Everyone has a Weak spot (11 page)

“I liked it, Warrick.” Somehow she got the words out.

“Good girl,” he said as he began rubbing his cock against the wet lips of her sex. He continued to massage the tiny opening between her cheeks with one finger.

“Look at me, Lorelei,” he ordered, his voice velvet gravel. She looked over her shoulder into his eyes. “Watch me. Watch me take you.” He sounded completely bestial now.

She watched as he grabbed her hips and thrust into her wet center. He groaned and she cried out. She threw her hands in front to support herself. He gripped her with one arm around her waist and pumped himself into her.

He couldn't get deep enough. Her scent was killing him. The little cries and mewling noises she was making were driving him out of his mind. His beast was barely staying under the surface.

“Do you like this, baby? Tell me!” he demanded, growling gutturally, his teeth lengthening.

“I—I—yes!” she groaned. “Yes, Warrick,” she submitted.

“You're mine! Nobody's but mine! You got that? SAY IT!” He snarled the words at her. His claws were showing on his hands. She didn't notice. “Look at me and say it!"

“Yours, Warrick, only yours,” she promised him, looking back over her shoulder.

He thrust his rigid cock violently into the silky, hot heat he craved. He pounded into her over and over.

He came with a roar. “MINE!” he bellowed. His jaw clamped on the muscle between her shoulder and neck. He didn't notice the taste of blood on his tongue.

His semen shot into her in hot spurts. Her orgasm followed his, clenching and unclenching on his cock as he emptied himself into her. His teeth remained buried in her flesh.

They stayed locked together for a minute or two. He released her shoulder from his extended canines after long minutes. He slowly eased himself out and off of her. She slipped to the floor, sobbing. His anger seeped away. What had he just done? He touched her shoulder. “Lorelei...” She shook her head and scooted away.

He tucked his genitals back into his jeans and zipped them. He looked at her longingly and saw the marks from his teeth and the blood dripping down her back. His seed trickled out of her onto the floor.

He turned and walked out the door. She didn't move until the outer door closed. He heard her scramble to her feet, and he heard the door lock. As he listened, he heard the bathroom door open and close. The shower came on. He walked around his building and got in his truck.

Chapter 15

Dekon Warrick Martine was the very definition of “ugly, mean, and nasty.” Most people who saw the Sheriff coming these days went in the other direction. He didn't know what was going on with Renaud right then.

He saw his nephew with Zierra a time or two the first few days after his last visit to Lorelei, but not at all after that. He knew he'd been wrong to spout that filth to Lorelei about Renaud.

He'd been hurt that she didn't answer his calls. He'd been angry that she chose to spend the day and night with Renaud. He should have gone to her and talked to her. Instead, he'd whipped himself into a frenzy about things he knew weren't true. He really was a mean old bastard.

Lorelei had her telephone disconnected the morning after War's last visit. She put a note on the door saying classes were cancelled for the next week. War heard Renaud tell a few people that the ballet school would be closed for a time. He wondered about that but he kept his distance.

Ten days later, War sat in his office and watched her dance. She looked like the perfect little ballerina. He wanted her so much. He knew he'd behaved badly. He just didn't know what he should do to fix things with her. Still, he was who he was. He'd just have to move forward. He leaned back in his chair and propped his feet on the windowsill.

He watched his mate twirl daintily and thought about what he'd done. He'd more or less broken into her house and taken her virginity. She hadn't been unwilling, but he'd known she was an innocent. When she'd needed time to mull that over, he'd accused her of sleeping with her best friend of fourteen years, who was his nephew.

He reminded himself that he'd made these wild accusations two days
after
he'd taken her virginity. Then he forced her into animal sex and bit her, leaving his mark on her, because he was in a jealous rage. He was pretty sure Hallmark didn't make a card for that.

* * * *

Lorelei spent several days either huddled in her bed or showering. When Renaud pressed her about her odd behavior, she told him that she was still upset about the incident in Gulf Breezes.

She knew that he wasn't fooled. He trusted her to have good reasons not to confide in him. She did have very good reasons.

