Lycan Heat

Chapter Nine

Sherry sat upright in the bed to the gray light of dawn filtering through the window. She was panting and her heart was pounding. The dream had been so real. Her nipples were hard and aching, her mouth felt swollen from Piers kisses, and she was so wet with need. She jumped when she turned to face him, expecting him to still be asleep. He was propped up on one elbow, staring at her. She couldn’t help but notice the huge erection straining against his jeans, and her body pulsed with need.

“I’m sorry I didn’t keep my promise.” His voice was low, seductive.

“Wh-what?” His voice rushed through her like wildfire, heating every nerve and cell in its wake.

“Don’t act like you don’t know what I’m talking about. It’s happened before.”

He was looking at her as if she was a five-star buffet, and he was a starving man about to quench his hunger. He took her breath away and she wanted him, but did she want to sleep with him knowing that she’d probably never see him again after he took her back to Sanctuary? She wanted to save herself for the man she’d spend the rest of her life with, and he didn’t strike her as the settling down type.

But damn. She couldn’t ignore the way her body came to life when he touched her. He scared her with his intensity, but at the same time, that same intensity, that raw passion he exuded, excited her like nothing ever had. For the first time in her life, she’d met a man who made her want to throw all caution to the wind. She wanted to make love to Piers. She wanted his mouth and hands on her body. She wanted him inside her. She wanted to please him, pleasure him, drive him crazy. She wanted to make this wild, huge, dominant man lose control.

The only thing that stopped her from doing so was the knowledge that once he did lose control, there would be no turning back. And she feared once that happened, her heart would suffer the consequences when he left her.

“You can’t be in my dreams, Piers. It’s not possible.” Yet, she knew it was. He had been there, and he’d been there the last time as well. There was no other explanation for him knowing about the first dream and, now, this one. He’d been there.

“It is possible, at least in our situation,” he mumbled under his breath.

“And just what is our situation?”

“I think you know.”

“Are you trying to say that I’m your mate?”

“I’m not trying to say anything. I’m saying it.” His golden brown eyes watched her as if he could read her thoughts.

“No. I’m not ready for this. It’s too much too soon. I just found out about this werewolf stuff, and now this.”

“I prefer the term lycan.” He frowned and his brows slanted down, then he got up off the bed, reached for his T-shirt and tugged it over his head.

Had she hurt him? She hadn’t meant to. Everything was just happing so fast.

“I’m sorry, I just—”

“I get it. You don’t want to be tied to an animal like me. I don’t need apologies. But you can’t deny there is a connection between us. When I touch you, I feel it. I know you do too.” He clenched his jaw. “Get ready, and we’ll go.”

The flash of pain in his eyes was unmistakable. She hadn’t meant to hurt him, and she certainly hadn’t meant to give him cause to think that she thought of him as an animal. Yes, he’d kidnapped her. Yes, he’d kissed her and touched her, but he’d done nothing to harm her, and she enjoyed the kissing and caressing part, thoroughly enjoyed it. And now he was taking her back to her sister. She’d felt the effort it had taken him to keep his word when things had gotten heated between them, yet he’d refrained from touching her as he’d promised until she’d given him permission. He cared about her feelings. He hadn’t tried to coerce or push her into anything she hadn’t wanted.

In fact, he’d stopped almost instantly every time she’d backed off. He was a man of his word and hadn’t lied to her. He was a dying breed. Most men would have gotten angry, called her a tease, but he understood that she was not playing games with him. She was pretty sure he knew she was innocent where lovemaking was concerned. She was insecure and unsure, but those reasons didn’t lessen the fact that she wanted him. And truth be told, when he touched her, she didn’t feel insecure and shy. She felt like a siren, like a woman luring her man to a promise of pleasure so intense it would blow both their minds.

By the time she’d donned her clean underwear, finger combed her hair, and rinsed her mouth out since she didn’t have a toothbrush, she felt a bit more human. They had a long ride back to her sister, and she would explain to him that she’d never had such strong feelings for a man. They were confusing to her, but she’d decided she wanted to see where they would lead.

