Wolfishly Yours (24 page)

Livi leaned against the starboard railing of the
Aspire
, staring at the dark water below but not really seeing it. She should have gotten married today. She should be in Bath at this very moment, surrounded by her brothers and her new family. She should have had Grayson by her side for now and always. She certainly shouldn’t be on her way to blasted Boston with Etienne!

“My child,” someone behind her mumbled, breaking Livi out of her reverie.

She turned around to find a Catholic priest standing just a few feet away with a greenish tint to his plump face. Father Antonio’s visage flashed in her mind and Livi scowled. If she never saw another Catholic priest in all her days, it would be too soon. “Father,” she mumbled in both greeting and farewell before walking to the other side of the ship.

Before she could settle against the railing on the port side, she spotted Etienne headed in her direction. “Boston?” she grumbled. “You couldn’t have found some place closer to home?”

Her brother shrugged. “Captain Lafleur said this was our best option if we needed to leave quickly. Which we did. We’ll only have to be in Boston a day or two.”

“It’s freezing there,” Livi complained. She knew she was being difficult, but she couldn’t help it. Nothing had turned out right, and it seemed nearly impossible for her to be pleasant.

Etienne looked over her shoulder and smiled. “Ah, Father Patrick, is the sea air not helping you?”

Father Patrick? Her brother was already acquainted with the man of the cloth? Perfect. She’d have to suffer meals with the priest all the way to blasted Boston. Or she could hole up in the cramped quarters Etienne had managed to secure for her. That option was probably safer for everyone.

“I think I just need ta get my sea legs, Mr. Mayeux,” the priest replied, his Irish accent soft and lilting against the breeze.

“And a bit of ginger,” Etienne suggested. “You might want to ask about some in the galley. It can work wonders.”

“Thank ye. I think I’d be lost without yer assistance, my child.”

Etienne returned his gaze to Livi and smiled. “Nice fellow, but not built for sea travel.”

Livi heaved a sigh. “I am going to my quarters. I’ll reemerge in godforsaken Boston.” But before she could move another step, the sound of a cannon in the distance caught her attention.

Father Patrick’s face turned from green to white and back. “Ye doona think there are pirates?”

Etienne laughed. “Not in the Bristol Channel, Father.” He left Livi, returned to the starboard side, and shook his head as though he couldn’t quite believe what he saw.

“What is it?” Livi asked, crossing the deck to stand beside her brother.

“I think,” Etienne began, “it’s
Madame
Gracieuse
.”

“The
Madame
Gracieuse
?”

Etienne didn’t answer her, though. He rushed past her, yelling to the seamen, “Lower the sails! Lower the sails!”

Livi rushed up beside him and tugged on Etienne’s sleeve. “What’s happening?” she asked.

He looked down at her for no more than a moment as he stared at the quickly approaching ship. “It appears as though we’re being hailed.”

“Hailed by whom?”

“Armand, would be my guess,” Etienne said. “Perhaps he dispensed with Hadley’s body much quicker than any of us expected.” He grinned down at her until she punched him in the side. He winced and rubbed the area. “What was that for?”

“For wishing Gray dead.”

“Oh, I more than wish it,” he said, much too chipper for her own happiness. He rubbed his hands together expectantly and his eyes twinkled. “I can’t wait to hear how Armand did it.”

Livi lifted a hand to shield the sun from her eyes and tried to pick Armand out from the others on the deck of the ship. But then she saw
him
, the last man she’d ever expected to see again, standing there on the bow of the ship, his pose mimicking hers. Gray lowered his hand from atop his eyes and crossed his arms over his chest. His stance was wide, his legs parted to help him keep his balance. His coat billowed behind him, caught by the fierce wind. Gray spoke over his shoulder to Armand, who stood at his side, pointing toward the
Aspire
.

Livi’s heart skipped a beat when Gray raised his hand and waved at her. She lifted her fingers to her lips despite their quivering.

Etienne’s arm dropped around her shoulders. “What’s wrong, Liv?” he asked. “I told you that it’s just Armand. No need to worry that we’re being besieged by pirates.” He gave her a reassuring squeeze just as a tear fell down her cheek and a miniscule amount of hope bloomed in her heart.

