Territory (15 page)

Josephine was due back in five more days, and Kya hoped to be strong enough to shift by then. Unfortunately, she was healing much slower than she’d expected. She cleaned her wound often and was consistent with her medication, but her body was still sore and stiff.

Frustrated one day, she gently pushed out with her powers to test her body’s willingness to shift. It was a mistake. Even that gentle pulse of her power had her doubled over on the floor writhing in pain. She wasn’t even close to being ready to shift. It had taken her an hour to recover enough to drag herself up off the floor and into the nearest chair, where she spent another hour trying to recover her strength.

Sick of being cooped up Kya bundled up and stepped out into the crisp white snow. As a stress reliever, she now took several walks a day. There was nothing else she could do. She’d cleaned Josephine’s apartment until it was spotless, and then she cleaned it again. She’d even organized the canned goods in the cupboard by type and color. She anxiously sought activities to keep from thinking of Briggs, but her thoughts constantly defied her and retreated back to the memory of his kiss.

The only thing that even remotely helped was her daily walks in the woods, but even they had their downfalls. The sharp fresh scent of pine mingled with the invigorating crisp snow reminded her of Briggs. She’d thought his scent was pine trees and masculinity mixed with rain and fall leaves, but now she realized it was Montana in genearl. Briggs smelled like the crisp earthiness of the state. When she smelled rain, pine, wind, snow, leaves, or any other blessed scent found in nature, she thought of him. He was everywhere…inescapable.

Kya had considered just getting in her car and driving as far away as she could, but she knew she needed to stay and heal fully. Besides, she’d made a promise to Josephine, and she’d also come to the realization that she’d probably have to take a job for a while to save up enough money to get on her feet. When she’d left Theron’s pack, she was penniless and nothing that had happened over the past few weeks had changed that. She’d relied on the kindness of Dell’s family far longer than she had anticipated, and now it was time for her to stand on her own two feet.

She was deep in thought when she looked up and her feet stuttered to a halt. Briggs was standing in the path ahead of her. He stared at her wordlessly, expressionless. Unsure how to react Kya remained frozen in place.
God he looks good.
The wind kicked up, blowing his black hair back to reveal stern features. He stood rigid, his hands curled into fists. His muscular thighs, encased in faded denim, appeared to bunch as if he were struggling to keep himself in place . He seemed tense.

“How are you?” Briggs questioned softly.

Anger flared to life on Kya’s cheeks as she raised her eyebrows at Briggs question before she turned her back on him, shaking her head at his audacity without answering his question as she weaved her way back through the trees towards Josephine’s apartment. Kya tromped through the foot of snow, annoyed that Briggs had appeared as if conjured up by mere thought. She was stopped by a pull on her arm, as Briggs grabbed her and spun her to face him.

“What?” Kya yelled up at him angrily. “What do you want?”

Briggs kept her arm firmly in his grasp. “I want to know…how you’re healing.”

Kya jerked out of his grasp, “Like you care.” Before she could turn her back on him, Briggs grabbed her again, this time by both arms.

“Kya, I have to know that you’re okay.” The plea in his tone was too much.

Kya bit her lip and looked down as she choked back tears, “Let me go.”

“Kya?” Briggs used a strong finger to tilt her chin up trying to get her to meet his eyes, but Kya jerked her chin out of his grasp and looked down again.

“This would be a lot easier if you’d just stay away.” She whispered.

Briggs inhaled slowly then exhaled even more slowly tilting his head back to look up at the pink and gray sky. He looked back down and his eyes settled on the top of her bowed head.

“Just so you know I haven’t been able to sleep in my room since you left. The scent of you was so strong in my bed. I grabbed some clothes and moved to a guest room. Then I pulled on a shirt and there you were again. Your scent wrapped around me. I ditched the clothes and started sleeping on the couch, but then your scent followed me downstairs. Then it was everywhere. I’ve been tortured by the scent of you, the memory of you, your mouth…the taste of your lips.”