She cared enough for him to give him a chance—them a chance—if he was willing to take it.

She gasped when she saw him standing in front of the window. He’d opened the curtains, and snow fell heavy and fast outside.

“It’s snowing.”

“A lot.” He grunted.

“It’s too early for it.”

“Obviously Mother Nature didn’t get the memo.” He turned around and eyed her from head to toe. “It’s not that uncommon to have early snowfall in these parts.”

When he looked at her like that, she wanted to throw caution to the wind and jump him. His black T-shirt and jeans hugged him like a second skin, and she could see the outline of every mouth-watering muscle on his lean, hard body. He was so perfect that he could have been carved out of stone by the hands of a professional sculptor. His tanned skin and dark features showcased those golden brown eyes flawlessly.

“It’s coming down hard.” She eased closer to the window and him.

When she stood only a few inches from him, she could feel the heat emanating from him.

“We need to get going. It’s looking bad. If you want to make it back to your sister tonight, we’re going to have to make some good time.” She didn’t miss the way a frown marred his full lips when he eyed the snow from the window again.

“Will we be okay?”

“I’ll make sure you get back safely, Sherry. I won’t let anything happen to you.” He shrugged and looked back to the bed behind them. “Or we could stay here and wait it out.”

“Let’s go then.” A huge part of her wanted to say hell with it and stay with him, but she couldn’t let her sister worry.

He looked disappointed by her decision, but didn’t say a word as he opened the door and waved her outside. She climbed into the Jeep and shivered. It was freezing. He got in the driver’s side, started the engine, and backed out of the parking spot. Within twenty minutes, they were on the highway heading back the way they’d came. The heat had kicked in and she turned the radio on only to turn it off after hearing more static than music. A few hours later, she was becoming alarmed.

The snow had increased, visibility had decreased, the wind had picked up, and a white blanket was quickly thickening over the landscape. They were in a remote part of Michigan, and she’d only seen one other car the whole time they’d been driving. The way Piers gripped the steering wheel only increased her anxiety.

“Piers?”

“It’ll be okay. See if you can find a local news station on the radio.”

She finally found one after several tries, but it was hard to hear through the thick interference. Only bits and pieces could be heard, but “blizzard,”

“whiteout conditions,” “winter storm advisory” and “hazardous travel” were a few words that came through loud and clear.

“I can’t see anything.” She could barely see a foot in front of them, and dread slid down her spine.

“I can.”

“But how?”

“Because I can see a whole hell of a lot better than you.”

“Oh.” She was trying hard not to flip out, but her nerves were winning the battle.

“We will be all right.” Piers reached over and squeezed her hand. “I will keep you safe.”

An hour later, she wasn’t sure even he believed that they would be okay.

Piers kicked the tire on the Jeep. The fucking thing had blown, and now they were in a steep ditch, pitching hard on the passenger side. At least they hadn’t ended up in a ravine somewhere. He snorted. Sherry was scared to death. Her skin was pale, and tears had been swimming in her eyes for the past hour. He was surprised she hadn’t let them loose since they’d landed in the ditch.

He tried his cell phone, but there was no signal, which was not surprising. He walked up the road a ways and back in the other direction, trying it several more times, but nothing.

He’d have no problem surviving a storm like this. His lycan blood would keep him warm, and he could hunt for food if it came to it. He could keep Sherry warm as well, but he wasn’t sure any of that would comfort her at the moment. They were getting close to Sanctuary, and he could go there and get them help, assuming he wasn’t killed on sight. Sherry would be okay in the Jeep for a couple hours, and he had no intention of leaving her alone for longer than that.

He took a deep breath, not wanting to tell her of his decision. She wasn’t going to like it, but it was their best option. He wanted to get her to safety.

He opened the driver’s door and slid into the seat.

“Can you get us out?” Her green eyes were wide.

