The Fire Inside

Virginia
Cavanaugh

Werewolves be damned.
Tyra
Smith chose to leave behind her nature to protect her heart after the wrenching
loss of her pack. She wants nothing to do with another wolf. Never again wants
to feel the deep pain of loss. At least until a sexy-as-sin wolf named Konrad
shows up, saving her from the roaming paws of another.

The sparks of lust ignite a desire
that burns with hellish intensity, making Tyra crave something she’d vowed to
forsake. The ability to resist wanes. Is it a true mate bond that pulls her to
Konrad or just the heat cycle she’s entering? Only time can tell.

When a real threat from another
pack presents itself, Tyra must move into Konrad’s den for her physical
protection. But as things heat up between them, who will protect her heart?

Tyra Smith flipped the switch on the back wall,
extinguishing the lights in the parking lot of Harry’s Bar. She stepped outside
and the warm humid air surrounded her, causing a fine sheen of moisture to
cling to her skin. Missouri summer nights weren’t for everyone, but she’d grown
accustomed to them over the years.

She closed the door behind her and quickly used her keys to
lock the deadbolt. With a relieved sigh, she turned and started toward her car.
The night had been rough and filled with way too many bad drunks for her taste.
Usually it didn’t bother her, but tonight she seemed to be more on edge; little
things that she normally would’ve ignored had caused her to grind her teeth and
snap at the unruly patrons. But the shift had ended, and all she could think
about now was the hot bath that waited at home. With purpose, she rounded the
corner of the bar and headed for the east side parking lot. The darkness
surrounding her posed no problem in finding her way. Thanks to genetics, she
could see everything just fine, including the strange man sniffing around her
car.

Her pace slowed as she took in his scent. Musk mixed with
various scents from the earth along with the unmistakable smell of wolf. The
muscles in her neck and shoulders stiffened as her irritation level kicked up a
notch. She knew what he was selling, and she damn sure wasn’t buying. She’d
made the choice long ago to stay away from other wolves and packs. Nightmares
from the invasion of her father’s pack still plagued her at times. The attack
had left her an orphan at a young age, forcing her to spend most of her
childhood in wolf form in order to survive. No. She didn’t want anything to do
with that life that had only brought her loss and pain. She much preferred
being a lone wolf. Her stride lengthened as she marched toward him, her black
high-heeled boots tapping a staccato rhythm against the asphalt.

She watched as he turned toward her, an eerie smile lifting
the corners of his thin lips. His blond hair spilled over his shoulders.
Well-muscled arms were crossed in front of his T-shirt-clad chest. His ice-blue
gaze raked over her, leaving her chilled despite the muggy night air. Tall,
light and creepy. The vibe he gave off had her inner alarms chiming. The sooner
she could get rid of him, the better. “Go away.”

“Bad night? I bet I could make it better.”

She snorted. “My money’s on you making it worse. Oh look, I
won.” She pushed past him and inserted her key into the door lock of her POS
car. She’d learned to speak smartass well after dealing with drunken humans for
the last few years, and after a night like tonight, her temper had a hair
trigger. Before she could retract her key, he touched her shoulder, which had
her spinning back in his direction, ready to attack, her purse hitting the
pavement with a thud.

He held his hands up and took a step back. “Relax. I wasn’t
going to harm you.”

The fine hairs on the back of her neck rose, sending a
tingling sensation down her spine. “I’ll rip your hand off if you touch me
again.” He could keep his reassurances, because she could scent them for the
lies they were. But she had no choice. She had to appear confident in her
abilities to protect herself or this meeting could go really bad. She bared her
teeth in his direction and he smiled back at her.

“Feisty. I like that in a female. It makes certain aspects
of the relationship more…exciting.”

Bile rose in her throat. “Go the hell away. I don’t want
anything to do with you.” Something told her this asshole was going to make her
go wolf. Her pulse jumped, beating with hard thuds inside her head. She hated
going wolf. After all those years in the wild, she only shifted at the full
moon, and only then because she didn’t have a choice. She wasn’t even sure
she’d be able to handle a shift. Why the hell did this asshole have to be here?
This neighborhood was mostly inhabited and frequented by humans.

He smiled again. “My name’s Xabier.”

A low growl rumbled her chest. “I don’t give a shit what
your name is. Go away.” Her nervousness increased as a chilly sensation coursed
through her flesh.

“You’re not even going to give me a chance?”