Warrick Martine was her brother's uncle. She didn't want to color his relationship with him. Renaud didn't love very many people, and she knew that War was one of the few.

The truth was, Lorelei was in love with War. She knew it, and she hated herself for it. She wished she could hate him, too. Sometimes she did but, mostly, she mourned the loss of her hopes.

In love with him or not, Lorelei didn't trust him. He was dangerous and he'd hurt her. If he hurt her once, he'd do it again. She knew she'd never love anyone else.

That just made her angry. Now she had to accept that her judgment was poor and the only man she would ever love—would ever have the opportunity to love—didn't trust her and didn't believe what she told him.

Her pride was hurt, her heart was broken, and her future looked more than a little bleak. Lorelei didn't like herself right then.

* * * *

War didn't have much opportunity to spend time with Renaud in the days after his “separation” from Lorelei, but they did cross paths.

One afternoon, he was sitting at his desk looking across at Lorelei's building when he saw her run out the door. He saw the sun reflect off of her necklace.

Lorelei running out the door would have caught his attention anyway, but he got an unofficial call at the same time. Apparently Renaud was involved in an altercation that seemed about to escalate. War hurried out to his SUV.

When he pulled into the lot of the Burger Bin, War saw his nephew. Renaud dangled another young man by the throat. The young man swung a knife at Renaud, and War was sure he had connected at least once. He knew he saw blood on his nephew's torso.

Before War could even get out of his vehicle, the young werewolf flung his opponent away. Renaud turned and walked to Lorelei's little Escort and got in. She drove off.

When War saw him later, he asked Renaud about the incident. Renaud downplayed the whole thing and wouldn't talk about it. Since there was no official complaint and War could find no injury on his nephew, he was forced to let it go.

* * * *

Over the next month, War saw Lorelei only from a distance. He saw her when she passed him in traffic a few times. Once he walked into the grocery store, and her scent was heavy in the air.

He looked around until he saw her in the checkout line. When he looked at her she didn't look away, but her eyes were unreadable. She fingered the shining amulet at her throat. When she left the store, Renaud was waiting in the parking lot.

Another time he was outside the post office when she came out. He tipped his hat to her, and she nodded. He wasn't sure if he should take these exchanges as positive or negative. She didn't ignore him, and she didn't run screaming. That had to count for something.

War decided he should just bide his time. He'd try to turn up where she went and win her back. That should work, right? She was skittish but he'd work this out. He was damn stubborn. He knew she was weak to his lovemaking. He'd get her back.

Chapter 16

War was getting ready for work late one morning about a month after Lorelei and Renaud had spent that night away together. When his home phone rang, he was very surprised to find himself talking to a brother officer from Gulf Breezes, Alabama.

The man began talking to War as if the Sheriff had some knowledge about an incident involving his nephew and Lorelei Allemande. After they spoke for a few minutes, both officers agreed that War should take a drive over and view the tapes of the incident.

As the two men watched the store tape and listened, the Alabama officer gave War the rundown on what had taken place. He let War read the reports. The officers had been very thorough.

The store tape showed Lorelei dashing into the building with the other man after her. It showed and played the man shouting at Lorelei in a foreign language. She began to look more and more upset and ill.

The officers decided to first watch and then roll the tape back for translation. After a few moments, there was a yellow flash and then Lorelei began screaming that the man had a gun. The intruder fired his gun at her, but she was able to get away. It was clear he was not trying to kill her.

That flash!
War knew that flash was important. He stared fixedly at the screen.

“Keep watching, though, man,” said the Alabama officer. “That boy comes outta nowhere, don't he? Look at that!"

Renaud rushed the foreign man, wrestling him to the floor and knocking the gun away. But it sure looked like Renaud had been shot in the chest. War swore he saw the boy stumble backward from the impact. He agreed that it looked like fresh blood on Renaud's shirt.

Renaud snatched Lorelei and placed himself between her and the rest of the room. The police poured in right behind him.

“We took their statements, which are pretty direct, if sparse,” the man gave War a ‘know what I mean?’ kind of wink.

