nothing like
Kayleigh
.  Kayleigh called to his wolf on a level that even he didn’t understand. 
It was primal
.

Kayleigh
was sweet but sassy when she wanted to be.  She dressed elegantly but still oozed sexuality.  He couldn’t imagine her being anything but generous and lovely. 
Not to mention how it felt having her sensual body wrapped around him...

The weather was getting worse.  Snow was falling in flurries and the temperature was dropping furiously.  He couldn’t take
Kayleigh home even if he wanted to. 
Which he didn’t...

Perhaps he should just listen to what she had to say...  His insides twisted at the thought and yet his beast and his heart felt that she was telling the truth, and they wanted to hear her out.

If Melinda wasn’t really his true mate... no, he wasn’t ready to think that just yet
.

Bracing himself he dashed out into the cold and rushed into the cabin.
  Panic tore through him.  It was cold, dark and empty.  “Kayleigh?”

The fire had gone out, quite a while ago judging by the embers.  Frenziedly he searched the cabin calling out her name.  It was so small he was done in thirty seconds.
  Oh god one of his coats and a pair of boots were missing. 
She’d gone out by herself!

“Fuck!”
  He yelled into the silent room.

He had to go after her, he had to find her.  She’d die out there on her own!  His wolf was babbling at him. 
One word springing to mind over and over. 
Mate
.

He ignore
d the animal and rummaged through his closet, pulling out warm clothes.  Out of the corner of his eye he saw the stone pendant lying on the bedside table.  Carefully he picked it up twisting it between his fingers, wondering at what she had told him.

The wolf became more vociferous, howling his frustration about
Kayleigh.  His hands began to shake as the beast tried to gain control.

Don couldn’t take it anymore
.  Roaring he hurled the pendant at the stone fireplace, smashing it.  At once searing pain wrenched through his body, beating against his mind and his heart.  He doubled over holding his head as his wolf whined piteously. 

He writhed on the floor u
ntil the pain abated leaving him sweating, shaking and numb.  He held his hand over his heart as fiery feelings of love and possession blossomed, heating his whole body.  Images of Kayleigh flashed through his mind. 
Mate
. 
Mine
.

He lay on the floor panting, trying to pull
himself together.  His thoughts turned to Melinda but instead of love he felt loathing.  He could no longer see her as his true mate, the woman who was made for him, and who he would yearn for forever.  Now all he could see was the rude, selfish cashier at the grocery store who he had the unfortunate luck to run in to.

Dragging himself to his feet he walked over to the fireplace and picked up the pieces of the pendant. 
Kayleigh was right
.  The pendant was magical, it had created artificial feelings of affection for a woman he didn’t even like.  And he had assumed she was his true mate
.  For twenty years he had mourned the loss of her...

To think of all the time he had wasted. 
To think of how he had treated Kayleigh...
 
Mate
.  Kayleigh was his mate.  She had to be.  That was why he had feelings for her in spite of the stone’s spell.  That was why he could never stop thinking about her, or comparing her to the woman he thought was his true mate. 
Oh god he had to find her!

Unceremoniously tearing his clothes off he bolted out of the door
and in a flash became the wolf, howling in pleasure at having found his real true mate and fear that he might lose her.

Sniffing t
he ground he took off after her at a tremendous pace.  She was human she wouldn’t have gotten far. 

He ran and searched but there was no sign of her.  The snow was falling thickly
, covering the grounds in sheets.  He was becoming frantic. 
He had to get to her, she would freeze if he didn’t.

He yowled pitifully, shaking the snow of his haunches. 
But wait!
  He caught a glimpse of something blue.  Sprinting in that direction he could see her, she was wearing his blue coat! 
Yes there she was!

He almost cried at seeing the state of her.  She was crawling through the snow, her cheeks red, lips turning blue and her body shaking uncontrollably. 
The wolf immediately relinquished control and shifted to the man.  Ignoring the biting cold on his bare skin he scooped Kayleigh up into his arms, holding her close.

Looking around he could see he was closer to the Shaw home than his.  He set off running, her fragile body bouncing up and down in his arms.  He jabbered incessantly, telling her he was sorry, telling her he loved her, telling her she was right.
  Anything that might keep her awake.

He pushed himself faster when he saw the house in sight.  Leaping up the porch he
roughly kicked on the front door.  It was flung open by a very disgruntled and then very surprised looking Casey.

