The Fire Inside (6 page)

“Mine,” he growled.

“Konrad, just hear me out.”

He nipped at the flesh around her collar bone. “Want,” he
nibbled some more, “to mark you.” His teeth grazed the flesh again. “So bad.”

She couldn’t stop the rush of desire that flooded her lower
belly, causing her core to throb. The graze of his teeth on her skin set all of
her nerve endings on fire. “Konrad, wait…”

“Do have any idea what thoughts were going through my head?”
His lips brushed her neck next to her ear.

A shiver of delight ran down her spine. “I’m sorry. But you
don’t understand.”

“No, mate. I don’t understand. What if Xabier and his pack
mates had hurt you, taken you from me? And what in the hell could that human
offer you? He could never give you what I can give you. He would age in front
of your eyes, until death came to collect his sorry ass.”

Her heart clenched. She knew Steve couldn’t give her what
Konrad could. Steve didn’t have the power to break her heart. The loss of Steve
would never affect her the way the loss of a mate would. “I…it’s just…”

“I can scent your desire. So why do you fight me?”

She had to keep her thoughts in order. It would be so easy
to just forget rational thought and let him
ease
her as he’d offered
before. But she couldn’t. The whys were important. “Why do you want me?”

“Because you’re mine, Tyra.”

“I’m yours?”

He pressed a few kisses to her neck. “You’re my mate.” He
dragged his tongue up her neck.

A whimper escaped her lips. Her body pressed tighter against
his, and the pressure against her aching breasts felt wondrous. She wanted
him—wanted him bad. Maybe she could make him see reason. With effort, she
pulled back and put a little space between their upper bodies. “Konrad, listen
to me. You aren’t here right now because you chose me.”

His hold loosened slightly and he released a frustrated
sigh. “What do you mean I didn’t choose you? I’m choosing you now, I chose you
the night I met you. It’s you that keeps fighting this.”

She pushed harder against his chest and he released her. A
deep breath filled her lungs as she backed up a few steps in an effort to clear
her lust-filled mind. “You don’t even know me.”

“I know enough.”

“What do you like about me? And I don’t mean physical
attraction.”

His brow furrowed and he was silent for a few seconds. “I
like your strength.”

“What’s my favorite color?”

“I don’t know,” he replied.

“That’s my point. It’s your wolf that wants me, your animal
nature, pushing you to claim me. But what about the human part inside of you?
How do you know in two weeks you won’t hate me?”

“I could never hate you. If that’s what’s holding you back,
then you’re worrying needlessly.” He took a step toward her.

She retreated another step. And how did she know he wouldn’t
be taken from her in short time? What guarantee did she have that she wouldn’t
be left alone again? She knew there wasn’t any. If she chose to move forward
with Konrad, she knew she’d be risking her heart, and possibly the last bit of
her humanity. After the loss she’d suffered, she didn’t know if she could enter
into another pack. If she had nothing to lose then she couldn’t be hurt like
that again. But that wasn’t the only thing holding her back. There was also the
fact that she didn’t like changing into her wolf. Most times she took sleeping
pills at the full moon and slept through the forced shift. Damn if she wasn’t
just screwed up. But looking at him now made her want things she swore she’d
never return to. “Look, it’s complicated.”

“At least try to explain it to me.”

She couldn’t open up all those wounds. Not now. But he
deserved something. “Let’s just say that I had a plan for my life, and you
showing up has altered that plan. Now, I don’t know what I want anymore. But I
know this. If I’m going to be with you, it will be because you choose me and I
choose you. Fate can be a heartless bitch and I won’t have her dictating my
life.”

He smiled and closed the distance between them. “So where
does this put us?”

She didn’t resist when he pulled her close, wrapping his
arms around her lower waist. “I don’t know where this leaves us. Everything is
just happening so fast that…” She sighed. “I don’t know. Maybe we could go on a
date.”

“Date?” He pulled back slightly to look at her. “What do you
mean date?”

“You know, go out to dinner, catch a movie—”

“I know what a date is.” He stepped back from her and ran
his hand through his hair.

