Dark Wolf: 1 (Spirit Wild) (16 page)

He felt the tension in her body, thrumming like the string on a guitar. Opening his thoughts, he tried to read her, but her shields felt like a brick wall between them.

“Annie? Sweetheart, what’s the matter?”

She tilted her head and turned her face against his chest. He wanted to ask Lily, but she’d moved away for a reason, a reminder that this was something he needed to figure out on his own.

He really hated when she did that, but this wasn’t about teasing or playing games. This was about Annie, and a future that had opened itself to him so unexpectedly, so perfectly, that he really didn’t want to screw it up.

He lifted Annie higher, and she wrapped her legs around his waist as he carried her to a fallen log worn smooth by time. Almost hyperaware of her damp sex against his belly, of the fullness of her small but perfect breasts pressing against his chest, he sat down with her in his lap, his hands linked at the small of her back, hers behind his neck.

Her buttocks, so round and firm, rested upon his thighs, and his sinfully erect cock pressed tightly in the crease between her buttocks, throbbing in time with his racing pulse. He took a deep breath and searched for control. For focus.

He wanted to look into her eyes, but she’d pressed the side of her face too close against his chest to see them. Her entire body trembled. What was she so afraid of? “Tell me. Please, Annie. Whatever has you upset needs to be fixed before we go any further.”

She nodded, but she still wouldn’t look at him. “I know. Lily said to be honest with you, but it’s hard to say the words.”

“Then open your thoughts. Let me in.”

She didn’t speak, but he felt her shields drop, sensed the turmoil in her mind. And when he finally heard her mental voice, he realized he hadn’t expected anything like this.

I’ve never been with a man.
She tucked her head even closer against his chest, and he wondered if she’d noticed that his heart skipped a beat. Or more. It took him a minute to digest the magnitude of what she admitted. She was Chanku. They’d all had sex with one another throughout their teen years. All but Annie?

He hadn’t really thought about it, but he realized now she’d never fully been a part of their closely knit group.

He stroked her short curls and then lifted her chin, forcing her to face him.
And that’s bad, why?

She pulled back and finally looked him in the eye, but her confidence had returned. Sort of.
You’ll think I’m a freak.

He shrugged, doing his best to keep his voice level. Goddess, but he wanted her so much. Wanted to bury himself deep in her welcoming heat. Wanted to claim her, both as woman and as wolf. But not yet. Not until she was sure she wanted to take this step.

She shook her head.
I dunno. Maybe. You might think so.

He realized he was smiling in spite of the odd situation. She was absolutely precious to him, her confidence coming and going with each thought.
I want the truth, Annie. I want to know you, without secrets. Definitely without any fear. Why have you chosen to wait? And don’t try and tell me it wasn’t a choice. You’re Chanku. Your drives are as strong as the rest of ours. Your needs just as powerful.

She took a deep breath and faced him again. Licked her lips, took a long, slow breath.
There was no one else I wanted. Only you. Never anyone else. Since I was a kid, it’s always been you.

That definitely sucked all the air out of his lungs. He looked into those gorgeous amber eyes and wanted to shout. A rousing cheer, maybe? At least a few cartwheels should be in order, but he kept his voice calm and softly said, “Oh, Annie. Why didn’t you say anything? Why didn’t you let me know? Guys can be pretty clueless.” He chuckled softly. “According to Lily, I’m one of the worst.”

Shaking her head slowly from side to side, Annie finally looked up at him and said, “I couldn’t. You were Lily’s. At least that’s what I thought.”

He’d sort of figured the same thing for most of his teen years. He’d been Lily’s, though she’d never really been his. It was easier than thinking for himself. Easier than going against what the pack appeared to have agreed upon. “That’s what everyone thought, because that’s what our parents wanted. Lily and I do love each other, but we figured out a long time ago that it’s the love of very dear friends. We’re not meant to be mated.” He laughed. “Trust me, we both know it would never work.”

“That’s what Lily said.” She shrugged. “I don’t think I really believed her, but if you’re agreeing . . .”

“Sweetie, Lily and I will never lie to you. What she said is the truth. Another truth? I want to make love with you, Annie. Tonight, not just because our need is strong after the shift, but because you’re finally opening to me. We’ve got a connection like I never imagined. I want to keep it. Hold it close. Build on it.”

