Terry Spear’s Wolf Bundle (38 page)

“Odin’s wounds, she’s a royal,” Darien said under his breath.

“Hell, Darien, if the word gets out, she’ll have a whole mess of suitors. But if she’s going to shapeshift without warning, she should be at the vet’s,” Trevor said.

Silva poked her head in.

“Get in and shut the door,” Darien barked.

She scurried in, closed the door, and smiled at Lelandi. “My, my. She’s a royal. Knocked that dye job right out. Told you so, boss.”

“Shapeshift back,” Darien commanded Lelandi.

Right.
Just as soon as she had the strength. She yawned, stretched her legs, closed her eyes, and fell back to sleep.

When she managed to open her eyes again, she was in her human form, dressed in the hideous hospital gown, an IV stuck in her arm. Darien was sitting in the chair, his eyes glued to her as if he was waiting for the dawn to break, or maybe to ensure she didn’t shapeshift back.

He’d grill her about the letter again, although she wondered why he hadn’t found it concealed in her jacket yet. Unless she’d lost it. A deep-seated sadness slipped through her.

She shut the sight of Darien out and slept, but the squeaking of the door woke her when Nurse Grey entered the room to check her vital signs. The woman held her finger to her smiling lips and pointed to Darien, dead to the world, sitting upright in the chair. The nurse left her alone again, and Lelandi watched the gray. Proud, angry, his stern face almost saintly. In a heartbeat, she wanted to know what being his mate would be like, to feel his impassioned kiss against her mouth again, and so much more. Her heart sank when she realized how futile that notion was.

In sleep, the woman of Darien’s dreams stood naked in a birch grove, watching him, her green eyes reflecting sadness, her hair stirred by the autumn breeze, dangling past her creamy hips.

Lelandi, his redheaded goddess.

He stalked toward her, her face lighting with desire. She twirled a red curl around her finger, tantalizing him all the more, although even without any encouragement, he was ready to take his fill of her.

Lelandi, he wanted to call out. But he had no control over the speaking part of the dream. He couldn’t hear the birds in the trees or the breeze whistling through the leaves. He couldn’t smell the pine needles or spruce or whether they were due for a shower, although the
thunderous clouds building in the night sky indicated they would get a burst of rain soon. All he could do was feast his eyes on the vision before him, touch her, feel her soft as silk skin beneath his, the texture of her satiny hair, her heart beating beneath his…but he couldn’t hear it, as if more than half his wolf senses had lost touch with reality.

She melted in his arms, her head resting against his chest, her arms clinging to him as if she never wanted to let go. He sensed she needed more, too, as if the dream was the most fragile connection, the tentative bond they shared never enough. How could he still find her here in his fantasy world, when in the real one she was gone? Forever, gone. He stroked her hair, kissed her head, wished he could smell the sweet fragrance cloaking her, smell her aroused state. Her nipples rubbed against his chest, kissable, tight, rose-colored nubs.

Lelandi, he mouthed against her cheek. Her gaze turned up, focusing on him. Her eyes had grown so big and green—greener than…than Lelandi’s eyes? He combed his fingers through her hair, the strands shimmering in the moonlight. Redder than Lelandi’s?

No…no, she was Lelandi. She responded to the name. She was the one he’d mated, the one he loved. He’d prove it to her once again, even if she was no more than his fantasy lover. He bent down and kissed her mouth, gently at first—but it wasn’t enough. Touching her like this was never enough. He wanted to bury himself deep inside her, wanted to claim her, wanted to be part of her forever.

His tongue swept across her lips, and she parted them, inviting him in. He took advantage, deepened the
kiss, pressed his mouth harder against her soft, velvet lips, tangoed his tongue with hers. His hands held her shoulders as he felt her falling away, so caught up in the kiss. His mouth smiled against hers, loving how she melted under his simple kisses. Thumbs caressing her shoulders, he let himself go, every molecule absorbing the feel of her, the heat coursing through his veins, the sweet softness of her calling to him.

Lelandi. But how could she be this real and no longer part of his life?

She moaned, encouraging him, her body slipping down to the sweet bed of grass beneath their feet. He took control, her eyes and mouth willing him to continue. God, she was so beautiful.

Pressing her legs apart, he quickly entered her before his fantasy lover vanished. Her fingers swept over his backside, pressuring him to delve deeper. His mouth tackled hers again, and he weighed her breasts, lifting, caressing the hardened nipples, loving the way she responded so promptly to his touch.

“How could I have lost you…,” he whispered against her lips. “When all I ever wanted was to keep you safe.”

It was him, really him. Lelandi loved the way he made her feel—loved, special, his. She opened her lips to speak, but when she couldn’t say anything, he tongued her mouth again, his erection spearing her deeper and deeper. She arched her pelvis, wanting to reach the moon and back.

