Authors: Ambrielle Kirk
“I must be a big inconvenience to you,” she mumbled.
“No, you’re not,” he said. “I’ve committed to help you.”
“You had plans before you even met me. I’ve done nothing but delay you.”
“Acting without adequate planning would have been a disadvantage to me. Over the past several nights here, I had the chance to re-evaluate my choice. I will have to leave soon though…if I plan to help my people.”
She turned to face him. “Your people?”
He moved to stand by the sofa. “Sit with me.”
Several moments passed while she waited patiently for him to speak. She lifted her gaze to meet his with question. Visions of his wolf flashed into her mind. “Tell me about this spirit of Caedmon.”
“We’ve been around for hundreds of years. One of the oldest and most respected wolf packs in the United States. Those who are born with the spirit of Caedmon have the ability to shift into wolf form.”
“Like you?” she asked when he paused.
“Yes. We’ve since branched out into many smaller tribes. We are a very diverse pack. This is the result of a custom of accepting wolves from disbanded packs who wish to accept the spirit, culture, and laws of Caedmon. However, the pack is still led by those who are directly descended from the first line of Caedmon wolves.”
“So, I assume that this is all kept secret…from non-wolves.”
“It is forbidden to offer knowledge about our existence to outsiders.”
She frowned. “But, you have told me…”
He grinned. “I’ve always been the bad seed.”
Tamara swallowed. “What happens to those who disobey the laws?”
“The punishment depends on the severity of the offense.”
She looked down at the patterns in the sofa. “I hope you are not punished because of me.”
He grasped her elbow in a gesture of solace. “Don’t worry about me.”
It seemed as though the Caedmon culture he talked of was a serious one. A real one. With people that shifted into wolf form just like he could. They had real laws, and he’d disobeyed one of them. For some reason, she did worry about him. She’d practically encouraged him to tell her a secret that he was bond to keep to himself.
They’d have to part soon, and she had a feeling that she’d never be able to forget Devin. The man who also a wolf.
S
now fell so furiously that it came down in a white haze outside the window. The temperatures had once again dipped below freezing with what Tamara suspected was the worst of the storm. Devin had even said he hadn’t seen this coming.
Fire crackled and danced in the fireplace. Every so often a log would break apart, and the flames would spark and pop as it settled in place again. It reminded her of the sounds of Christmas alongside her family. Sitting here like this with Devin made her realize that she missed moments like those.
Tamara folded her legs under her and scooped up another spoon full of soup. The hearty combination of chicken, noodles and other vegetables filled her up and warmed her insides on this freezing cold night. She’d never met a man who could cook, and always thought that finding one was like discovering a needle in haystack. Was it just by happenstance that she’d finally come across one?
She stole another glance at Devin who sat beside her, bent over the coffee table peering at some complex drawings. Every so often, he would mumble something to himself.
“Does Montana get this much snow?” She didn’t want to seem like a nuisance, but hearing the casual sound of his always seemed to calm her.
He nodded. “A lot more than this. I’m quite used to it.”
She glanced down at the pencil drawings and shadings. “What are you drawing?”
“An idea for an expansion of this cabin. It’s outdated. Too small, and needs a lot of work.”
She glanced at every corner of the room. It was small, but for its size it served the purpose. “Outdated? Well, how old is it?”
“Thirty, maybe forty years old. It was my mother’s. She lived here for a very short time.” He didn’t look up from the drawing.
“Is your mother…
Caedmon
?”
“
Was
. She’s dead.”
There was no emotion in his voice, and she wondered if he’d suppressed them.
“I’m sorry,” she said.
“She followed her mate to the grave.”
“Excuse me?” Had she heard him correctly?
“Wolves mate for life. In Caedmon culture, if the mating is a true one, when a wolf’s mate dies, the other soon follows.”
“From doing some research on wolf behavior in college, I learned that they mated for life. It’s romantic…and sad at the same time.”
“How many bathrooms?” He looked down at his sketch again.
His change of subject suddenly caught her off guard. “What?”
“How many bathrooms would you want in your dream home?”
Tamara smiled. “My dream home? Hmmm…never thought about it.” She set the bowl on the table and peered at the drawing with him. “A huge master bath with Jacuzzi tubs, separate toilet and shower. The works. A half bathroom downstairs for guests. I’d want at least two bathroom upstairs with one of the rooms having its own bathroom.”
“Uh-hmm.” He scribbled some notes on a separate notepad. “Sounds like five bedrooms total.”
“Exactly. I’m not big on mansions, but I grew up in a family where we were taught to make people feel at home. My parents had dinner parties all the time. The guest list was always large.”
“And they don’t anymore?”
“If they were alive, they would. They were involved in a terrible boating accident.” At the time, they’d been on a month long vacation, and had died doing what they loved. The grieving process for her was long and difficult.