“Even if I get the tire changed, we’re too far in the ditch.”

“But it’s a four-wheel drive, for God’s sake.”

“Yes, but it still has its limitations.” He smiled because he couldn’t help it. She was adorable. “We are leaning quite a bit toward your side. I’m worried if I try to get us out we might slide further down and flip over. And, unfortunately, there is no signal on the cell either.”

“What are we going to do?” Her lip quivered.

“I’m going to go get help from Sanctuary.” He wanted to hug her to him, and comfort her, but he knew if he did, he’d never leave.

“You can’t do that! Yo-you’ll freeze to death or get lost.”

“I’ll be fine.” He smiled. She was worried about him, and that was a good sign. Maybe she cared about him more than he thought. “I will not freeze to death. In case you haven’t noticed, I run several degrees hotter than you, and I can have warm fur in an instant if I need it. I won’t get lost because I’m very familiar with the woods, not to mention I have a sensational sense of smell.”

“I don’t want to stay here by myself.” The tears she’d been holding back spilled down her cheeks.

“I know, but I want to get you out of this storm and some place safe and warm.” He reached for her hands, and took them in his. “It should only take me two hours tops. There is more than enough fuel for you to keep warm for that amount of time. Can you be strong and do this?”

She stared at him for several minutes before finally nodding. “Yes. I’ll try.”

“Stay in the car, Sherry. I promise I will be back. I won’t let anything happen to you. You are safe here.” He leaned in and kissed her gently, refusing the instant roar of desire that came rushing in again, demanding that he take her. “There are still snacks left from last night in the back seat, and a can of soda.”

“Okay.”

Her whispered word went straight to his heart. She was scared, but she was being exceptionally brave. He gave her one last smile and turned to get out of the car, but before he could open the door, she grabbed him by the arm and pulled him back to her for a hug. This time, she kissed him.

“Be careful.”

“I will. I’ll be back before you know it.”

Something had gone wrong. It had been over three hours since Piers had left to get help, and he still hadn’t returned. The snow hadn’t let up, and Sherry’s anxiety was almost unbearable. She had done everything from breathing exercises, to singing, to trying to sleep, but nothing had worked for long to keep her occupied.

Terror clawed at her. The fuel was getting low in the Jeep, and it was getting dark out. She glanced at the clock on the radio. If he wasn’t back in a half hour, she’d go look for him. She’d found a blanket in the back of the Jeep. If she wrapped it around her, it would keep her warm for awhile outside. She’d just have to make sure not to stray far.

When another half hour went by and he was still not back, she turned the engine off, wrapped the wool blanket around her, and stepped outside. The snow had let up a bit, but visibility was still poor. She wouldn’t be able to go far, but she prayed she wouldn’t have to. She took a deep, calming breath and started in the direction he’d gone in.

“Piers!” The snow acted as a barrier to her voice, and she knew it wouldn’t carry far. “Piers!” All she heard was deafening silence in return.

An hour later, she was in trouble. The storm had picked back up, and she was trying to make it back to the Jeep, but she was having trouble walking through the near knee deep snow. She was freezing cold and shivered uncontrollably. Ice coated her eyelashes, and she had to hold the blanket over her nose and mouth so the frigid air didn’t burn her lungs.

The wind blew so hard against her that she was having trouble standing upright, but she fought against it with all the strength she had. The cold was taking its toll on her, and her brain was turning foggy. All she wanted to do was lay down and sleep, even though she knew it would be the death of her.

No. She had to keep going, but minutes later, she was starting to doubt her ability to make it back to the car, which was now in sight but might as well have been a hundred miles away.

She pushed herself forward, but staggered and fell hard to her knees. She tried to get to her feet, struggled with all her might, but she was too weak.

She couldn’t believe she was going to die this way, from sheer stupidity. She honestly hadn’t realized how much the temperature had dropped. She’d never thought for a moment that a quick look around for Piers could result in her death. The last thing she remembered was the white ground rushing toward her face.