“Well, if you don’t want to date me then we can just forget
it.” She started walking toward the truck. She couldn’t give up control just
like that. Damn it, she was trying to work with him, but blind trust she
couldn’t do. “Just forget it. Take me home.”

He reached out and encircled her waist, pulling her back
against his chest. “Tyra, you’re going to drive me insane. If you don’t want to
sleep with me, fine. But at least come back to my den. Let me protect you and
keep you safe.”

Oh she wanted to sleep with him all right. And feeling his
erection now pressed firm against her rump had her shivering in anticipation.
Before she could stop herself, she wiggled her hips slowly against him, tearing
a low growl from him. His hand skimmed up her abdomen, coming to rest right
under her breasts. That wonderful smell wrapped around her. Somehow she knew
that she would find pleasure beyond her wildest imaginings with this man.
Liquid heat began to gather at the juncture of her thighs. Her nipples puckered
and her breasts felt heavy.

“Hmmm, Tyra. You smell so sweet.”

She had to pull it together or she would find herself laid
out on the grass urging him forward into her. His other hand had disappeared
beneath the hem on her dress to rub her thigh. “I don’t want to lose my
independence.”

He growled low in her ear. “I’m going to protect you.
Whether you make it easy for me in my den or I have to sleep at your door
again.”

She didn’t feel threatened in the least by his growls. In
fact, the way they rumbled his chest just heightened her arousal. “You’re being
irrational. There isn’t any need for you to sleep outside my door. I’ve been
protecting myself for a long time.” If he just moved his hand up a little
higher it would ease the ache in her breasts.

He nipped her ear. “I disagree. I don’t trust Xabier or his
alpha, Thanasis. Something tells me he didn’t come upon you by chance tonight.
So I will protect what’s mine.”

“Do you really think there’s a risk?”

“I don’t know. It could be a game. But I would much rather
err on the side of caution than to just dismiss it.”

Damn. How could she argue with that? She wasn’t weak, but
taking on a whole pack would be suicide. If they really had a malicious intent
toward her, she couldn’t defend herself against them. How in the hell had this
happened? Well, no matter how it had happened, she really wasn’t left with much
choice. To have him stay at her place only put them both at risk. “A compromise
then?”

“I’m listening.”

“I’ll move to your den.” His finger traced light circles on
her lower thigh. “But…” His finger stopped moving and she found herself
squirming, missing the caress.

“But what?” he whispered next to her ear before grazing his
teeth against her neck.

She trembled against him. “I’m not turning my apartment
back. We have no idea if there is really a threat or how long it will last, and
I don’t want to be stuck without a place to live. Also, I keep my job. I can
support myself. And last, I have a residence to myself.”

His hold tightened on her, his other hand squeezing her
thigh. “I’ve spent the last two nights near you. Why should I allow you to stay
by yourself?”

She swallowed hard, her body heating the longer she stayed
in contact with his. If he stayed anywhere near her she wouldn’t be able to
hold out against the hardcore seduction he played at. But she knew better than
to think he would just bend to her wishes. “I would be in your territory,
protected by your pack. If your territory is safe then you wouldn’t need to be
so close.” She felt the tension gathering in the muscles of his body. Knew his
refusal would come forth shortly unless she conceded something that would
appease him. “Because if you do, then I’m willing to give whatever this is
between us a try. But I need my space.”

“And how exactly are you going to try?”

“I’m letting you put your hands on my body.”

A low growl rumbled against her back. “I like the way you
negotiate.”

Her hand came up to touch the side of his face as she
slightly turned in his grasp. No longer able to resist the carnal pull, she
whispered, “Kiss me.”

And then his mouth was on hers. She parted her lips and
allowed his tongue to slip inside the depths of her mouth. The taste of him was
wonderful, and the feel of him even more so. She tangled her tongue with his,
returning every moan she captured from his lips. His hand slid up her bare
thigh and he gripped her hip, pressing her back against him.

She ground her ass against his erection as he continued to
kiss her passionately. Never had her mouth been devoured in such a wondrous
way. His other hand moved to encircle her breast, kneading it softly and
wringing another moan from her lips. The action shot a wave of desire through
her breast to settle in her womb.