“That’s unfortunate.”
“Do you build homes all the time?”
“I make my living doing this. I have a construction business in Montana,” he said.
“How long have you lived in Montana?”
“Five years.” The muscles on his forearms moved lithely as he sketched on the pad.
It was long enough to call Montana home, yet she wondered what would make him return to Virginia after five years and refer to it as his home. Was it part of the Caedmon culture? Was he forced to return? What was at stake? Whatever business he needed to leave to tend to seemed serious enough.
“The other wolf…the one you were fighting with…is it Caedmon?”
“Yes.”
“Why did it want to kill me?” Had Devin not come when he did, she probably would not even be alive.
“It didn’t want to kill you,” he said. “These forests are Caedmon territory. In its eyes, you were a trespasser…as well as an unaccompanied female.”
“Then, I really need to leave, huh? Before the other wolves find out. I don’t—”
“You will do no such thing,” he said quickly. “You are under my protection. You will find safety, but you will not find it alone.”
His declaration was firm, as if there were no room for discussion. He was no stranger to giving orders. It was the very thing she was running away from now. Devin had good intentions, but was this hint of dominance a glimpse into who he really was?
“I don’t want to be a burden or the reason you receive reprimand from your pack, neither do I want to feel like a prisoner in your home,” she said, then picked up her empty bowl and walked to the kitchen.
She risked her life for the chance to make her own decisions again. There was no way in hell she would let yet another man make them for her. The reality was that a world of difference existed between Devin and Brad. She saw the honesty in Devin’s eyes, and the virtue in his demeanor. There should have been no comparison to Brad, but she had to be careful. Things weren’t always what they seemed. She’d been burned once before…
A heated body brushed across her side. The bowl slipped from Tamara’s fingers and hit the bottom of the sink. From the way her core warmed when he drew nearer, there was no mistake that it was Devin.
She held her breath, but did not turn around.
His hands came around her to grab the bowl in the sink, and he pressed his chest against her back. “Don’t fear me,” he whispered into her hair.
She shivered, but it wasn’t from fear or the cold.
Devin picked up the dish towel and began to wash the bowl, leaving her no choice but to look. When he was done, he placed the dish on the drying rack. He took her hand and led her to turn around.
Her gaze was level with his chest, until he tilted her chin gently with a finger.
“Look at me, Tamara. Are you afraid of me?”
“No,” she whispered.
“The tension in your body tells me otherwise.”
How could she have forgotten they were pressed so closely together? His spicy scent drifted under her nose, mesmerizing her. It was familiar to her, yet it wasn’t a scent she’d known anywhere else but with him.
She shook her head. “I don’t know you.”
He closed his eyes. “Why do you smell so good?”
“Excuse me?”
“Your smell? Are you wearing perfume?”
She swallowed. “No, I don’t have any. Did you forget? You brought me here with just the clothes on my back.”
He took a deep breath and moved closer, positioning his nose against one side of her neck. At the same moment he brushed his face against her neck, her body became pliant in his arms.
“There is a strong urge to protect you,” he said.
“Devin…” she said in a husky voice, riddled with confusion.
Had the cabin not been so quiet, she probably would have missed the low growl he gave in answer. His gestures were affectionate. As he nuzzled the crevice of her neck, her legs turned to putty.
Suddenly, Devin broke away and this time he stared at her in confusion.
His quick actions startled her and she clutched at the counters behind her for support.
“I must bring in more firewood.” He backed away. “I’ll go no further than the barn.”
And with that he was gone, leaving her alone and puzzled in the cabin.
***
After pacing the cabin about a dozen times with Devin’s cell phone in hand, Tamara finally settled down on the couch and dialed her counselor.
The line rang four times before Selene picked up. “Selene speaking.”
“It’s Tamara.”
“Tam! No way.” There was rustling on the other end that sounded a lot like she was driving at top speeds with the windows down. “You scared the bat shit out of me! Where are you? You’ve been reported missing by the police. Brad and his crew are in jail locked up. They have him held without bond on a half a dozen felony counts, a slew of misdemeanors, and a possible manslaughter charge. I’ve got my manager all over my ass for losing contact with you. Dude, are you okay? There’s a—”
“Whoa, Selene. I’m okay.” She laughed nervously into the phone. She’d always known Selene to have an entire conversation without taking one breath.
Selene exhaled loudly on the other end. “So glad to hear that. I’ve been worried sick. Give me your location. Where are you?”
“I can’t…” Tamara looked at the door where she knew Devin sat within earshot on the porch. “…I can’t give you my location.”
“What? Why not? Don’t do this again,” Selene said, firmly.
“I’m safe. I promise you that.”
“Are you sure? You sound unsure.”
“I only called to let you know that I was okay,” Tamara said.
“Who are you with? Family?”