“I want that, too. I want you.” She looped her arms loosely over his shoulders. “I never thought you’d be interested.” She kissed him, and it was sweet and perfect, just an innocent kiss, but it left his blood boiling and his cock rising to press even harder against that hot and secret place between her thighs.

He stood up, still holding Annie close but feeling pretty stupid when he realized he was blinking away tears. “Believe me, Annie. I’m interested. Way more than interested.”

Then he carried her to the same soft, grassy spot where she and Lily had made love. Kneeling on the flattened patch of grass, he waited while she unfolded her legs from around his waist and sat. He knelt in front of her. Held her hands in both of his, and the solemnity of the moment had him pausing, thinking of what they were about to do. In more ways than he could possibly imagine, this was a first time for him, too. “I’ll do my best to make it good for you. I promise.”

Her fingers squeezed his, and she took a long, deep breath. “Alex, I’ve loved you since I was little. I never thought I’d have the chance to say that. Never expected we’d ever be able to do this. It’s already good.”

He leaned close, and kissed her hard and fast. “Wonderful. Then let’s make it better.”

S
ebastian stood on the well-lit front porch of the huge Cheval home and wondered if he was making the most foolish mistake in his life. He’d come here without invitation, without a plan of any kind, but when he’d finally called Lily’s office, when her circumspect assistant working late on a Friday night would only admit Lily was visiting family, Sebastian knew he had no choice.

It had been easier than he’d expected to get a flight out of the city, and the closer he’d gotten to Lily’s Montana home, the better he’d felt about his decision. The rental car had been waiting and the front gates to the Cheval estate wide open, almost as if he were expected. He’d parked behind a large garage, out of sight of the house.

He wasn’t hiding on purpose. He wasn’t going to hide from anyone, especially from Lily’s mother and father. He knew they were home because he’d watched them drive in just a short while ago. Another couple had been with them, but they’d entered the huge, sprawling house through separate doorways, and he imagined they must all live here together.

One of his father’s favorite rants was about the blatant immorality of Chanku, the fact that they swapped mates and had indiscriminate sexual encounters, that they were nothing more than animals.

It was hard to deny they were animals—beautiful creatures of the wild, choosing their forms at will, and as far as Sebastian was concerned, what consenting adults did behind closed doors was their own damned business. No matter their morality, Lily’s parents had raised a pretty amazing daughter.

With that thought foremost in mind, he raised his hand to knock on the door. It swung open before his fist connected with the intricately carved wood.

Startled, he stepped back. Lily’s father, the very famous and yet somewhat reclusive Anton Cheval, stood in the doorway. One hand supported his weight against the door frame, the other grasped the heavy brass handle. His shoulder-length dark hair was tousled, half out of its queue as if he’d just crawled out of bed, though Sebastian knew he’d arrived home mere minutes ago. His long-sleeved white shirt was unbuttoned over a lean but muscular chest. His shirt sleeves were rolled back along his forearms exposing narrow, graceful wrists with a dusting of dark hair, and his shirt tail hung loose from his dark gray slacks. Sebastian had the horrible sense he’d interrupted something intimate, something between man and wife.

But all that was noted in a heartbeat, and it was nothing compared to the man’s aura. Red and maroon flames shimmered all around him, cascading arcs of pure power at least as strong as, if not stronger than Lily’s.

Sebastian sucked in a breath. He should have expected this, but he forced himself to look at the man’s face. He was immediately caught in the brilliant gleam of the most amazing amber eyes he’d ever seen. There was so much power here, power beyond his own, beyond his father’s. No wonder Lily’s magic was so strong.

Her father was flat out terrifying.

He buried his fear and stuck out his hand. “Mr. Cheval? My name is Sebastian Xenakis. I hope I’m not interrupting anything. I’ve come to see Lily.”

Her father grasped his hand, holding it a fraction longer than a handshake should require. Sebastian wondered if his entire life had just been read like an open book.

As Cheval released Sebastian’s hand, one corner of his lips lifted in a feral grin. “It’s good to meet you, Mr. Xenakis. Lily has spoken of you. We all owe you our thanks for watching over her at the reception last night.”

Hadn’t she told him what happened after? He maintained eye contact, even though an unfamiliar instinct had him wanting to press his belly to the floor and bare his throat. “It was definitely a unique way to meet a beautiful woman. Is Lily home?”

Cheval shook his head. “She’s running with friends tonight. I expect her back in a few hours.” He held the door wide. “Would you care to come in?”