Calloused fingers skimmed her lower belly above the hem of
her panties, causing her to gasp and release his lips. “Wait.”

He sighed before placing a kiss on her neck.

Her body burned with the wanting of him. But she couldn’t go
there. Not yet. The heat cycle she’d entered seem to make her crazy. And this
was such a big step, one she couldn’t back away from once she took it. Hell,
she didn’t even know if her heart could handle it. It would be better to step
away from the situation and try to clear her head of the lusty fog that had
descended. She turned in the circle of his arms and met his gaze. “I’m…I…”

He leaned forward and placed a light kiss on her lips. “It’s
okay. We can move as slow as you want.”

Thanasis shifted on a wave of color and smiled triumphantly
at his son. “You were right, Xabier. A fine beauty she is.” Of course his son
had been too young to know where those looks came from. Tyra was the spitting
image of Ruth. How the child had escaped during his invasion all those years
ago, he was unsure. But the small oversight seemed to work both for and against
him. Now he had another chance to possess the woman who had escaped him. “But
she might complicate things.”

“How so, Father?”

Thanasis stabbed his legs into the pair of jeans he’d left a
few miles away from the clearing. He’d shed them in hurry when Xabier had
called with the news of Konrad’s woman drawing near his den. Too bad the
dumbass human male hadn’t brought her a little farther. Things could have gone
a lot differently had she trespassed on his land. “I killed her parents during
the raids our pack completed when you were a boy. If she remembers who I am,
then she could have Konrad backpedaling before we seal the deal on the land
purchase.”

“So we push the meeting up. Make him deal before Tyra has a
chance to remember. The full moon is only a few days away. We can push the
meeting with Konrad up to next week. Tell him someone else is interested in the
land.”

Thanasis rubbed his hand over his smooth scalp. Moving the
meeting forward would have him striking before he wanted. His new recruits
would barely have time to become accustomed to their new existence. If only he
didn’t have to wait ’til the full moon. The extra time to train the men Xabier
had tracked down would be a plus. But the full moon was the only time an
alpha’s bite could trigger the human to were change. “How sure are you about
the human recruits?”

“They were military trained. I would say the added bonus of
their change will only make them stronger.”

“I need the funds that Konrad is going to transfer, so we
don’t have much choice but to move the meeting forward and put pressure on him.
He won’t believe that someone else wants the property, not at the price he’s
willing to pay, so we shall increase the price the longer he takes to make up his
mind. That should be enough to force his hand. Also bring the recruits to the
den now. They may not be able to move like a wolf yet, but we will need the
extra training time to prepare them. As much as I hate it, we are going to have
to progress faster than I planned.”

But his plan was brilliant, as long as they didn’t leave any
survivors this time. He would sell the land to Konrad, at twice its market
value, and then take out his pack. When the land was repossessed because of
failure to pay taxes, Thanasis would be able to buy it back up cheap. He’d
already made sure he would get first pick at the land, by biting the County
Assessor. The poor bastard had screamed and cried for days, but it didn’t take
long for him to start discovering the benefits of being a wolf. Now his full
allegiance lied with Thanasis. As soon as the land reverted, Thanasis would get
it back.

Thanasis turned and looked out over the rolling hills,
seeing the edge of his den on the horizon. The dilapidated houses were an
eyesore. He’d never been good at playing the market, but with the crash of the
human economy, he had lost millions. And he couldn’t gather an army without
money. He’d be damned if he let that little bitch Tyra cost him this golden
opportunity.

“May I request something, Father?”

Thanasis turned to look at Xabier, waiting for him to
continue.

“I want the woman. I want Tyra.”

Thanasis smiled. “Of course.” As soon as he tired of her.

* * * * *

Konrad pulled Tyra into a tight embrace and rested his chin
on the top of her head. He couldn’t understand her fear. Something had
obviously happened to cause it—and her lone wolf status—but what? She tucked
her face into the crook of his neck and her warm breath caressed his skin. He
wouldn’t press her right now. When she was ready, she’d tell him her story. But
damn if it wasn’t going to be hard. Every instinct in him had him raring to
fight for her. He wanted to destroy whatever had done this to his mate. But for
now, all he could do was comfort her.

