Heart of the wolf (28 page)

"Sarah!"

A cry broke from her as she staggered into his arms. Instantly she was surrounded by Wolf's strength, by the protection of his arms and massive body.

"
Summers
was here!" she sobbed.

Wolf's senses were screamingly alive. He held Sarah as she collapsed against him, but his gaze never stopped roving around the area.

"What happened?" Wolf rasped. "Honey, are you okay? Talk to me! Are you okay?"

Sarah nodded, burying her face in his shirtfront, shaking so hard that her knees were threatening to give out from under her. "It was
Summers
. He came when you left, Wolf. I—I'm all right. I was so
scared.
. . so scared. . ."

Getting a better hold on Sarah because she appeared faint, Wolf guided her toward the cabin and the open kitchen door. "Hang on," he growled. "Are they gone?"

"I—I think so." The light hurt Sarah's eyes as Wolf led her up on the wooden porch and into the kitchen.

Wolf placed her against the counter. "Stay here," he ordered tightly. "If you hear firing, drop to the floor and then get the hell out of here. Understand?"

Sarah looked up at him. This was a side of Wolf she'd never seen before: the mercenary. His face was impassive, covered with a fine sheen of sweat, and his eyes were merciless. The ease with which he held the rifle made her tremble with fear. She gave a jerky nod of her head, and he turned away to search the rest of the house.

Unable to move because she was afraid she'd fall, Sarah leaned against the counter until Wolf returned. Skeet had remained at her side, guarding her fiercely.

"It's safe," Wolf announced as he returned to the kitchen. All his attention swung to Sarah, and he placed the rifle on the counter. The blouse she wore had been torn open, her jeans were dust-covered and she wore no shoes. His gaze moved up to her face. A long scratch had bloodied her cheek and temple. The terrible realization that he'd failed to protect Sarah from danger sheared through him. He'd left her undefended for two hours, and
Summers
had capitalized upon the opportunity. Anger surged through Wolf.

"Come here," he ordered tightly, "and sit down." He pulled a chair out from the table.

Sarah collapsed into the chair as Wolf moved to the sink and wet a cloth. When he returned, he moved her and the chair so that she was facing him. Kneeling down, he placed the cold cloth against her cheek and gently began to clean away the blood.

"Tell me what happened," he said gruffly. Sarah's eyes looked haunted and
shocky
. Her pupils were dilated and black, and her flesh was cool and translucent.

Stuttering and stammering, Sarah told him everything. When she mentioned Billy and told him he'd intended to beat her up, Wolf winced visibly. His hand tightened momentarily on her arm. Then, becoming aware of the pressure, he released some of his hold.

"I—I had to escape, Wolf," Sarah rattled as he continued patiently cleaning her face, neck and arms.

"They could have killed you," he agreed in a shaken tone.

Miserable, Sarah held his tortured gaze. "You were right," she whispered, "I was wrong to come back here alone. This was my fault, Wolf. I'm so sorry. . . ." And she reached out to him, because right now she needed to be held more than ever before.

Wolf pulled Sarah out of the chair and into his arms. He shakily pushed the hair
away
from her eyes and face. "It's okay, honey. It's my fault.
All my
fault. I shouldn't have left you alone
       
"

Sarah slid her hands upward to frame his bruised and swollen face. "No," she choked out. "Don't do this to yourself, Wolf. I was the one who tricked you, who lied to you." She saw the haunted wildness in his gaze. Tears glittered on his short black lashes. A small cry escaped her as she threw her arms around his broad shoulders and held him as hard as she could. Sarah understood his tears; they were for the past, which had come back to haunt Wolf in this very moment. He had loved Maria, and despite her shock she knew he was vividly recalling that time in his life. To lose her as he had Maria would have been too much.

Wolf buried his face in Sarah's hair and felt all her woman's strength go around him, holding him, caring for him. Tears leaked from his tightly shut eyes. His mouth moved into a tight
Une,
fighting back a sudden and unexpected deluge of emotions that tunneled up through his chest. How many times had he ached to have Maria come to him and hold him like
this.
After the rape, she'd tried to sleep with Wolf, as she had before, but it was impossible. The six months following her terrible ordeal had
been agonizing, the nights spent tossing sleeplessly, knowing she lived in her parent's hut and not with him. They'd carved a scar on Wolf's heart he'd thought would never disappear.

The driving need to give Maria solace against the fears that stalked her day and night had nearly driven Wolf insane. He'd fall asleep for just a little while,
then
jerk awake, his arms wrapped around him, as if Maria had been there, as if he'd been holding her as he had before the rape.

Tears trickled down Wolf's face, and he tightened his embrace around Sarah's slender form. He'd failed abysmally, and he was once again overwhelmed by the grief he'd never released over Maria's murder. As Sarah's arms held him, a sob worked
ite
way up and out of Wolf. His entire body shook, his focus narrowing on the pain rushing up through him.

