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  I stood outside the door quietly gathering myself for a moment. Since Josten said Marco was probably awake, I debated knocking, but then decided not to chance it. Plus, it would be better if I could slip in without stirring him.

  I entered the code and slowly pushed the door open. I slid in through the tiniest of cracks and silently shut it behind me. The second I turned around though, he whisked me into his arms and captured my lips. His arms were like a python, squeezing me flat to him. His lips crushed my own; I felt the power behind them. Their softness faded behind his rough compression. He’d trapped me. I couldn’t wiggle or move. He was dominating me, ensuring I couldn’t escape, ensuring I didn’t run away again. And right now, I didn’t want to.

  I sunk into him, savoring the taste of him. He’d had coffee recently; the robust flavor traveled along my palate as his tongue swiped over my lips. My heart was racing, my body heating, as his hands unwound my scarf, though his lips never broke away.

  He unzipped my jacket and tossed it aside. He then broke away for a second to remove my turtleneck, revealing the white shirt underneath, but immediately pulled me against him again afterwards.

  A chill chased down my spine; tension tightened my womb, anticipation rousing. I was beginning to wonder how long this would go on. I didn’t know how much longer I could keep myself in check. Desire build swiftly, just as quickly drowning out my conscience.

  Several minutes later, he finally allowed me to breathe on my own accord. His sweet, heavy breath cascaded over my neck as he breathed me in. I was overwhelmed by him, yet enjoying every second.

  He looked into my eyes. “I missed you.”

  “I missed you too.” I licked my lips.

  “Then why didn’t you call me back?”

  My chest clenched. “Because I’m a coward,” I said, being honest with him and myself.

  “Do you know how many times I stood outside your apartment just to listen to your heartbeat so I knew you were okay?” He searched me for an answer.

  I cradled his face with my hands the best I could, taking him in. “Thank you.” I gently kissed his lips.

  Suddenly, he narrowed his eyes at me. “How did you get here?”

  I cringed away from him, dropping my hands instantly. “I walked.”

  He closed his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose with a sigh. “Why didn’t you call me? You could have been hurt. Anyone from Ryan’s pack could have been following you.”

  “I didn’t want to wake you. I know you’ve been busy at work and I didn’t want to take away from your rest.”

  “Mi amor, I haven’t rested since the second I dropped you off. I can’t. I’m constantly worrying about you when you’re not in my arms. I can’t think of anything or anyone else but you. You belong with me. You have to know that you returned not only for the pack, but because we’re meant to be together.”

  “Maybe.” I shrugged my shoulders, wincing slightly with the effort.

  “Maybe?” He frowned.

  I averted my gaze momentarily, mulling over my words before I spoke. “How could I survive if I gave all of myself to you and you ripped me apart?”

  “You already have me, mi amor. Open your eyes. It’s you who is ripping my heart every time you try to run away.” He looked directly into my eyes, baring his soul. His muscles were tense, his jaw set. His eyes though, were soft and sad, despite his stiff demeanor. His eyes revealed everything: his vulnerability, his own battle with his feelings for me. I wasn’t alone in my struggles. I now saw just how much he was risking too.

  I ran my fingertips along the bags below his eyes. I hadn’t noticed them at first; they were deep and weakened him in his alpha reign. He leaned into my caress. “I’m sorry. I do care for you.”

  “I know.”

  “I…” I sighed, moving my hand to his heart. I looked at his shirt, tight across his chest. I felt the beat of his heart below, pounding as he waited for me. “I promise I will try to stop running, and give us a chance.”

  His eyes sparkled and his lips marginally curved up. “Come to bed with me.”

  I gazed at him for a while, my eyes wide with wonder, but my heart pounding with fear. I didn’t trust my voice so I merely nodded my head.

  He led me to his room. He’d been in here before because the covers were down. He closed the door, blinding me in darkness. It didn’t seem to impair him though. He lifted me into his arms and carried me to the bed, gently resting my head on a silky pillow. A low growl escaped him as he climbed on the bed and hovered over me. I felt his eyes raking over me, prepared to mark his territory. My pulse raced as I lay waiting for him to make his move.