Holding her in his arms felt incredible. Yes, his body ached
to claim her, but having her close seemed to soothe him as well. Several
minutes later she stirred against him and he loosened his hold, allowing her to
pull back slightly from him.

A yawn parted her full lips and her delicate hand came up to
cover it.

“I shouldn’t have kept you out here.”

“I’m not complaining.” She yawned again.

He smiled down at her and placed a kiss on her forehead.
“I’m glad you’re not complaining. Come on. We’re not far from my house.”

He released his hold on her and watched as she stretched,
hands above her head, her breasts straining against the fabric of her dress.
The hem line rose, showing him more of her shapely legs. It would be a long
night. He found himself gritting his teeth over the thought of leaving her. He
halfway hoped that she would change her mind once they got to his house, but he
wouldn’t hold his breath. At least she would be in his den, his home, where he
knew she’d be safe.

Tyra seemed adamant about living by herself, and he should
just be thankful for the concessions she’d made. He might not get to sleep in a
bed with her tonight, but at least he would be sleeping in a bed tonight. He
couldn’t remember the last time he’d slept in his wolf form. In his younger
years he’d done it a lot on patrol, but there hadn’t been much need to do it in
the last several years. His pack was strong and secure. Only a fool would try
to cross him.

He took Tyra’s hand in his and escorted her over to the
truck. While he liked the fight in her, he enjoyed this more. She looked over
at him and smiled and he couldn’t help but smile himself. He opened the truck
door and lifted her inside, shutting the door before he made his way around to
the driver’s side.

Once he sat behind the wheel, he turned the key over and the
engine revved to life. On the short ride to his house he noticed something
changing in Tyra. He stole a few glances at her and he swore her posture began
to grow stiff the farther he drove. Her gaze remained fixed; never once did she
look away from the view the window offered. He’d hoped she would like this
first glimpse into the den, but her body language spoke differently. Tension
seemed to roll off her. Something had displeased her.

“Is something wrong, Tyra?”

She continued to stare out the window. “It’s nothing.”

His grip tightened on the steering wheel. In so little time,
she had reconstructed her walls. And for some reason he had a feeling it would
be even harder to break through to her this time than it had been earlier. He
continued on, neither of them speaking a word as he passed several brick homes
with well-manicured lawns. A few blocks later, he pulled into the driveway of
his home. Their home. “This is it.”

He put the truck in park and killed the engine. She
continued to stare out the window at the red-brick, pitched-roof home. When she
didn’t make a move to open her door, he got out and walked around and opened it
for her. “Come on, let me show you around.”

He reached up and assisted her out of the truck, but she
pulled out of his grasp as soon as her feet touched the pavement. Suppressing a
growl, he followed behind her as she walked toward the front door. What in the
world had she seen that shut her down? He reached around her and opened the
door.

She turned and looked up at him. “You don’t lock it?”

“No. This area is secure and patrols are run on a timely
basis. Besides, there isn’t anyone here that would dare steal from me.” He
watched as she gave a tight nod and walked into the house. His own irritation
began to grow as he walked in behind her. What had happened to her to make her
wall herself in like this?

She stopped in the living room, turning in a slow circle as
her gaze took in everything. “You have very nice things.”

He looked around at his tan walls adorned with landscape
paintings. His sofas were comfortable, overstuffed brown leather. He never
really paid any attention to it. “I paid one of the females to decorate about
ten years ago. It’s comfortable.”

She glanced at him then back toward the flat-screen
television on the wall. “Well…she did a good job.”

Konrad tried to ignore the fact that her voice was low, and
that he could smell the slight bitterness of fear lacing with her scent.
Without thought, he walked over to her and raised his hand to caress her back,
wanting to soothe her. But she stepped away before he could touch her. His hand
fisted as he lowered it.

She walked toward the kitchen. “I need you to take me to my
apartment so that I can get some things.”

There was no way in hell he’d take her back to her apartment
right now. He could see her riding the fence and had a feeling she would back
out of staying here if she walked into her apartment right now. “You can take
anything from my things you need for tonight, and I will have Luken gather the
things you need tomorrow.”

She spun around to look at him. “I’m capable of getting my
own things.”