"It's all right," Sarah whispered brokenly, caressing Wolf's shoulder. Tears touched her eyes. She'd never seen a man cry before, and it tore her apart. Sarah understood the source of Wolf's weeping, and she had never wanted to help someone as she did him. He hadn't left her since that day he'd found her. He'd been loyal and unswerving in his devotion to her, and to her safety. Pressing small kisses against his cheek, temple and neck, Sarah allowed herself to trust Wolf as never before. He deserved nothing less.

A soft groan issued from Wolf as Sarah's small kisses grazed his flesh. The moment was exquisite as the internal anguish dissolved and freed Wolf. He'd never been able to console Maria. Now, with Sarah holding him with all her strength and courage, he released the woman he'd loved and lost so long ago.

Sarah felt the emotional storm within Wolf diminish. She felt his entire body lose its tension. All she wanted to do was console Wolf—the touch of her hand upon his thick black hair, a reassuring embrace with her arms, or the soft whisper of her voice near his ear. At least that she could do. After what she'd put him through because of her own fears and lack of trust, Sarah hoped her presence, her care, would be enough.

Feeling gutted, Wolf slowly loosened his hold on Sarah.

"Let's go into the living room, to the couch," Sarah urged softly, and led him through the cabin to the cedar couch. Sitting down close to Wolf, she felt her heart burst with compassion as he raised his hand and dried the tears on his face. His gray eyes looked wounded, and Sarah framed his face with her hands, gazing deeply into his dark eyes.

"I didn't mean to hurt you like this," she choked out. "It's my fault. I put you through your past all over again, Wolf. I'm
sorry.
. . so sorry. . ."

Wolf took in a deep, ragged breath as he drowned in her blue eyes, eyes that were swimming with tears. He was wildly aware of Sarah's small hands on his face, of the care she was giving him so unselfishly. Despite a roller coaster of emotions he'd been through, Wolf understood what it cost Sarah to extend her care to him. She hadn't wanted to trust again, to give her love to another living human being.

Removing her hands and putting them in her lap, Wolf nodded. He brushed the tears coming down her pale cheeks. "You didn't do it on purpose," he rasped, then managed a lopsided smile.

Sarah bowed her head, feeling guilty. "The only thing to come out of my stupid decision was that you got to release so much grief from the past." She raised her head, and when she spoke again, her was voice scratchy. "You needed to cry for Maria.
For yourself.
I
understand, Wolf."

And she did. He gazed at her, unable to believe that anyone could see that far into his scarred, tortured soul. "I did," he admitted brokenly. "This whole thing tonight triggered it, Sarah. I got scared when you came running out of the woods. I saw the blood on your face." He groaned and shut his eyes. "Everything from the past was suddenly superimposed on the present, and I was back there again.
A flashback."

"But I'm alive, Wolf, and I'm fine." Sarah tried to smile and failed. "At least you cried. That was important." Shyly she added, "I never saw a man cry before. I—I didn't know what to do. I felt so useless, but I knew crying was healing for you." Sarah sniffed, closing her eyes and pressing her cheek into the palm of Wolf's hand.

"You did everything right," Wolf said hoarsely, continuing to graze Sarah's cheeks.
"Everything."
He slid his hands around her shoulders. The driving need to kiss her, to reassure her, forced him forward. As his mouth met and moved against Sarah's, he took her hungrily, starved for her taste, her texture. The grief of the past evaporated beneath Sarah's equally hungry response, her lips moving, molding to his.

Sarah was drowning beneath the searching heat of Wolf's mouth, aching to find a way to tell him how very much he meant to her. His hands, roughened by outdoor work, moved upward to capture her face as he deepened the kiss. As his tongue seared her lower lip, she drew in a gasp of air. Sensation was moving through her like lightning. Following pure instinct, Sarah placed her hands on Wolf
's
chest and felt the powerful beating of his heart beneath her palms. His breath was hot against her face as she responded guilelessly to his needs.

Wolf broke their kiss gradually. Sarah was in his arms, resting against him, her lips wet and pouty from his exploration of her. With a trembling hand, Wolf smoothed her mussed hair. Her eyes were the color of a foggy morning sky in North Carolina. Molten heat burned through him as the corners of her soft mouth pulled into a shy smile.

"You're healing," Wolf whispered, and pressed a kiss to her brow.
And I love you for your unselfishness. I know what it cost you.
Wolf looked deeply into her eyes, never wanting to say those words to anyone but Sarah. "I thought they'd shot you or something," Wolf said in a strained tone. "I care deeply for you, honey. I don't know what I'd do if you'd been hurt."

His words moved Sarah to silence, and all she could do was
stare
up at his rugged features, which were awash with grief. "I—I care for you, too, Wolf."

He pressed his finger to her lips. "
Shh
. . . You don't have to say anything, Sarah. I know what it cost you to reach out to me."

She captured his bruised and scarred hand and kissed it gently. "I'm not saying it because you want to hear it. I'm telling you how I feel, Wolf."