Livi lifted her hand to wave back. When she did, Gray stepped toward the rail and leaned both hands up on it. He moved his mouth as though he was speaking to her, but she couldn’t make out the words. They were snatched away by the wind as quickly as he spoke them. But his schooner was rapidly approaching.

Livi stepped forward, placing her hands on the railing to keep from falling to the deck in a giant heap of muddled thoughts. Gray was coming after her.

“Who’s that with Armand?” Etienne asked, scrunching his face up as he regarded the other ship, which was coming closer and closer every second. The
Aspire
’s sails had dropped, allowing the
Madame
Gracieuse
to overtake them. “Is that Hadley?” Etienne groaned. He looked down at Livi, taking in what must have been a shocked expression.

It was. It was him. He was coming for her. Grayson Hadley did want her after all.

Gray’s schooner pulled alongside, and Livi watched as Gray and Armand looked at one another, a challenge in both their eyes if she’d ever seen one. Then they launched themselves over the railing, to the wild cheers and hollers of
Madame
Gracieuse
’s crew.

Livi’s gaze was trained on Gray as his foot found purchase on the top of the schooner’s rail. Then he and Armand jumped from schooner to brigantine at the same time. Of course Armand jumped a little farther, having done this sort of thing before, landing hard on the deck behind her. Armand had grown up at the shipyards, and his footing was surer than most. But Gray faltered as he swung his arms and barely caught the
Aspire’
s rail. Livi screamed and closed her eyes, unable to watch him sink into the blue depths of the sea below.

“Pull me up, Mayeux,” Gray’s voice called, and Livi’s eyes flew open. That was when she saw fingers clutching the outside rail of the ship. She rushed forward and looked over the edge. Gray’s eyes twinkled up at her. “Afternoon, Livi,” he said, as though he was meeting her over tea. A grin tugged at his lips, although he still struggled to pull himself aboard. He hung there like a giant fish on a hook.

She motioned for Etienne to come and help him. “You certainly know how to make an entrance, Mr. Hadley,” she said as casually as he had.

His knuckles were white, but he still smiled, looking more handsome than she’d ever seen him, despite the fact that he dangled over the ocean. “We Hadleys never do things the easy way.”

“Pull him up,” she ordered.

Both her brothers stood there looking at her like she’d lost her mind, until she tugged her slipper from her foot and advanced toward them, fully prepared to beat them both about their heads until they pulled Gray from above the murky depths. They fended her off with a snort and finally went to pull one very uncomfortable Lycan onto the ship.

“Thanks for letting me hang there,” Gray said to Armand, his voice dry and emotionless. “I thought you were on my side.”

“You should have shoved him over, Armand,” Etienne grunted. “Were you hoping for a sea burial so we could hide the body?” he asked.

But Gray didn’t appear to pay any attention to her brothers’ bickering. He strode directly toward Livi, and her belly flipped upside down. Her heart did a little dance that matched her belly’s ferocity. Gray didn’t wait for her to acknowledge him. He swept her into his embrace and pulled her to him, her body flush against the corded length of his. Gray’s lips lowered, taking hers as though he owned them. His kiss was fierce, his lips pressing hard against hers. But after a moment, a growl rose up from his throat and his lips softened, sliding gently over hers.

Livi could barely draw a breath as his hands slid down her sides to cup her bottom, drawing her even closer to him. The slipper she still held in her hand dropped to the deck as she wound her arms around his neck and kissed him back.

Gray’s tongue entered her mouth, invading her in the most simplistic of ways.

“Hadley!” Armand called. Somewhere in the back of Livi’s mind, she heard her brother, but she didn’t want to acknowledge him. But Gray lifted his head and looked down at her, that twinkle in his eye now heated and charged with passion.

“Hello, Livi,” he said, his voice gravelly and deep.

Livi pulled herself together enough to look around the deck and take in all the onlookers, the crewmen and that Irish priest.
Bon
Dieu
, they were making spectacles of themselves. “I’d appreciate it if you’d let me go,” she whispered.

“Never,” he growled.

Etienne growled low in his throat, and Livi realized Armand was holding their brother back. “Let me go so I can kill him. He certainly doesn’t expect us to sit here while he mauls our sister in front of everyone.”

“Stop it,” Armand ordered softly. He would make a fine alpha one day.

