Your Wild Heart (8 page)

“Make yourself comfortable. I’ll be back as soon as I finish some paperwork.”

“You’re leaving me here?” Her mouth hung open in disbelief.

“Yes.”

Isabelle snapped her jaw shut. Through clenched teeth she said, “I’m not staying here.”

He took two steps in her direction. “Yes, you are. I have to finish filing charges on those two idiots, and I expect you to be here when I return.”

With fists on her hips, she declared, “You have no right to tell me what to do.”

He growled, “Don’t push me right now, Izzy. You have no idea how much danger you were in. Dalton is an idiot and a follower, but Bob is cruel and dangerous, especially when he’s been drinking. You could have been killed.” His eyes turned dark gold. “Or worse.”

She gulped. It had been foolish to confront the two of them. She hadn’t allowed herself to think about how badly it could have gone.

A tremor went through her.

Wyatt pulled her into his arms. A little rough and a little too tight but she didn’t mind. She sniffled back the tears threatening to spill.

“Now, listen to me. I have to go, but I need to be sure you are safe and that you’ll be here when I return. Promise me.”

She took a deep breath. “Fine.” Some of the tension left his frame, but he didn’t relinquish his hold on her.

“Fine what?” he asked.

“Fine I’ll wait here.”

He grunted then kissed the top of her head and released her. He pointed to the hallway off to the right. “The bathroom is at the end of the hall. There are clean towels under the sink.” He gestured to the other end of the house. “Help yourself to anything in the kitchen.”

With a few steps, he returned to her touched her cheek with a feather like caress. “You need to put some ice on that.” Then his face darkened, and he mumbled something about kicking someone in the nuts. Abruptly, he turned and headed to the front entrance. With one last look in her direction, he disappeared through the door.

When the latch clicked, her knees went weak. The reality of the day’s events closed in on her. She clutched the edge of couch for support as she began to shake.

Breaking down into a weepy mess was not going to happen. She forbade it.

Perhaps a hot bath would help.

Using the wall for support, she made her way to the bathroom. She clicked on the light and was once again surprised. The room had a spa-like feel, thanks to its neutral colors and soft textures. In contrast to the décor, she found a soap dispenser shaped like a bright yellow rubber duck next to the faucet.

The rubber duck she found on the edge of the tub surprised her yet again. It was so out of place and cheerful her mood lightened instantly.

She couldn’t stay mad at a guy who kept rubber ducks around.

After turning on the water and stopping the tub, she went in search of a towel. In the drawer below the sink, she found a razor that looked as if it had never been used. She could not turn down an opportunity to shave.

With a whisper of thanks, she took the shampoo and conditioner she found and headed to the tub. Putting all of her treasures on the edge, she sank into the steaming water.

It was going to feel so good to scrub every last inch of her body clean.

In a minute.

After the hot water relaxed all of her muscles and made the shakes stop.

She closed her eyes and reminded herself everything was fine. She was fine. Wyatt wouldn’t have brought her here if it wasn’t safe. Her gut said she could trust him. She just needed to relax and let the warm water do its job.

Wyatt returned home, anxious to see if Izzy had waited for him.

Those two jack-wads he had filed charges on were lucky. This close to the full moon, it had taken every drop of discipline his grandfather had taught him along with prayers to the spirits to not shift. If he had, his Wolf would have ripped the two of them to shreds.

Just thinking about what could have happened to Izzy set him on edge. If the mark on her face still looked as painful as it had before he left, he may be tempted to return to the office and inflict a little more damage on Bob. If he hadn’t already come to the conclusion he and Isabelle were meant to be, his reaction would have proven it. His reaction had been too swift and powerful to be denied.

But how did he convince her to stay? And if he did, how would he break the news that once a month he had an uncontrollable need to run wild though the forest as one of the furry, four-legged beasts she had been studying?

He shook his head to clear it and got out of his truck.

His gut clenched. What if she wasn’t there?

He unlocked the door and let himself in as quiet as possible.

A quick check confirmed the living room was empty and so was the kitchen. He padded down the hall.

