Authors: t
IK1 (11 page)
Trees. Wolves didn’t climb trees. The mesquite were probably too low to offer protection, but there were scrub oaks not far. She started to run and then skidded to a stop not five feet from her car.
Another wolf stood near some sage. It was massive, easily the size of a
wolfhound—Sara felt a bubble of hysteria rising at the irony of conjuring up a dog bred to hunt wolves—but much bulkier. Its thick, shiny fur was so pale a brown it seemed blond, and looked almost groomed. Another bubble of hysteria rose. What was she going to think of next? Petting him?
She forced a deep breath. At least, this one wasn’t growling at her. In fact, he was not menacing at all. His ears were pricked forward, his nose up, his golden eyes trained on something behind her.
The tiny hairs on her arms rose. She felt, rather than heard, the first wolf
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approaching, silently this time. Almost frantically, she tried to center herself. If she could stay calm and draw in energy, she might be able to create an astral shield. Animals could sense well on the astral plane. But she had to be in control of her own emotions to do it.
The wolf behind her snarled and Sara would never be too sure of what happened
next. The pale wolf brushed past her, knocking her to the ground as it attacked the first wolf. Sara rolled out of the way of snapping jaws and sharp fangs as the animals fought and then ran for the cabin.
When she reached the door she heard a whimper. She glanced around as she
opened the door and nearly gaped. The wolf who had tried attacking her was limping away, its head drooped, its tail between its legs in defeat. The huge lobo stood in the middle of the yard watching her.
“You really are beautiful,” she said softly and then wondered if she gone totally insane to be talking to an animal that could kill her if she didn’t get inside.
The wolf’s amber eyes blinked once and then his tongue lolled out of his mouth as he panted slightly before he turned and trotted away.
To Sara, it looked like the lobo was grinning. She shook her head as she went inside and secured the door. Grinning wolves. She needed sleep. But not before she knew every window was closed.
* * * *
At least for now.
Lucas felt the Shift begin, his muscles beginning to compact and become tighter, even as his torso lifted and his back legs reshaped into human thighs. The bones of his skull widened and the lupine nose shortened. He reached his bundle of clothes just as the transformation was complete.
Lucas pulled the polo shirt over his head and tucked it inside his jeans. His adrenaline was still pumping from the fight with the other wolf but he knew the crash would soon come. It always did and it left him vulnerable.
Silently, he made his way down the gravel road to where he had left his car
parked. Smith had called Sara while Caldwell and he were in the study. When Caldwell started asking questions about where her cabin was, he’d become suspicious, even though the guy acted as if he were interested in doing some deer hunting on maybe a private lease. And Lucas hadn’t much liked the idea of her being so isolated either, not that he’d tell her. All that would get him would be an irritated glare and a lecture on how women could take care of themselves.
He reached the car and slid into the driver’s seat, checking under it to make sure his sgian dubh was still there. He had planned to take the short, but lethal, Scottish knife with him to the cabin since he was fully expecting to find Caldwell there, compromising Sara. But what had happened tonight hinted of something much darker.
The wolf had been bewitched Lucas could smell the taint of evil even as he
approached Sara’s dwelling. For a fleeting second, he had considered that Caldwell might have been a shape-shifter, but the animal only gave off its own scent and the stench that Lucas recognized as Balor’s doing.
And if the animal had been be-spelled, Lucas would not kill it. It had been easy SEARCH FOR THE SPEAR Cynthia Breeding 47
enough to instill in its mind that he was the alpha-male of the pack and the wolf had limped away. It would wake in the morning with no permanent harm done.
But Balor was another matter. If his grandfather were this close, it meant he knew about the manuscript. He thought back to the auction and the careening car and the pickpocket. He hadn’t seen Caldwell there and Balor would have kept himself hidden, but all of Lucas’ senses told him that his grandfather was definitely involved. And the one thing that Lucas must prevent is letting Balor gain more power. Civilization stood to lose if he did.
Lucas slumped against the steering wheel, trying to fight the lethargy that always swept over him after the beast was loosed. It was the one time in his immortal life that he was weak and vulnerable. He brought the knife out and laid it on his lap. It would have only temporary impact on Balor, of course, but it would put a definitive slash in Caldwell if he were behind this.
So she thought I was beautiful? Lucas smiled groggily, remembering how
vulnerable she had looked standing there alone in the middle of the yard. And yet she had held her ground with him and not panicked. He admired that courage.
And I liked her dream. He felt the hard nipple beneath the soft cloth as he pressed his lips over it. In another dream minute, he would guide her hand to touch him while his own fingers hiked up her skirt and stroked her thighs, and then dipped into her hot well to slide the slick wetness between her folds and caress the nub that would send her into ecstasy …
He gave himself a shake and struggled to sit up. He was a fool. He had allowed himself to slip into her dream and it had almost cost her life. The enchanted wolf had already been at the window before he’d taken notice. All he could do was howl in warning. It almost hadn’t been enough.
He could never fulfill that fantasy anyhow. Even though he had more control of the beast now than he did in the beginning, he knew what it could do when he was lost in climax and what could happen to the woman he was with. He couldn’t take that chance with Sara.
Keeping things platonic with Sara wasn’t going to be easy, not when she exuded feminine sensuality without even knowing it. He tried not to think about her wide, blue eyes that reminded him of the Highland sky, nor the full lips as pink as the first sprigs of heather. Lucas sighed and began reciting the Templar Rules that he had so long ago pledged to, even though the modern world no longer strictly required their adherence.
Rule: Chastity is certitude of heart and healthiness of body …
But it was Sara’s body, nude and supple beneath him, that kept intruding.