“We need to talk,” Gray said quietly, paying her brothers no mind at all.

“Let me go, Armand. The coward left her at the altar.” Etienne still struggled to get loose. “And now he thinks he can lay claim to her in such a manner?”

“Heel,” Armand barked.

The events of that morning hit Livi like a wave, as cold as the sea water Gray had almost fallen into. “Talk?” she asked, still breathless from their passionate kiss.

“Talk,” he repeated with an enthusiastic nod.

But the memories stung. Livi raised her hand to slap him across the cheek, but he caught her arm in a gentle grip. “I promise to let you beat me to within an inch of my life, Livi, if you’ll give me a chance to explain everything to you first.”

What could he possibly say that would make everything all right? Livi dropped her gaze from his, turned on her heel, and stalked across the deck toward her cabin, wearing only one slipper.

“Livi!” he called after her. “Liviana Mayeux, don’t walk away from me!”

Livi heaved a sigh and slowed her gait. Not because he called her name, never that. No, no. Walking a deck with only one slipper was simply difficult.

“I was abducted, shot, and left for dead.” His voice finally halted her completely.

Left for dead? Livi spun around to face him. “I’ve never heard such rubbish in all my days.”

“It’s true.” Gray closed the space between them in only three steps, while her brothers, the crew, and Father Patrick still watched.

Bon
Dieu
! Didn’t they have anything better to do than to stand around gawking at her? Livi cast her brothers a scathing glare until the two of them turned their gaze away. “Who would abduct you? You have nothing,” she whispered, just loud enough for him to hear, standing as close to her as he was.

“I had
you
.” Gray tipped her chin up so she had to look into his eyes. “Honeywell wanted you and thought if I was out of the way, nothing could stop him from swooping in and playing your hero.”

Honeywell? Livi’s legs nearly buckled beneath her weight, even though she’d been on more ships than she could count in her days. “I beg your pardon?”

Gray reached for her hand and placed it on his chest, right below his shoulder. “If his aim had been better, I would be a rotting corpse inside a rather nasty inn.”

Livi’s mouth went dry. Had he truly been shot? She was at a complete loss for words and simply gaped at Gray.

He squeezed her fingers. “Luckily, we Hadleys heal quickly, but as it was, it took longer than I would have liked.”

“He shot you?” Livi breathed out. “He really shot you?” What if Gray hadn’t been a Lycan? What if he wasn’t able to heal himself? What if Honeywell’s bullet had hit Gray’s heart?

“I know what you must have thought. Wes told me everything.” He frowned. “I’m so sorry I wasn’t there, Livi.” The sincerity in his gaze brought tears to her eyes. “Don’t cry, love. After everything today, I don’t think I can take seeing you cry.”

But she couldn’t help it. Livi threw her arms around his neck and held on tightly. “What if he’d killed you?”

“He didn’t,” Gray whispered in her ear, smoothing his hands across her back in comforting circles. “You won’t get rid of me so easily.”

Only he could joke about such a thing. Livi released her hold on Gray and took a slight step backward. She couldn’t stop looking at his handsome face. What if she’d never seen it again? “And then you jumped from one sailing ship to another. Are you mad? Did Lord Eynsford order you to chase after me?”

Gray winced, confirming her worst fears.

“You don’t owe me anything,” she said at the exact moment he replied, “I would chase you to the ends of the world, Liviana Mayeux.”

Because his pack alpha demanded it? Livi couldn’t bear to ask the question, but he must have seen it in her eyes because Gray shook his head.

“Don’t ever think that,” he growled.

“But you said…”

“I’m a fool, Livi. I only told you what I did so you wouldn’t back out. You understand pack rule,” he explained. “Dash
did
order me to marry you, but I was elated about the prospect.” A roguish grin settled on his face. “I’d never been so happy.”

He seemed so sincere. But Livi didn’t think her heart could take being hurt again. Grayson Hadley was not the sort of man she’d ever envisioned herself with. He was far from perfect, and he could tear her heart to shreds faster than any man on Earth.

“Livi!” Armand called. “Do you want me toss him overboard? Or are you going to keep him?”

Gray’s eyes never left Livi’s, but his voice rang out as he called, “I thought you were going to help me, Mayeux.”