  He feathered kisses from my head down to my neck and further to my chest. Then abruptly he collapsed on the bed beside me and yanked me up against him. He inhaled me, sliding one finger along my jawline. I gasped when his tongue trailed my skin, sending shock waves through me. Need pooled in my lower stomach, but I didn’t dare touch him.

  He lightly nibbled my ear, causing a shudder. I whimpered as his left hand slid down and glided over my pants between my thighs. “Do you know how bad I want you?” he whispered. I barely shook my head. “This bad,” he said, pushing my rear into his erection.

  I swallowed hard, my breathing becoming shallow as he pushed against me. “I…” I tried to take a few deep breaths before I began to pant. “I’m a virgin.” The words barely came out, but they stopped him dead in his tracks.

  Abruptly, I was on my back and he was hovering over me. I fidgeted under his scrutiny. “Did you think that would turn me off?” he asked, his eyes beginning to glow in the darkness.

  “I…I don’t know,” I stumbled. I couldn’t see him in the darkness; I couldn’t decipher his expression for myself. I only knew something had enticed his wolf.

  He leaned down beside my ear. “That just makes me want you more. To know no other man has touched you has only further stirred my inner wolf who longs to claim his mate.”

  I jumped at the sound of glass shattering. He leapt off the bed and was out the bedroom door in a split second. More glass being broken echoed into the bedroom. I quickly climbed off the bed just as he returned.

  “Hold on,” he ordered as he lifted me into his arms.

  “Oh my God!” My heart broke at the sight before me as he carried me through the flames that engulfed the front of his home. Dread quickly set in.

  He opened the door and headed down the stairs, halting at the pack racing down and out from the third floor. Kuha stood by the door directing them. From my vantage point in Marco’s arms, I saw the beds burning ominously before the broken windows.

  “Is everyone out?” Marco asked as the last of them filed into the stairwell.

  “Yes. I counted as they left. I grabbed the car keys and the disk. The fire department is on their way.”

  “Let’s go,” Marco said, quickly following Kuha down the stairs and out the doors. I shivered the second the cold night air hit me. My jacket and scarf were still upstairs. Looking around though, no one was appropriately dressed to face the cold, yet they didn’t seem to be bothered by it.

  I looked up at the building and covered the scream I released. “Oh my God!” Tears welled in my eyes at the sight before me. Marco tightened his grip on me, a strong, mighty growl roared from him. Many in the pack followed suit, eyes narrowing at the words spray painted in red across the bricks. Surrender Emma.

  Glass began to shatter as the flames broke through the remaining windows. Sirens in the distance seemed to sober everyone, but I couldn’t get past the scene before me.

  “Malakhi, Josten, Erik and Brandon, pull the cars around! Everyone load up and head for the resort. Kuha, you and Micah take Emma. Do not let her out of your sight for a second! I’ll be behind you once I file the reports. Nick, as pack secretary, it’s your job to contact the others. Make sure they’re aware of what’s going on and that no one is hurt.” Everyone flew into action.

  “I’ll see you soon, mi amor. I promise.” Marc
o kissed me before passing me to Kuha.

  “Thanks, but I can walk.” He looked down at my feet, checking for shoes, before setting me down. He held firmly to my hand though as he and Micah escorted me to the tan Escalade. Checking around, I saw everyone was dressed nearly the same with long-sleeved T-shirts, athletic shorts and sneakers. At least they had some protection from the elements, though they wouldn’t offer much.

  “Everyone okay?” Kuha checked as he buckled me between Anden and Micah. Yeses rang back in unison.

  Erik slid into the passenger seat so Kuha could drive. The heat was turned to max, quickly working its way to me.

  I reached my hand out to Kuha’s shoulder in front of me. “Is Marco going to be okay alone back there?” I hated leaving him defenseless in front of his burning home.

  “He’ll be fine, Em. Don’t worry about him. We need to get you to safety though.”

  I nodded, swallowing hard as the tears pooled. This was all my fault. If I hadn’t come back, it would have been my apartment set aflame, not theirs.