“Why are you telling me this?” Kya grimaced at the pain he was causing, as her heart squeezed at the memory of them wrapped in each other’s arms.

“So you know that you’re not enduring this alone. I too want something I can’t have.”

Kya snorted her derision. “That’s not true. The difference between my struggle and yours is that yours is self-induced.”

Briggs lifted a hand to caress her cheek. “God I wish you knew what this is costing me. How hard I’m fighting to keep from claiming you. I want you more than I’ve ever wanted anything in my life.”

Briggs shoved a hand angrily through his glossy black hair. “I know you’re not. But, it’s the only way I know. It’s either all in or all out.”

Fed up Kya turned from him and started walking back through the forest, “Yeah, I know. And you’re all out. Got it. Coward!”

“What did you call me?” Briggs bellowed angrily from behind her.

Kya didn’t break her stride as she stormed furiously through the woods. “I called you a coward. You’re a fucking sheep in wolf’s clothing.” Kya slammed into Briggs’ chest as he blocked the path in front of her.

Briggs pulled her hard into his frame, as he frowned down at her, his honey eyes burning with intensity. “I am
not
a coward.”

Kya tensed in his arms as she glared up at him, their faces inches apart. “Yeah? Prove it.”

Kya’s muscles nearly sang with tension as she stared up at him, praying he’d face her challenge. She watched his internal battle as he contemplated her fate. He was losing the battle as his head dipped lower, his lips slowly closing the distance to hers. His mouth was so close that Kya could feel the soft warmth of his breath on her parted lips. She felt a shudder pass through him as he dropped his head, resting his forehead on hers, he closed his eyes.

His voice was a husky whisper, “Why are you doing this to me?”

Kya knew he was going to walk away, so she shoved him hard walking around him before he got another chance to reject her. Her satiny brown hair billowed out behind her as the wind picked up. She had no idea how it affected him when her scent, carried on the harsh winds, slammed into him so hard that he actually fell to one knee.

She didn’t look back, and her words were carried to Briggs on the same wind that assailed him with her scent. “
You’re
doing this to
us!
”

Chapter 2
0

Kya wasn’t back at the apartment fifteen minutes before she heard a loud knock at the front door.
Briggs!
She hurried as best she could to the front door and threw it open. Shock tore through her as Tyler smiled down at her.

“There you are.” He grinned wickedly.

Kya tried to slam the door in his face, but was thrown back across the room as Tyler slammed his weight into the door, forcing it open. Kya looked up from floor as she scrambled to her feet. She felt the stitches in her stomach pulling as she twisted her frame.

“What do you want Tyler?” Kya demanded as she eyed the now vacant doorway behind him. She knew from experience that where Tyler went, Kyler went.

He strode into the room smiling as he looked around, “Nice digs Kya.” Tyler stopped and sniffed the air. “Where’s your friend.”

Kya fought to keep the tremble from her voice, “She’s not here Tyler. What do you want?” Kya slowly shifted her eyes from side to side trying desperately to find a weapon.

“Me? Well, let’s see…where should I start?” Tyler tapped his chin dramatically looking up and feigning concentration. “For starters, I’d like my pack back.” Tyler’s eyes settled on Kya before the mock smile slid from his face. “But you can’t give me
that
, now can you.”

Kya held her hands out in front of her, palms facing him. “Tyler please! You don’t have to do this.”

Tyler dropped his hands as he took a menacing step closer. He opened his hands fully before he clenched them into tight fists. “Oh believe me I know I don’t
have
to do anything. This is something I’ve wanted to do since Theron changed you.”

Kya stepped backward as Tyler approached until her back hit the wall. “Please Tyler…” Kya pleaded, still holding up her hands.

“Save your begging. You’ll need it.” Tyler licked his lips before he shifted, melting down until brown fur covered him. He growled and barred his teeth as he approached.