Casey opened his mouth to speak
but Don forcibly pushed past him calling out for Casey’s grandmother Jeanette, a former registered nurse.

The whole family converged, gawking at him for a few seconds before Jeanette flew into action giving her family orders.  There was a blur of activity and Jeanette told Casey to take
Kayleigh away from an obviously exhausted Don.  Casey moved toward him and Don and his wolf roared. 
No, my mate mine!

Casey paled but Jeanette just nodded knowingly.  She led Don upstairs to the bathroom where Kristy had filled the tub with
luke warm water.

Between the three of them they divested
Kayleigh of her sodden clothes and glasses. Don lifted her in to the water.  She whimpered and Don’s heart lurched.  He sat beside her stroking her hair, begging for her to be okay.

Gradually Jeanette and Kristy added more warm water to the tub, heating her slowly.
  Mindful of Don’s possessive growling.  James tried to bring some clothes into the bathroom for Don but Don almost lost his mind at having another male so close to his naked mate.  Kristy quickly grabbed the clothes and slammed the door in her mate’s face.

Don ran his thumb down her cheek, relieved that her skin was slowly
pinkening and losing the deathly blue pallor.  Kayleigh was a little woozy, he couldn’t tell how much she was aware of.  Her eyes would flutter open and stare directly at him but then she would sigh and close them again.

When she was finally up to temperature Don lifted her out of the bath and they dried her.  Jeanette checked her over for injuries
and satisfied she was unhurt Don carried her into the bedroom the family had prepared.

She slept fitfully for hours
as Don sat by the bed.  He dare not sleep or leave her side. 
His wolf whimpered mournfully.

*

10
th
December

Much to everyone’s relief the storm finally broke and it was a crisp sunny winter’s day.
  Casey and his sisters ventured out to make snowmen and to pelt snowballs at one another.  The phone line was restored so they could check on other members of the pack.  Very slowly the snow started to melt.

Don didn’t budge from
Kayleigh’s side.  At Jeanette’s insistence he put on some clothes,
for the sake of the children living in the house
, and tried to eat something, but he refused to leave her.  She was feverish, drifting in and out of sleep and he would stay with her until he was sure she would be okay.

Thoughts of Melinda and his pack skated through his mind.  Had Melinda ever cared for him?  What was the point of making him fall for her?  What did she get out of it?  Did his pack really hurt her?  Was she still out there somewhere, laughing at him?  He needed answers to those burning questions and there was only one place he would get them.
 
Charming, Texas
.

*

11
th
December

“Don, Don
wake up.”  Gently a hand rocked his shoulder.

He grasped the hand. 
“Kayleigh?”  His heart boomed in his chest. 

He’d been dreaming of her. 
Another sexy fantasy
. 
They were running through the woods, he in his wolf form and she in a red cloak.  Yeah, Little Red Riding Hood, total stereotype!  He was chasing her as she giggled and squealed in delight.  Finally coming to a clearing he pounced on her bringing her down to the ground, pinned beneath him in complete submission.  He shifted so he was lying over her naked, his hard shaft pressed against her quivering sex.  She told him she loved him, that she wanted him, that she needed him.  They kissed hungrily as he tore through her clothes ready to devour her...

“It’s just me.” 
Said Jeanette.

He slumped back, his heart deflating.
  He rubbed at his neck, regretting falling asleep in the chair.  He should have crawled into bed with Kayleigh...
although considering their last encounter he might not be that welcome
. 

Jeanette smiled at him.  “She’s much better now.  Her temperature’s down and she’s sleeping peacefully.”

Don lit up.  “She’s gonna be okay?”

“She’ll be fine.  She might feel a bit weak for a
while, but other than that...”  Jeanette trailed off as Don moved to leave.

“I have to go.”  He said shortly.

She spluttered.  “But... but what about Kayleigh?”

He gave her a hard look.  “Can I trust that you’ll take care of her?”

“Well of course but...”

“Then that’s all that matters.”  He moved towards the door.  “I’ve got
somethin’ I need to do and she probably won’t wanna see me when she wakes up anyway.”

He
turned, giving one last lingering look to Kayleigh’s sleeping form.  She looked better than she did, but still so small and delicate.  His wolf howled at him. 
A common occurrence these days
.  It tore him apart but he had to go,
he needed answers
.