Reflections of the Wolf (4 page)

“Yeah, well, if Liam has his way, you will be living your own shortly. We have to go talk with Dev and Damon. Take care of your girl, Liam. I wouldn’t want to have to sweep her away from you and make her fall in love with me.” Ryley winked at Tina, and Liam growled a threat.

“Oh, pumpkin, that’s sweet, but I’m just not sure there is a man alive that’s qualified for that job,” she said, smiling sweetly at Ryley as he and the others laughed.

“Oh brother, you’re going to have your hands full with this little spitfire. Good luck!” Ryley teased Liam, and Tina’s eyes narrowed at him.

“He won’t have to worry about me shortly,” she grumbled, but the pressure increased from Liam’s hands, and a low moan escaped her throat. All three men ignored her implied threat, and it grated her nerves.

Ryley really was very sexy. He matched his brother in golden looks, but he kept his hair much longer. It brushed the tops of his shoulders, and his eyes were just a touch lighter than Rafe’s with flecks of green in them. It seemed all of the firemen of Battalion One were flirts with bodies built on Olympus. She would have to see about spending more time with Caroline if this was the company she was keeping.

She watched the two Viking warriors walk away and had to swallow hard at the sight of their tight butts.
Wow, maybe I hit my head harder than I thought
. She chided herself for drooling over those two men when the one that really scared her was holding her in his arms. Worrying now about what Ryley had said, she fidgeted in Liam’s grip. Liam couldn’t really believe that she was his mate, could he? Goose bumps prickled over her skin when Liam kissed the nape of her neck where he had been gently massaging.

“Are they family, too?” she asked Liam curiously.

Liam tensed before replying. “Yes, they are my adopted brothers. You can trust them. Well, you can trust them with your life, but Ryley won’t ever stop trying to get into your pants.”

She laughed out loud and felt a surge of feminine confidence. “I’m sure I will enjoy his attempts.”

Liam growled behind her, and she stilled in his arms. That was definitely a possessive growl if she had ever heard one. Turning to look back over her shoulder with narrowed eyes, she took in his jealous frown and huffed with irritation. After a few moments of glaring at each other in silence, he sighed and relaxed, and she couldn’t help but smile at her victory. She wouldn’t tolerate being told who to spend time with, no matter who it was.

“Mmmm…Has anyone ever told you that you smell good?” He growled against her ear. Her pussy wept into her panties, and she squirmed against him.

“Thank you, I think? I don’t think I’ve ever had anyone smell me like you do. Is that a wolf thing?” she asked with sarcasm lacing her tone, but she tipped her head so that he had more access to the arch of her neck.

“Your scent is specific to you. Wolves can pick up on an individual’s precise scent, and when it is their mate the scent is particularly appealing. I’m lucky that my mate happens to be hot as hell, too.” Her breath caught in her throat at his flirtatious words, and she choked for a brief second. God, this man would find his way into her panties in a minute if she let him keep this up. His teeth nipped at her throat and the hollow behind her ear, making her tremble with need.

She loved the way he surrounded her with his body. His muscular frame was enormous compared to her slender one, and she felt protected in his arms. It was so comfortable. A girl could definitely get used to this, she thought, and then reality washed over her.

Liam wanted her like this. He had already told her that she was his mate. He hadn’t asked her out, well yes, technically he had during their very first phone conversation, but he hadn’t even asked for her opinion or input. She didn’t want a mate. And she sure as hell didn’t want a werewolf for a husband. She sat up and pulled her body forward on her butt to put some distance between them.

“I need to get a good night’s sleep and try to forget all of this happened. Maybe tomorrow I will wake up and my next door neighbors will introduce me to an ogre. After all, if there are werewolves in the real world, surely there are other such crazy creatures.” Her spine stiffened, and annoyed sarcasm filled her voice.

“I’ve never met an ogre, but I have seen Liam with a hangover, and I’m sure that’s pretty close.” Tina smiled at Devin as he came over to her side. He put his hand out to help her stand and looked her over before pulling her into a hug. “Thank you, Tina, for risking your life for my mate. It is a debt I don’t take lightly, but I will repay it somehow.”