  “Hey, he’s going to be okay. We all are,” Anden said, wrapping his arm around me. He must have seen the tears clinging to my lashes.

  “He’s right. Don’t put this on yourself. You’re one of us, Em, and we’re not going to give you up,” Micah added, covering my good hand with his own.

  They were wonderful, but they didn’t deserve to be put through this because of me. I’d always fought my own battles. I wasn’t about to let them take them up for me.

  The drive to the resort was silent; tension filled the SUV. I could only imagine the others in the remaining vehicles. They were angry. Their home had just been destroyed on purpose. Guilt consumed me over their loss, a loss that was entirely because of me.

  Upon arriving at the lodge, Kuha took over directing us all to different rooms in the hotel. “Emma, you don’t leave my side,” he ordered.

  I awkwardly stood off to the side, my thoughts dominated by guilt and concern for Marco, while Kuha checked out the rooms in the computer system to ensure they weren’t accidentally booked to guests. The guys took their assigned key cards and headed out.

  “Stop thinking. You’ll give yourself a headache.” Micah tapped my upper arm.

  “I already have one.”

  “See. You should stop before it gets worse.”

  “Yeah,” I sighed, looking around at the empty lobby. It was around 4:00 a.m. so the guests were still sleeping.

  “Seriously, Em. Give yourself a break. This isn’t your fault. Don’t even think for a minute that we blame you for this.”

  “Thanks.” I offered him a small smile. It didn’t placate him though. He pulled me to him and wrapped his arms around me.

  His selfless act broke the dam. I returned his embrace, feeling all of my walls come tumbling down. My heart cracked, it crumbled for them. When I’d lost everything, they gave it all back to me. Now that they’d lost everything – because of me – I knew I wouldn’t be able to give it back. There was no way I could make this right for them, and that made the ache in my chest that much worse.

  Micah broke away. His lips curled softly into a gentle, reassuring grin.

  I couldn’t return it this time, not even a little.

  “Alright. We’re good. Let’s go.” Kuha grabbed the final keycard off the counter, waved goodbye to the two staff at the front desk and led us out and down a hallway towards the elevators. He took us up to the third floor and down to the end of the hall. He knocked on several other doors to check on some of the guys. I could barely believe this was happening. It felt surreal.

  “We’re going to stay with you until Marco gets back. Okay, Em?” Kuha glanced at me, waiting for a response. The moment I nodded, he opened the last door at the end of the hall on the left. “Go ahead.”

  I walked into a luxurious oasis. The room was a perfect mixture of log cabin in the woods meets modern city sleek. Mocha walls were warm next to the cedar-planked ceiling. Thick, lush, cream-colored Berber carpets padded the floor of the suite. A distressed brown leather sofa with a chunky wood coffee table created a seating area in front of the stone fireplace with a plasma TV mounted above the mantel. There was a small kitchen, complete with cedar wood floors, maple cabinets and sand colored granite countertops. The overhang had two full back barstools nestled beneath, creating an additional eating spot beside the dining area. Accents of soft green and white broke up the muted, earthy palette of the space.

  I opened a door off the seating area allowing the light to pour into a good-sized bedroom. Chocolate walls dominated while crisp white linens modernized the country feel of the king-size log bed. Two nightstands held a few white candles on gold chargers, perfect for creating ambiance. There was no TV in the room, no modern distractions; there wasn’t even any lighting that I noticed, only a fireplace and the candles. I walked through to a door along the right wall, which opened to a walk-in closet with two plush, terry white robes hanging on the rack with two pairs of slippers aligned below them. A dresser along the far wall and wooden hangers along the bars offered plenty of clothing storage options.

  I peeked inside the door next to the closet. My mouth fell open at the sight. I’d never seen such an opulent bathroom. It was a large spa-like bathroom complete with a hot tub below a picture window overlooking the mountains. A river rock covered steam shower, double vanity and slate floors rounded out the upscale design. I couldn’t believe this was where I would be staying. It was gorgeous. I understood now why the resort was so popular. It seemed to appeal to many tastes.