The wet towel hanging over the shower-curtain rod told him she had taken a bath.

He hardened at the thought of her naked in his house.

When he stepped into his bedroom, his breath caught in his chest. She lay curled on her side in the middle of his bed, asleep. She had borrowed a T-shirt, but from his vantage point, he couldn’t tell if she wore anything else.

He drank in the sight. His Wolf roared with a need to claim her.

Moving silently, he stripped out of his clothes and boots. Before climbing into bed with her, he grabbed a condom from the bedside table. He rolled the sheath in place then slid in next to her. His body molded to hers, causing her to murmur in her sleep.

He pressed his lips against the tender skin of her neck then down to her shoulder. When he nipped the muscle near her collarbone, she gasped.

“You’re back,” she said as she rolled to face him.

“And you’re in my bed,” he growled.

“I hope you don’t min—”

He didn’t give her a chance to finish. He devoured her lips as he pulled her tighter against him.

For a split second, he worried about being too aggressive. His Wolf demanded he take her, and his control had been stretched too far already today.

But she gave as good as she got.

Her kisses were a thing of dreams! The flicks of her tongue against his were part timid and part Siren. They teased and tantalized but were gentle enough to hint at her relative inexperience.

Her leg rode higher and wrapped around his hip. She sank her nails into his shoulder as she struggled to get closer. Her pussy rubbed against his erection, making Wyatt groan.

She was slick and ready for him.

He captured her hands and rolled her onto her back.

“I need you, Izzy. I can’t be gentle with you,” he said through gritted teeth.

“You don’t have to be.”

Taking that as permission, he pushed the shirt she wore up and wrapped it around her wrists. After pinning her hands against the pillows above her head, he buried himself in her heat.

Isabelle sucked in a breath at the invasion, but her pussy quivered around him.

He slid in, creating a delicious friction, but it wasn’t enough. Deeper. He needed to fill her completely. He needed to mark her.

With gritted teeth, he withdrew from her body then flipped her onto her belly. He pulled her up onto her knees and positioned himself behind her. He drank in the sight of her rounded ass and curved spine. Unable to control himself for a single second longer, he grabbed her hip and aimed his cock at her opening.

With one thrust, and he was back in heaven. She squirmed and pushed against him, trying to impale herself upon him, but he kept a firm grip on her hips, denying her any leverage.

The mewing sounds she made in protest sent heat spiraling to his crotch.

He reached around her waist and found her clit. He teased the tiny bud with his finger, making her freeze. As soon as she responded to the stimulation, he renewed his thrusts. He felt the familiar tingle in his balls and knew he was close. As he struggled to hold off, he nipped her shoulder.

Isabelle threw her head backward and cried, “Oh!”

The quivering of her pussy around him was the final straw. Thunder roared in his ears as he came with blinding intensity.

He collapsed onto his side and pulled Isabelle’s back against him, burying his face in her neck. At least he’d had the wherewithal to not fall on top of her.

He took a deep breath and drank in her scent. Despite being sated, his Wolf stirred beneath the surface.

Isabelle stretched and turned in his arms to face him. She grinned and gave him a gentle kiss.

Something fluttered in Wyatt’s gut.

“Do you always come home from the office like that?” she asked.

“No. I suspect it had something to do with finding you in my bed, naked.”

“I’ll have to remember that,” she murmured as she rubbed her cheek against his.

He held her close in an effort to ground his wayward emotions and soothe his Wolf. Her fingers stroked a spot on his chest as if she were petting a cat. The feel of her heartbeat and the warmth of her skin went a long way to calming him.

“One of those men called you Hotah. How come?” Her voice came out as little more than a whisper.

Of all the things she could have asked, he hadn’t expected that. He was surprised she’d noticed with everything that had been going on.

“Hotah is my Sioux name.”

“What does it mean?”

He smiled.
Always the scientist
. “Gray.”

“Gray?”

He nodded.

“I realize it’s stereotyping, but I thought a lot of Native American names came from animals or deeds or some kind of physical descriptor. Was your skin gray when you were born or something?”