“No.”

“How do you know I’m not your mate?”

She didn’t know much about how the whole mate thing worked.
She’d been too young, but she knew her parents were mates. And the way they
were around each other had been a beautiful thing. She didn’t feel anything
remotely beautiful about the wolf in front of her. In fact, something seemed
weirdly familiar about him, but her mind wouldn’t nail it down. “You’re not my
mate.”

He took a step toward her. “You can’t be certain about that.
You know, sometimes it takes a few rounds of being together before the mate
bond snaps into place.”

No, she didn’t know that. Nor would she sleep with this
creep to find out. “We’ll never know then.”

“Oh come on. I can scent you. You’re about to go into heat.”
He sucked in a breath through his nose. “Your smell is intoxicating.”

“I am not! And even if I was, I wouldn’t sleep with
you
.”
She kept her gaze on him, not trusting him for a second not to turn hostile. A
feral growl came from him a fraction of a second before he pounced, snatching
her arm with enough force to rip the sleeve of her shirt. She half shifted,
claws erupting from her hand as she swiped at his face and pushed him back.

His hand came up, covering the slashes that oozed crimson on
his cheek. “You little bitch. I guess I’m going to have to teach you some
manners.”

Brushing aside the panic that rose inside, she crouched,
ready to defend herself as he made a move to come at her again. But he stopped
short as a deep rumbling growl came from behind her. The scent of another male
wolf entered her nose. His scent different, more spice than musk. But there was
something else. Something she couldn’t put a name to, but it smelled wonderful.

“I don’t believe the lady wants your dirty paws on her,
Xabier,” the deep voice called out.

Xabier stood tall and defiant. “Mind your own business,
Konrad. There isn’t any mark on her. This bitch doesn’t belong to you.”

“I’m not a bitch, asshole,” she ground out between clenched
teeth.

“Whether or not she belongs to me isn’t in question. She
told you to back off. And if you don’t, then you’ll be dealing with me,” Konrad
said.

She wanted to turn and look at the newcomer, but at present
she decided Xabier was the greater threat.

Xabier gave an evil laugh. “Is this where I’m supposed to
run away scared?”

Booted feet thumped against the parking lot, the sound
echoing loudly in the still air before coming to a stop beside her. Out of the
corner of her eye she could see black jeans and black boots from her crouched
position. A slight turn of her head and she would be able to look at him, but she
didn’t dare take her eyes off Xabier.

“I know you think you’re protected because I’ve entered into
negotiations with your alpha, but I assure you, I mean exactly what I say,”
Konrad said.

Xabier cast a look of revulsion at her before turning his
gaze back to the man who stood a few paces away from her. “There’s no need for
us to fight. You can have the nasty bitch.”

A growl erupted from her throat as well as from the wolf
beside her. Xabier locked his gaze on her once again and continued to stare at
her as he walked backward toward the other side of the parking lot. His gaze
felt like a cold caress that turned her stomach and had her swallowing to
suppress her gag reflex. When he arrived at the edge, he turned and ran off
into the night. A sigh escaped her lips before she rose to her full height and
turned to look at her saving grace.

“Are you injured?”

Somehow she kept her jaw from dropping as she stared up at
him. His dark hair was cut short, a slight wave to it. A lock had fallen across
his forehead, making her want to reach up and push it back into place. Dark
brows arched over amber-colored eyes that were surrounded by long, dark lashes.
His bottom lip was slightly fuller than his top. She took in a breath to answer
his question and that wonderful smell filled her nose again. “No. I…don’t think
I’m hurt.”

She tore her gaze away from him to look down at her arm.
“Damn it,” she mumbled as she surveyed the tattered remains of her green
sleeve. “I really liked this shirt.” She had only bought it a week ago. Her jaw
tightened as she ground her teeth. The budget she lived on wouldn’t allow her
to replace it until next month. Her gaze went to the tree line where Xabier had
disappeared. She wished she could mar the other side of his face.

“What’s your name?”

That deep voice rolled over her and she turned her head to
stare at him. “Tyra.”

“Hmm. Tyra is a very nice name. I’m Konrad.”

“Konrad.” She watched as the corners of his lips tipped up.
His smile didn’t hold the coldness Xabier’s had. Instead, it seemed to chase
away the chill she’d felt earlier. “Thanks for helping me out. I don’t usually
encounter many wolves in this area.”