“I don’t want to disturb you.” Sebastian shrugged and gazed toward the mountains, and wondered if he’d be able to find her, if he should shift and go after her.

If she’d even want to see him.

“I believe she wants very much to see you.”

Mind reading?
Sebastian turned slowly and stared at Cheval. He wondered what he was thinking.

The man smiled, looking every bit the wolf. He stepped back and held the door open wider. “You probably don’t want to know that. I really think you should step inside, Mr. Xenakis.”

Like he had a choice? “Sebastian, please. Mr. Xenakis is my father.”

Cheval nodded. “As you wish, Sebastian.”

Holding his head high and struggling not to take the submissive pose his body cried out for, Sebastian stepped through the doorway and entered Anton Cheval’s home.

An absolutely beautiful dark-skinned woman stood in the foyer. She wore a bright blue, silky gown wrapped around her full-figured body, color that created a stunning contrast against her bittersweet chocolate skin. With her black hair flowing in long, smooth waves past her waist, her full breasts, and her rounded hips, she looked like an artist’s rendition of a fertility goddess ready for a pagan ritual. So beautiful, so sensual, she took his breath.

He recognized Lily in her mother’s beauty, though Lily’s lean height and tensile strength was a direct gift from her father. Her mother’s aura pulsed in soft shades of green and blue, and he read her as healer, caretaker, and empathetic lover.

And it was more than obvious she was adored by her husband. Cheval stood before her and took her hands in both of his. Focusing entirely on his woman, he said, “Sebastian, this is my wife. Keisha is the better part of me, the iron strength and the heart of our pack. My love, this is Sebastian Xenakis, the young man who assisted Lily at the reception last night.”

She tugged her hands free of her husband’s and moved forward with a welcoming smile and her arms held wide. “Sebastian ! I’m so glad you’ve come. It’s a pleasure to meet you, to thank you in person. Please, come in. You are welcome in our home.” She hugged him, enveloping him in strong arms and a sense of such peace, such overwhelming acceptance, that his eyes welled with tears.

So not like him, but before he had time to wonder at his sudden rush of emotion, she quickly stepped back, took his arm in both hands, and led him down a broad hallway. “Would you care for a drink? We just got home, and Anton and I were going to have a glass of cognac. Come. Join us.”

Cheval’s soft voice, surprisingly humorous, filled Sebastian’s mind.
My mate is a force of nature, Sebastian. I suggest you just go with the flow.

As if he had any choice. With a quick glance over his shoulder and a raised eyebrow at the man’s barely controlled smile, Sebastian allowed Lily’s mother to guide him toward a large, oddly shaped den. With five rather than four walls, richly paneled in wood inlay, it was filled comfortably with dark oak and leather furniture. Colorful rugs overlay floors of natural stone. A flat video screen covered most of one wall and a massive oak desk filled the corner.

A mottled green and black granite bar ran the full length of the wall opposite the screen. Anton stepped behind the bar and set out three heavy crystal goblets without stems, then reached beneath for an expensive-looking bottle of cognac. He glanced at Sebastian, who nodded. As Anton poured, he gestured toward one of the leather bar stools.

Sebastian sat. Keisha patted his shoulder, leaned across the bar, and kissed her husband. “I’ll see you later, my love.” Then she winked. “Be kind.”

As she turned to go, she brushed her fingers along the side of Sebastian’s face. The gentle, loving gesture was so much like one his mother had made when she still lived, that he felt the sting of tears once again. What the hell was going on?

And what were Lily’s parents up to? No one was this nice, not to a guy who’d had sex with their daughter and then bailed out like a damned coward before she woke up.

Of course, they wouldn’t know that. He watched intently as Keisha took a half-filled glass from her husband. She gave Sebastian one last smile as she left the room. He wanted to follow her, wanted to spend more time near her, absorbing the sense of peace that seemed so much a part of Lily’s beautiful mother.

He realized he was still staring at the empty doorway. Damn, what an idiot. Lily’s father was going to think he was nuts. He turned. Cheval had remained behind the bar, but the affable smile was gone. Sebastian had a feeling he was getting a glimpse of the real man behind the handsome face.

Cheval’s voice had an edge to it as he held his glass without actually taking a drink. “Actually, Sebastian, I do know that you left our daughter’s bed without telling her why. I also know another young woman died shortly after you left, but if I believed you were the killer, you wouldn’t be sitting in my home, drinking my best spirits, or accepting kindness and hugs from my beloved wife. I do, however, have grave misgivings about your dealings with my daughter.”