He chuckled. “No. My grandfather had a vision not long after my mother told him she was pregnant with me. In his vision, he saw me walking with a gray wolf. He said this wolf would be significant to my life and would lead me in a new direction.”

She stiffened in his arms. “A wolf?”

“Yes.”

“Aren’t wolves considered to be some premonition of evil?” Her voice quivered.

“Not at all. In many cultures, the wolf is considered a wise animal. One that is in touch with its intuition. It is thought to be a powerful spirit guide.”

“Oh. I didn’t realize that.”

He had to ask. “You’re a scientist. You study them in the wild. Surely you aren’t afraid of wolves.”

She snorted. “God, no. But a lot of people are. And since I don’t know much about the Sioux, I wasn’t sure if that vision would be a good thing or a bad thing. Then again, I suppose it would be a good thing if you were named after something in the vision, right?” She spoke in such quick succession her words blurred together.

“Yes. That’s right.” He frowned. What had gotten into her?

She sat up. “I don’t suppose you have something we can eat, do you? I’m starving.”

“I’m sure we could find something.” His brow furrowed as he rolled out of bed.

In the bathroom, he disposed of the condom then grabbed a pair of sweatpants and pulled them on. When he returned to the bedroom, he found Isabelle sitting in the middle of the bed, wearing his T-shirt and looking a little lost.

“Are you all right?”

“Yeah.” She tugged at the edge of the shirt and grimaced. “It’s been a bit of a crazy day.”

“Yes it has.” He went to the side of the bed and pulled her to the edge. “But you survived and you’re safe now, so don’t let it get to you.”

With the lightest of touches, he ran his finger over the red mark on her cheek. “I need to not look at that. Every time I do I want to rip Bob’s spleen out.” He balled his hand into a fist. “I’m already going to have a hard time explaining why he’s missing two teeth and can’t see out one eye.”

She reached for his hand. “I didn’t get a chance to thank you for saving me. Again.”

In an instant, his anger fizzled. “You’re welcome.”

“Did they go to jail?”

“Oh, yes.” He shrugged. “Well, after they make a pit stop at the hospital to get Bob patched up.”

“Good. So it would be safe for me to return to my trailer tonight?”

He almost told her no but then remembered it was the first night of the full moon. It would be hard to explain why he stayed out all night. With reluctance, he told her, “Yes. You won’t have to worry about Bob or Dalton bothering you again.”

“Good. While I appreciate the use of your bathtub, I don’t want to keep imposing on you. I’m sure I’ve created enough extra work for you.”

He lifted her chin until she looked him in the eye. “You aren’t extra work, Izzy. You are welcome to stay here if it makes you feel safer, but I won’t be able to stay with you. I’m supposed to meet Drew and some friends, and it may take most of the night. I know that sounds terrible to ditch you after you’ve had such a traumatic day, but it’s not something I can miss.”

She smiled. “It’s okay. Really.” She pressed a kiss against the palm of his hand. “I kind of need to be in familiar surroundings, so I can collect my thoughts. I need to start packing, too. I’d only planned to be here five or six days. My dad will send the troops after me if I’m not home when he thinks I should be.”

“Don’t leave without telling me.”

She grabbed the finger he pointed at her and kissed the tip. “I won’t.”

He looked deep into her eyes. Satisfied she wasn’t just pacifying him, he relaxed. “Okay. Now, let’s go see if we can whip up an omelet or something else worth eating.”

“Yes, please.”

Wyatt’s meeting with Drew took longer than he wanted.

He liked the new Alpha, and he had pledged his loyalty, but it bothered him to have so much attention on Isabelle. The fact that two other single males had been ordered to keep an eye on her gnawed at him.

He didn’t believe she would ever do anything to harm one of the pack, but since she didn’t know the truth about them, there was the possibility she might report some obscure fact that could draw unwanted attention to Los Lobos.

Drew had reason to be concerned.

But dammit, he wasn’t going to chase her off either. Besides, she already said she would be leaving soon. He needed to figure out how to get her to stay.