“No, I don’t suppose you do. This area is mostly inhabited
by humans. But we had a meeting not even a mile away from here, because it was
neutral territory. Xabier left the meeting first. He must have scented you.”

“Oh.” Her gaze dropped to his chest. The black T-shirt he
wore hugged his large pecs and biceps, ending at his lean waist. She found
herself wondering what it would feel like to touch him—to push her hands under
the fabric of his shirt and caress all that hardness. Desire coiled low in her
belly. She heard his quick intake of breath. Her head snapped up as she heard
the half growl, half moan he released. Her gaze locked with his, the amber of
his eyes glowing with a rich intensity. That wondrous smell hung thick in the
air around her. She wanted to bathe in it. Lust unlike anything she’d ever
experienced gripped her. She stared at his mouth, wondering what his lips would
feel like against her own.

He inhaled another breath and released it with a possessive
rumbling voice. “Mate.”

The word washed over her like a bucket of ice water and had
her blinking rapidly before taking a step back. “Oh, no. No. We aren’t starting
this again.” She bent and picked up her purse from the ground where she’d
dropped it earlier, trying hard to shake off the needy feeling he’d created in
her. She sucked in a deep breath. Never in her life had she had such a
lust-filled reaction to someone. He stepped toward her and she found herself
staring at his pelvis. It wasn’t hard to miss the thick, hard ridge beneath the
material of his pants. Her eyelids slammed shut as she rose quickly and turned,
gripping the keys that still protruded from the door lock.

“Who’s your alpha?”

She ignored his question as she twisted the key and then
pulled it out. Eyes open, she watched his reflection on the window. Sexy as
hell was an understatement. She could feel his gaze move over her like a light
caress, warming her body degree by degree. Her fingers curled under the door
handle and pulled, opening the car door. A tan arm, dusted with dark hair,
barred the entrance. She turned around and met his gaze, her frustration level
rising. “Do you mind?”

“I need to speak to your alpha.”

“No. You don’t. You need to move your arm so I can leave.”
The sooner she got away from him the better. His heated gaze roamed over her
face and she found herself breathing shallowly.

“What have I done to anger you, mate?”

“That. That’s what you did. I’m not your mate.”

He leaned in close and ran his nose up her neck, inhaling a
deep breath. “Yes, you are,” he whispered next to her ear.

Her eyelids lowered to half mast as her body trembled. The
warm, rich texture of his voice did things to her insides. Her core pulsed as
she noticed wetness gathering at her lower lips. No. She couldn’t let him get
to her. She inched back, creating a small space between them. “Get out of my
way.” This couldn’t be happening. She didn’t want this. She wanted a human
life, damn it. Or at least as close as she could get to one.

“I know you feel it too. I can scent your desire the same as
you can scent mine.”

“No, that’s not it.” Denial blasted through her.

He crossed his arms in front of his chest. “Then what do you
think it is?”

“I’m fixing to go into heat.” Her cheeks burned. She
couldn’t believe those words just came out of her mouth. At twenty-four she’d
never been in heat before, and really didn’t have any clue if she was about to
be or not. But at this point she would take whatever excuse said this feeling
he created inside her would only be temporary.

He smiled, revealing straight white teeth, his canines
slightly longer and pointier than normal human teeth. “I know.”

The fact that he seemed to think he knew more about her own
body than she did irked her. “See. So you admit it. I’m just horny. So…yeah.
Now I’ll be on my way.” She stepped past him and got into the car. Her hand
closed around the handle on the door panel, but when she pulled on it, the door
didn’t budge.

“Who’s your alpha?”

She ground her teeth, staring out the windshield at the
rolling hills and trees.
Stubborn wolf
. “He’s unavailable.” Which wasn’t
entirely untrue, considering her father was dead. But she wasn’t about to let
this overbearing man know she was a lone wolf without protection. When he
didn’t make a move to release her door or speak, she looked up at him. His eyes
moved over her, as if he were studying her. “What?”

The muscles in his face relaxed and he released the door.

She pulled it shut, not taking any time to think about what
had him changing his mind. It took only a second to have the key in the
ignition and turned over. The engine roared to life. She backed out of her
parking spot and moved the gear shift into drive. Before releasing the brake,
she glanced out her window at Konrad. He stared back at her with a hungry look.
The desire she’d felt earlier began to return. She tore her gaze from him, took
her foot off the brake and hit the gas.