* * * *
Until he knew the source of the man’s immortality, he was indestructible. And even if Baylor could kill him, he’d destroy himself too. Ending immortality for one ended it for him as well. Some stupid Universe Rule.
He could go into the cabin and finish the job himself, of course, but that would leave questions to be answered. He didn’t like leaving trails. Finding a girl half-ripped SEARCH FOR THE SPEAR Cynthia Breeding 48
to shreds by a wild animal in a desolate area could be an open-and-shut case, neatly filed away in some rural police office. No one would ever have known she had the papers.
But any means of human murder would be under investigation and that would eventually lead to her employer and the discovery that she had a copy of the manuscript. Better he leave Caldwell in place.
And they could always use the Morgan woman. Caldwell had learned that she
had the hots for some man named Michael who was one of the bitch’s friends.
Information he could use later, but for now, perhaps it was time to throw the gauntlet down. Caldwell had bragged countless times of his prowess in bed and his ability to make women talk. Perhaps it was time for him to prove it.
The bitch had a copy of the manuscript. A few special drugs and a good rutting until she passed out would do the trick. Maybe he’d have Caldwell take a video after she was out. Baylor liked watching powerless women being taken. He’d tell Caldwell to make sure it was hard and rough.
He felt himself harden in anticipation. He’d put Caldwell on it tomorrow.
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“A wolf attacked you? How terribly bizarre!” Mr. Smith exclaimed as she
explained to him, Alan and Lucas what had happened the next morning. “And, of course, how horrible frightening,” he added as Lucas frowned at him from across the room.
“But you handled yourself very well,” Alan said with a smile as he stepped closer to where Sara was sitting and laid a hand on her shoulder. “I admire brave women.”
“At the moment, I was thinking more of survival,” she answered and tried not to fidget as Alan patted her arm.
“It might be wise not to put yourself into the path of danger,” Lucas said with a scowl. “What possessed you to go to such an isolated place by yourself?”
What possessed him? He had been cool and detached ever since she’d gotten to
the mansion and now he was insinuating that she had been foolish? She wasn’t a child!
She stood up and walked over to him.
“It’s my parents’ place. I go there when I need to unwind. Nothing like this has ever happened before. Maybe the wolf was rabid or something.”
“A rabid animal would not have turned and run,” Lucas replied dryly. “And
didn’t you tell us there were two wolves?”
She could still see the big lobo in her mind, the gorgeous fur coat and how he had seemed to laugh with his tongue lolling out. “The other one seemed docile enough.”
Lucas raised an eyebrow. “Docile?”
“Well, yes. He made no attempt to attack me.”
A strange expression flitted over Lucas’ features. His eyes darkened slightly and a corner of his mouth quirked up as he leaned toward her. “Never trust a wolf, lass.”
She glared up at him, wishing she didn’t have to tilt her head so much but she barely came to his shoulder. Now he was being pacifying. “I wasn’t going to try and pet it or anything.”
His eyes fixed on her upturned face and his gaze settled on her lips. She
wondered when he’d stepped closer, for his own sensual mouth was only inches from hers. Her breathing became shallow as she felt his body heat.
He seemed to hover there for an eternity and then he looked into her eyes, the whiskey-colored depths of his seeming to search her soul. “Ye’ve no idea what the beast could do,” he said softly. “ ‘Tis better ye stay in town while there’s work to be done.”
He’d slipped into the brogue again and she was beginning to realize he did that when he was intent. He was trying to warn her about something and she didn’t think it was about a maverick wolf in the country. But he was right. They needed to work on the manuscript and she needed to tell him the story she had thought of to give Mr. Smith.
“I’m sorry my absence yesterday delayed your cataloging the medieval earthen
ware,” she said formally as she moved toward the door. “We’ll get right on it.”
Alan Caldwell blocked their path. “I still have questions about the swords,” he said and picked up her hand. “If the Scotsman is going to hold you prisoner all morning looking at pots, the least I can do is take you to lunch. We can talk then.”
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“That sounds like a marvelous idea,” Mr. Smith said.
She’d almost forgotten he was in the room. Being held prisoner by Lucas wasn’t a bad idea … going to lunch with Alan was. There was something about him that she didn’t trust and she wasn’t sure it was just his smooth speech and good looks. Lucas was devastatingly good-looking too, and she trusted him … she stopped herself. Did she trust Lucas? Michael had made a point about power and corruption.
She withdrew her hand as easily as she could. “It might be better if we just ate here. The chef does wonderful things to a salad.”
“Nonsense,” Mr. Smith insisted. “After the fright you had yesterday, you need to indulge yourself. Go to the Top of the Dome.”
She groaned inwardly. Driving into Dallas and fighting the traffic near Reunion Tower was the last thing she wanted to do. “I’m really not dressed for that.”
“We’ll keep it simple then,” Caldwell said. “But your employer is right. You are definitely a lady that deserves to be indulged. And I won’t take no for an answer. I’ll meet you back here at one o’clock.” He gave Lucas a triumphant look and walked toward the billiard hall before she had time to answer. Lucas glowered after him.
“Well,” Mr. Smith said as he settled behind his desk and looked at them
expectantly. “What have you learned?”
Sara went to the door and peered into the hall before she closed it and took a seat opposite Lucas. In the chair this time and not the settee. It seemed she couldn’t think straight when she was that close to Lucas and her version of the story she was about to tell needed to seem authentic.
“I’m not sure if Mr. Ramsey has had time to finish his translation,” she said carefully, leaving some wiggle-room for him. “I wasn’t quite able to complete Professor MacDonald’s notes, either, given the circumstances, but here’s what I think we have.”
Lucas gave her a quizzical look and she hoped he wasn’t going to interfere. If what he said were true about the Hallows’ real power, the less people who knew, the better off they’d be.