He bit down hard, taking a second before responding. His
dominant nature rose to the forefront at the challenging tone of her voice, but
he beat it back. “Then I’ll take you tomorrow to get your things.”

“And what if I want to go now?”

He sighed. Sadness crawled over him, and the wolf inside
didn’t like it much. All he needed was a target. If she’d just point him toward
whatever object or person was responsible for her fear, he’d destroy it. How
did he win a war with an unknown enemy? “Then you will most likely choose to
stay there instead of here.”

Her teeth sank into her bottom lip.

“I can smell the fear coming from you, Tyra. But I don’t
understand it. I’d never let anything happen to you.” He held her stare, hoping
she could see the sincerity of his words.

She looked away. “I can wait ’til tomorrow.”

Defeat now mixed in with her scent. He wanted to hit
something. She apparently wasn’t going to tell him what was wrong, and he
couldn’t stand the fact that she felt fear and sadness here. “Tyra, if you want
to go back to your apartment, we can. Or tell me what’s wrong so I can fix it.”
He continued to stare at her back as she stood, shoulders back, tension visible
in every muscle of her body.

“I just need to be alone.”

Frustration filled him as he walked past her to a notepad he
kept on the fridge. He pulled the pen from beside it and began to write. “This
is my cell number. There are phones all over the house. If you need me, you
call me.” He looked back at her and noticed she still stood with her gaze
averted from him. Anger over the unknown obstacle that had her pulling away
from him rode him hard. Leaving would probably be best, before his temper had
him lashing out at the wall she seemed so preoccupied staring at. That type of
display sure wouldn’t help to reassure her. His steps ate up the distance
between them. She didn’t move to look at him. He bent down and placed a light
kiss on her hair and then headed for the front door.

Everything in his nature screamed at him to turn around as
he opened the front door. Leaving her alone in this state clawed at his
insides. He heard her steps behind him and as he crossed the threshold onto the
front porch, he turned to look at her. Were those tears shimmering in her eyes?
He opened his mouth to say something, but she closed the door. When the lock
slid into place, he wanted to roar. She didn’t feel safe. It was his job to
make his mate feel safe and he was failing at it.

He strode toward the truck, pulling his cell from his
pocket. As he got into the truck, he punched the preprogrammed number that
would ring into the den’s control station.

“Hey, boss. What’s up?” Trent asked.

“I need you to send someone to watch my house.” He would
have to have someone else do it, because the longer he sat here, the harder it
became not to go break the damn door down and hold her close whether she wanted
him to or not.

“Is something wrong?”

“My mate is there. Her name’s Tyra, and if she leaves that
house I need to be called immediately.”

“Anything else I should know about?”

Luken would have already filled them in on the tension
rising among Thanasis’ pack. “No.”

“Consider it done.”

Konrad hit the End Call button and pocketed the phone as he
started the truck. Luken’s house sat down the street a few blocks, and Konrad
knew he had a spare bedroom set up. He banged his fist against the steering
wheel as he drove down the street then pulled into Luken’s double driveway.
Before his feet touched the ground, Luken had opened the wooden front door.

All the frustration and the anger from tonight’s events
returned in a flash and had Konrad charging toward Luken. His second-in-command
braced for the charge and Konrad’s shoulder connected with Luken’s abdomen,
sending both of them to land on the hard tile floor. A whoosh of air escaped
both of their lungs at the impact. Konrad recovered quickly as Luken went on
the offensive. They were equally matched as they threw punches and kicks at
each other until they fell to the ground with exhaustion. Konrad lay on his
back, breaths coming in pants. He would soon have to release Luken from his
pack. He’d known Luken had the makings of an alpha for a while. He also knew
Luken would never challenge him. They were too good of friends to ever fight to
the death with each other.

“So are you going to tell me what in the hell has you
twisted in a knot so bad, because I know you weren’t that mad about me not
saying anything about the human.”

Konrad turned his head to look across the debris-riddled
living room at Luken. Frustration began to build in him again, but at least now
it didn’t threaten to choke him as it had earlier. He sighed. “She’s afraid and
sad, and I have no idea why or how to fix it.”