This was more along the lines of what he’d expected. Sebastian thought of taking a sip of the cognac for courage, but decided there wasn’t enough alcohol in the world to give him the courage he needed. He cupped the glass in his hands and faced Lily’s father. “First of all, Mr. Cheval, I would never harm Lily. I understand and respect your misgivings.” He took a deep breath and searched for an elusive sense of balance. “The reason I’m looking for Lily is that I want to apologize.”

“For sneaking away in the middle of the night?”

Sebastian stared at the amber liquid in his glass. “That, and for frightening her today on the astral. I didn’t mean to. I had no idea she was there.”

Cheval went dead still. Sebastian felt the tiny hairs on the back of his neck stand up. He really didn’t want to meet the man’s gaze, but he raised his head and looked directly into narrowed eyes and the face of a feral creature barely under control.

There was an edge as fine as sharpened steel to his voice. “You were on the astral? Why? And how? How did you gain access?”

Slowly, Sebastian shook his head. Hell, even he wasn’t quite sure how he’d gotten there or if that was where he’d actually gone. He took a sip of the cognac. Smooth as silk and yet it still burned going down. He’d never been much of a drinker. “I used a spell I found among my father’s papers.”

“Blood magic?”

He nodded, not totally surprised that a wizard as powerful as Cheval would know.

“That requires a sacrifice. What did you kill and how?”

He shook his head. “No. Never. I won’t kill to empower my spells. I used my own blood.” He sighed, still slowly shaking his head. “I won’t do that again. The blood tainted the spell. It felt wrong the minute the drops hit the flame.”

Cheval merely nodded. “Do your father’s spells, the ones he casts, require the death of living creatures?”

Sebastian stared at the granite bar, grounding himself in the natural patterns running through the stone. “I believe so, though I’ve not witnessed any sacrifice. My father is very secretive with his magic.” He should have felt like a traitor, divulging his father’s methods, but something about Cheval made Sebastian comfortable trusting the man. There was a sense of honor here that was sorely lacking in his father.

“Possibly the deaths of young women?”

Sebastian raised his head and once again looked directly into the man’s eyes. He consciously dropped his shields, should Cheval want to see his innermost thoughts. “I hope not. I wish I knew for certain, but I’ve a growing suspicion they might be his source of power.”

Again, there was no reaction. Cheval turned as he took a sip of his cognac and stared at the big window. From the position of the house, Sebastian imagined that during daylight it would look out on a huge meadow with the granite peaks of the Rocky Mountains rising majestically behind. Tonight, with the lights shining inside, Sebastian saw only the reflections of two men, lost in thought while searching carefully for answers.

He wondered what Lily’s father saw.

Anton glanced over his shoulder. “I just reached Lily. She’ll be here in about half an hour.”

Seb’s gaze flashed from the window to the man. So calm, and yet so very powerful. It wasn’t common knowledge that Chanku were telepathic, but from what he’d learned, most of them were limited to a fairly short distance. Cheval appeared to have no limits.

Was it the magic, or merely his personal set of Chanku genetics ? Did Chanku gain power with age? Anton Cheval was no kid. Sebastian had done his research, knew he’d been born in the twentieth century, in 1955. That meant he was eighty-four years old, and yet in both appearance and action, he was a man in the prime of his life. Chanku were said to be nearly immortal. Seeing him, Sebastian had no doubts the rumors were true.

By appearance alone, Anton Cheval could be one of Sebastian’s contemporaries. It was unnerving, knowing Cheval was older than his own father and yet looked half Aldo’s age.

Almost as unnerving to feel the power that was so much a part of him. At least Cheval’s aura had settled. It no longer spiked and flamed, though it continued to glow with bursts of red and magenta.

When he spoke of Lily, though, soft pale pink wove in among the red. He truly loved his daughter with a pure and enduring love that Sebastian couldn’t even begin to imagine. What would it be like, to be loved so completely?

His mother had loved him, but she’d also lied to him. He’d grown up believing his father was dead.

Maybe he’d have been better off if Aldo
had
died. Or, at the very least, if he’d never learned his father lived. In hindsight, it had been a rash decision to search for Aldo after discovering his name on the birth certificate. Even more foolish to take that name as his own, but it had pleased the old man.

In the beginning.

Cheval stepped out from behind the bar and faced the big window. He glanced over his shoulder at Sebastian. “What makes you think your father is involved with the murders?”