“I would do it again in a heartbeat, Devin. She is my best friend, my sister. I couldn’t watch him hurt her and not do something. I just wish I could have kicked him in the balls once for touching me before you guys ripped him to pieces. It’s going to take me weeks to wash his stench off of my skin.” She hugged him back giving him a mischievous grin. He laughed, and then she felt him tense at the sound of Liam growling fiercely behind her. This sound wasn’t harmless. Instead it was more like that of a vicious wild animal, and a tremor of fear slid over Tina’s skin.

“So that’s how it is?” Devin and Liam were glaring at each other and seemed to be having some sort of strange man conversation. Devin glanced back to Tina, meeting her confused gaze, and then shook his head slightly like he was unsure he liked the conclusion he came to. “Stand down, Liam. I’ll leave it alone for now, but take care of her. If you hurt her, it will upset Caroline, and then I will have to hurt you.” With that Devin turned on his heel and walked back to Caroline’s side.

“What the hell was that?” she said through gritted teeth. Anger burned in her gut, and her fingernails were digging into her palms to keep herself from smacking the arrogant asshole behind her. It didn’t matter how hot he was, there was no way she was going to let him bully her friends.

“Just making sure there are no misunderstandings.” Liam’s voice wasn’t nearly as fierce now, and his stance had relaxed.

“Misunderstandings about what, Liam?” she said in confusion. She was torn between anger and befuddlement.

“I don’t want another man’s hands on my mate.” His expression remained completely serious, and her jaw dropped open in astonishment.

“Lord have mercy! Are you jealous? Of Devin? He is about to be my…well, kind of my brother-in-law. Believe me, I may admire his ass occasionally because I’m human and female, but I am
not
interested in him,” she ground out and rubbed her fingers over the bridge of her nose trying to ease the ache between her eyes.

“His ass? You won’t be admiring anyone else’s ass from here on out, mate, and you won’t be enjoying any of Ryley’s attempts to get into your pants. I’m the only man going to have that honor from here on out.” He was angry, and she stared at him in awe as his eyes started to glow a little bit.

“Are you…okay? Your eyes…” she asked hesitantly as she took a small step backward.

“My wolf is showing, Sweet Tina. He is turning out to be slightly possessive where you are concerned. I think it’s time for us to go home. Do you want to say good-bye to Caroline and her mates before I get you out of here?” He reached out to take her hand, and she held it up in front of him almost against his chest, stopping him in his tracks. Her headache was a full-blown throb now, and she desperately needed some sleep if she was going to process everything that had happened. This kind of stress just wasn’t healthy.

“Stop, Liam. Thank you for taking care of my injuries. I appreciate the TLC, but right now I really just want to go inside, take a hot bath, and go to sleep for a couple of days.” Without meeting his gaze, she twisted away from him, and headed across the lawn to where Caroline sat on the tailgate of a large, black pickup truck with Damon’s arms tightly around her. She was watching Tina and Liam carefully, and Tina caught a glimpse of astonishment in Caroline’s eyes as Tina moved toward them.

She hadn’t made it even halfway across the yard when Liam grabbed her arm and spun her. Lifting her in a standard fireman’s hold over his shoulder, he ignored her outraged curses and screams as well as the small fists pounding on his lower back. One large arm banded across the back of her knees, and his other hand cupped over her vulnerable, denim-covered ass as he started to walk. She cursed him loudly, but in secret she admired his tight ass in his black jeans.
God, he is a dream
. There were a few chuckles at the display, but no one interfered as he toted her over to an old, red pickup truck and dumped her unceremoniously in the passenger’s seat.

“What do you think you are doing?” she screeched at him, and he smirked arrogantly at her, leaning over her lap, to buckle the seat belt for her.

“I’m taking you home so that I can give you a hot bath and put you to bed for a couple of days. Isn’t that what you wanted to do, sweetheart?” He pulled back to look down at her reaction while he leaned on the door.