Kya’s heart slammed into her chest. Still unable to shift, she knew that in his wolf form, Tyler would tear her apart. Kya took a deep breath and pushed out with her powers, knowing that if she couldn’t shift, she didn’t stand a chance at surviving the next ten minutes. Her only hope was to force the shift and hope she survived the change well enough to defend herself. Kya mustered all her strength and pulsed out with her powers.

She gasped instantly and crumpled to the floor, her vision blurred and she fought to stay conscious as agony ripped through her small frame. Her body not only revolted against the shift, but was incapable of shifting at all. Searing white-hot pain burned in her core, and Kya was left defenseless, curled up and moaning on the floor as Tyler slowly approached.

“In the name of all that’s holy, please don’t be joking.” The strong feminine voice came from somewhere behind Tyler, but Kya was still in too much agony to even look up. Her vision still danced with exploding stars of pain as she sucked in painful breathes.

Tyler stopped and turned on the intruder, and as he stepped to one side Kya could see a woman standing in the doorway. With the bright snow at her back, Kya couldn’t make out any of the woman’s features, only the silhouette of her lithe frame.

Kya struggled to catch her breath.
RUN!
Unable to formulate the words, tears slid down Kya’s cheeks, as she feared the woman’s fate would be the same as her own. Kya drew in a ragged breath and forced the word out on a shaky whisper. “Run!”

Kya saw the woman cock her head and look from Tyler to her. “You don’t have to worry about me little sister. This pathetic bag of fleas couldn’t harm me on his best fucking day.”

Kya watched as the silhouette of the woman shifted from that of human to wolf. The woman was only in wolf form for a second before Tyler jumped on her and the two rolled out the door.

Still too weak to move, Kya tried willing herself the strength to stand and assist the woman, but each time she moved even slightly, pain ricocheted through her body sending waves of nausea crashing over her and threatening to swallow her up into unconsciousness.

She listened to the viscous fighting that ensued just outside the door. A fierce growl was replaced by a piercing whimper, and Kya fought to stay the blackness that threatened to consume her as she prayed that the unknown woman was all right.

Kya’s eyes were drifting shut when a massive form blocked the blinding bright snow, bracing itself in the doorway. Relief washed over her in a tidal wave of emotion.
Briggs!
She’d recognize his scent anywhere. His frame was in the door for only a moment before it disappeared toward the sound of the battling wolves. Seconds later, there was silence.

Kya forced her eyes to stay open as she fought oblivion, keeping her eyes on the door. Then two figures stepped through, Briggs and the much smaller female.

With the bright snow at their backs, Kya could only make out their silhouettes, and as Kya struggled to keep conscious, she heard only garbled bits of their conversation. Even drifting into unconsciousness, anger and possessiveness washed over Kya as she watched the smaller female reach up and slap Briggs hard enough to make his head snap to one side. Kya saw the woman point towards Kya’s curled up form as the woman yelled at Briggs.

“Really? This is how you protect your mate?”

Kya watched Briggs shove an angry hand through his hair before he dropped his head in shame.

Who does she think she is?
Kya pulled her arms in and placed them on the ground. She summoned up what was left of her strength to try to force herself into a sitting position, but the twisting of her body and the recognizable tear of stitches pulling through her flesh stole away the last of her power. Kya dropped back to the floor with a heavy thud. The last thing she remembered was her cheekbone bouncing of the floor as her head slammed into the tile with a resounding CRACK.

Floating back in consciousness, Kya heard two voices arguing loudly. She recognized Briggs right away, but couldn’t put a finger on the female’s voice.

“I’m gone for three weeks and this is what I come back to? Honestly Briggs, you’re making shit harder than it has to be. I can’t fucking believe things have gone this far.”

Kya heard Briggs frustrated growl before he defended himself. “It’s really none of your damn business. Besides, we’ve already discussed the matter. She doesn’t want a mate either.”