“We also recorded what they said to each other at the scene. ‘Course, we got what was on the store tape, but the little lady was damn near hysterical. Even though she wasn't really injured, she was pretty upset. Turned out,” the officer shook his head at this, “the asshole started chasin’ her ‘round 10 o'clock that mornin'. Keep in mind, this event took place after two p.m. She musta had a cell or sumpin, ‘cuz she let that boy know right where to find her. She was actually going somewheres else altogether. She tried to keep the guy movin’ ‘til she could get to a big ‘nuf place to lure him in."

He seemed to admire Lorelei for that. He mentioned that there were bullet holes in one fender of her Escort. The rear windshield had been shattered and a bullet lodged in the back seat.

They talked about that for a minute. Then the other officer told War, “Seems the guy has a thing for her ‘cause she's a famous dancer and can talk his language. Been stalkin’ her I guess. He's one sick puppy, though. Watch here, see where she's turnin’ kinda green?"

War nodded, and felt kinda green himself. “He's telling her a bunch o’ guys gonna watch while some mighty stud ‘impregnates’ her. But look at this, man. I thought she'd pass out there. The bastard told her they were gonna impregnate her with her father's sperm, and then make her watch ‘em do experiments on the mutant baby."

The other officer shuddered. War definitely felt sick, but the other man had more to share.

“Now look at that kid. Fresh blood all over him and a hole in his shirt. No bullet, no injury though.” The Alabama officer shook his head.

“Okay, here's where she and the kid are talking that language. Turns out, its Czech. She says something about her Papa warning her. Now, she's tellin’ him what the asshole said, but then, see here, this is where she really loses it."

He rewound the tape so War wouldn't miss a thing. “She's tellin’ the boy she was headin’ up to ‘Lizabeth to a dancer-type store there. She wanted to tell Warrick—guess that's you, huh?"

Officer “Einstein” gave War another wink, “She wanted to get you somethin'—some kind o’ present or somethin’ to do with her Papa. The boy's telling her it has to wait. Now this I found odd, though,” the man interrupted himself.

Only this?

“The kid keeps telling her, “In for a penny, in for a pound.” But it's like he's saying they can't afford the penny so they damn-sure can't pay the pound. At first he wouldn't—but finally he did let the doc there give her a shot. You can see she's a mess. Got ‘em a room at the Bed ‘n Breakfast overnight. Ol’ Doc knocked her out. That bastard's gonna be deported. We prob'ly don't need ‘em to testify."

War let the officer know that the same guy had been a suspect in an earlier attack on Lorelei. He thanked the man and, after much back-slapping, he headed back to Xavier Parish.

She'd tried to tell him something had happened. He'd been in fine form by then, though. He wouldn't hear a word from her. No doubt about it, he was a real bastard.

* * * *

On the way back home, War thought about that flash. He'd seen that flash before.

He remembered the barbecue. When Natalie had bruised Lorelei's shoulder, her medallion had flashed. In seconds, Renaud had appeared.

War thought about the attack on Lorelei at the department store. When Renaud had shown up, his medallion had been glowing.

The morning after he'd made love to Lorelei, he'd gone home. While he was trying to call Lorelei, Renaud had come hopping down the stairs. She'd been in trouble since ten that morning. War recalled that his nephew's medallion had been flashing red then, too.

Just two weeks ago, when she'd run out of her building, there had been a flash of yellow. Unaccountably, Lorelei had turned up where Renaud was involved in that fight.

A couple of days ago, he'd surprised her at the grocery store and her necklace had glowed yellow. She must have been frightened. He recalled that Renaud had driven up right after that.

Now War thought about the number of times he'd seen the flash or glow at Lorelei's throat. He considered all the times he'd seen Renaud's amulet glow. He realized that the charms glowed any time either of them had intense fear or pain or, in Renaud's case, anger.

He didn't fully understand it, but War knew he was onto something. Lorelei and Renaud had been friends since they were seven years old. They were the same age. Their mothers had been friends.

When he'd run Lorelei's information for the police reports, he'd noticed that she and Renaud shared a birthday. It had to mean something.

War loved his nephew but he felt a bit of distance growing between himself and Renaud. He knew he was in love with Lorelei. He had to find a way to repair these important relationships in his life.