“This
is
my home, Liam. I’m not leaving with you. I have already told you that I have no interest in being your mate. Pick someone else.” She was unbuckling her seat belt as she spoke, and she placed one hand on his rock-hard stomach trying to push him out of her way. She stopped when he pushed himself back into the car and took her mouth in a demanding kiss. It was unlike any kiss she had ever had. It set warning bells ringing in her brain as his tongue swept over the seam of her lips, and she unconsciously opened for him. She heard a moan and then whimpered when his teeth nipped at her bottom lip. His hand braced the back of her head, and her body bowed closer to him seeking his heat.

Following her inner female, she let her arms wind their way around his neck and rubbed her breasts gently over his chest teasing her own aching nipples. She could hear him growl, and it caused her blood to boil even hotter. It wasn’t until she felt his fingers skim across her naked ribs, where he had lifted the edge of her T-shirt, that she froze.

“Oh no. No, no, no. This can’t happen. I don’t want this,” she said, twisting her head away from his succulent lips. His eyes narrowed and his jaw clenched, but he let her pull away.

“Fine, you’re right. This isn’t the right time or place, but you are still coming home with me tonight.” He backed up and slammed the truck door. She sat in stunned silence as she watched him round the hood of the pickup and ease gracefully into the driver’s seat. She couldn’t tear her eyes away from his muscular body, as he threw the vehicle in gear pulling away from her home. The momentum of the sudden movement caused her to tumble sideways into him, landing with her head on his muscular thigh.

“Hey now, Sweet Tina, not while we’re driving. Though I will be happy to indulge you later when I get you settled at home, for now you better buckle back up. We have about a half-an-hour drive to the den.” He winked at her and laughed when she blushed again. She moved back over and buckled herself back into the seatbelt, and then stared out the window in confusion.
How did his mood change so quickly?
He was so angry, and now he seemed completely at ease. She settled into the seat, deciding that she was way too tired to fight him on this. As long as he took her somewhere and let her sleep, she would be happy. That thought stunned her to the core. Obviously Caroline and the twins trusted him, or they would have stopped him from putting her in the truck. For some strange reason, Tina was comfortable in his presence, and trusted him enough to let him take her away from her home. She closed her eyes as they filled with tears, and wondered just what she had gotten herself into now.

Chapter 3

Liam was relieved when she quieted and didn’t pursue the argument. There was no way he was letting her out of his sight when she was injured and in pain. She would have been harming herself unnecessarily trying to sleep in that house after what had happened tonight.

She acted like he was forcing her into something. It wasn’t like he chose her to be his mate. Who knew how fate determined the right soul mate for a werewolf. He was just as disturbed by this turn of events as she was. After all, finding a mate wasn’t in his plans for the near future, either. He liked being a bachelor, and he had had enough hurt and grief in his life that he wasn’t sure he could risk it again. Apparently fate was fickle and had a sense of humor as well. This pretty little firecracker was already coursing through his blood, and there was no way he could just walk away.

He watched her out of the corner of his eye, wondering just how he got so lucky to get a woman who was beautiful and passionate. She was gorgeous with her pixie-cut, dark-brown hair and large, almond-shaped, chocolate-colored eyes. They turned up at the same angle as her sumptuous, rose-colored lips, making her look like she was keeping a secret all the time. Her soft, honey-colored skin complimented the smokiness of her voice, and she had an alluring apple-cinnamon scent that drove his cock mad.

From the moment he burst through the kitchen door into the apartment and watched her thin body flying into a wall, he had felt the need to wrap her in his arms and hold her forever. His wolf caught Tina’s fragrance from outside the house, and he allowed himself to follow it directly into his mate, who sat limply against a wall like she was broken. He hadn’t even connected that the slim woman was Tina until the medic had asked her name after the battle. Sweet Tina, the girl whose sexy voice had driven him crazy for the last couple of days after just one silly five-minute conversation, was destined to be his life mate. Who would have thought?