  When I returned to the living room, Kuha and Micah were sitting on the couch watching the news.

  “You should try to get some sleep, Em. I don’t know how long Marco will be,” Kuha said.

  “Maybe later. I want to wait for him to make sure everything is okay.”

  No sooner had the words escaped my mouth, there was a knock at the door. Kuha walked over and opened the door to Nick, cell phone to his ear talking away. He nodded an acknowledgement my way before passing me. He and Kuha convened in the dining area as I settled beside Micah on the couch while I waited.

  An hour later, Nick left after having contacted the outside pack members. Thankfully, no one else had been affected, but he set up a mandatory pack meeting for 6:00 p.m. to discuss where we would all go from here.

  “He shouldn’t be much longer. Are you sure you don’t want to go to bed?” Kuha asked.

  I nodded my head lazily. I was exhausted—physically and emotionally drained—but I had to see Marco. I had to make sure he was okay, and that he wasn’t mad at me for any of this.

  —

  Chapter Eleven

  Shortly after the sun came up, Marco returned. He talked with Kuha and Micah for a bit before they left. Apparently the fire destroyed nearly everything. A police report was filed since the fire chief had immediately discovered proof of arson. The report would be faxed to the insurance company later today.

  “You should go to bed, mi amor,” he said, standing wearily before me. The whole ordeal had taken a lot out of him.

  I worked my lip uneasily. My gut wrenched. “Are you mad at me?”

  He furrowed his brows, frowning down at me. “Why would I be mad at you?”

  “Because this is all my fault.” The tears quickly returned despite fighting to keep them at bay.

  “Come here, mi amor.” He opened his arms to me. Like a magnet, I slipped into his embrace. “How could I be mad at you over something that wasn’t your fault? Ryan did this, not you. This has nothing to do with you.”

  “Yes, it does. He even wrote it on the building. I…I can’t handle the guilt of knowing that I brought this on you guys by being here.”

  He lifted my chin up, so that our eyes met. “Emma, you are not to blame for this. Now, I don’t want to hear another word about it. And don’t you dare think about leaving me again.”

  “But—”

  “Emma.” My name was a sharp command, demanding I pay attention. “
I said stop. We’re fine. Everyone is safe. Insurance will pay for everything to be replaced and then some probably. Don’t worry about it. The important thing is that you’re safe. Ryan has clearly lost his damn mind to go to this sort of an extreme.”

  I stared at him, my breath lodged in my lungs. When he didn’t relent, I surrendered. “Do you think he’ll do anything else?”

  “I don’t know, but I’ll be damned if he gets away with any of this. The next full moon, we’re going to war.” At those words, I felt like the weight of the world had collapsed on me. My dream would become reality. I couldn’t let this happen. He couldn’t do this—they couldn’t do this over me. I wasn’t worth it.

  “You can’t do that. Please don’t do it, Marco. You all could get hurt. I couldn’t live with myself if anything ever happened to any of you because of me.”

  “I would fight every man, wolf, and god on the planet if it meant you’d be safe, Emma. You won’t be able to change my mind about this. Now go get in bed. I’ll be in there soon.” He leaned down and kissed me. His lips were soft in their caress, but his body was tense. He was holding so much stress; I couldn’t help but be troubled about everything. “Go,” he said, pulling away.

  Thirty minutes later, with the sun fully risen in the sky, Marco joined me. He opened one of the nightstand drawers and pushed a button. A whirring sound was heard and then black out shades slowly descended down the windows. Once in complete darkness, he pulled me to him; my head perfectly nestled on his chest. He ran his fingers through my strands until I fell asleep.

  The wolf pack was charging through the woods with an alpha leading. Through the treetops, the full moon glinted down illuminating his amber colored fur. I could see his muscles bulging and straining in his stride. He was bigger than the others, clearly dominant in size alone.

  Through the uproar along the forest floor, I heard the words, “A werewolf’s worst enemy is another werewolf.”

  That’s when I saw Ryan’s pack racing towards them. I heard my heartbeat begin to sprint. It became the background music escalating in volume as the two packs drew closer.