Why couldn’t she see his face clearly? As if the dark side of the moon cloaked it in blackness. Why couldn’t she hear his name when he knew hers so well? As if he
controlled the dream—the alpha male in charge. Why couldn’t she have him in the real world when the night faded and the day renewed?

“Ahh,” she moaned, her body shuddering with climax as he filled her with his seed, and she wanted it to be real. She wanted to find him and be with him forever, not just for fleeting moments in her dream world.

Then a horrible pain radiated through her chest, and she tried to ignore it, tried to concentrate on her lover’s lips, the only part of his face she could see. They were parted, grim, as if he recognized the pain she felt.

Lelandi, his lips mouthed.

She tried closing her eyes and pretending the pain wasn’t shrieking across every nerve ending, her head ready to explode.

Lelandi, he said again, more vehemently, and his hard body began to fade away.

She couldn’t lose him. Not now when she needed his comforting touch. But he was fading…fading…

“No!” she cried out.

D
ARIEN
HOVERED
OVER
L
ELANDI
,
REACHING
FOR
THE
NURSE
’
S
call button, his other hand on hers. No, she wouldn’t take any more pain medication and become a zombie again, despite how much the pain filtered through every nerve ending with acute clarity.

Nurse Grey walked into the room and looked from Lelandi to Darien with a questioning gaze.

“She’s hurting pretty badly,” Darien said.

“No.” Lelandi shook her head. “I can manage.”

“No sense in putting up with it.” Nurse Grey reached for the IV line. “Might as well be comfortable.”

“No.” Lelandi narrowed her eyes, giving the nurse and Darien a dagger of a look and tried to pull away from the IV. “I don’t want any more.”

Both Darien and Nurse Grey gave small smiles.

She wanted to jerk her hand out of his, and in fact she thought she’d tried, but he kept her hand hostage.

He looked down at her with such concern, a hint of confusion, even a touch of desire, she wasn’t sure what had come over him. Gone seemed to be the need to make her confess about who she was and everything about her.

She swore his hand tightened on hers even though she felt her body slipping away, the pain medication zipping through her veins. Fine. Damn it. She’d find her fantasy lover. Somewhere.
Forget…the…real…worl
…

Frustration filling every pore, Darien wanted his mate back. How could her sweet body torment him in his dreams still? Even now as he checked on Jake waiting to speak to him about the silver mine in the hall outside Larissa’s room, he felt distracted, ill at ease, like a part of his soul had been ripped away. She had been a drug he couldn’t get his fill of, and though six eligible females existed in his pack, only one would do—the petite woman of his dreams—and now she was dead.

Lelandi.

Jake studied him, then frowned. “Another bad night?”

Darien gave him a look like he’d better not go there.

Jake shook his head. “I’ll get on with the business at the silver mine.” He muttered under his breath as he stalked off, “Better there than here. Got to find another mate, brother, and give up the ghost. She’s gone. You have to own up to it sometime.”

Gone.

Would finding another mate stop the dreams?

He snorted. Even when he’d been with Lelandi, the dreams had continued. The fantasy, so much better than the real thing.

He glanced at Deputy Peter Jorgenson sitting on a chair, pulling guard duty. “Need a break?”

“Thanks, boss. Trevor just relieved me. I’ll be here for another two hours.”

Time to go home and try to get some much needed sleep. But if Darien could find Lelandi in the woods, even if it was only in his dreams…he’d forgo sleep for an eternity.

The next morning, Lelandi sat up in bed, her head partially cleared, no restraints, although the medication still dulled her senses. Otherwise, she would have sensed the brooding man sitting in the room. Jake’s eyes opened wider when it registered she was awake. Darien must have given up and gone home.

Jake stroked his whiskered chin for a minute. Finally he spoke, his voice condemning. “He doesn’t want you. He sees you as
her.
”

Nobody had to tell her Darien saw her as Larissa. Swallowing hard, Lelandi hoped at least her vocal cords had returned to normal after the snake had strangled them. She still didn’t feel she had any energy, but at least she felt no pain. Her throat dry, she noticed her water cup was empty. The water pitcher was too far away to reach, but she wasn’t asking grumpy to get it for her. The other solution was to hit the nurse call button. If Ritka was manning the desk, she might dump the water on Lelandi, or ignore her completely. Besides, Lelandi was used to fending for herself.

“He’s already been through the wringer enough over your sister without having to go through the same thing with you. Damn it, woman, he needs to heal.”

Like she didn’t? Jake was talking about
her
sister! She’d loved her just as much as Darien had. Why else did they think she was here? To avenge her sister’s death, damn it!

Lelandi twisted her mouth, her throat feeling drier by the second, probably because of the medication she was taking. Indecision caught hold. Should she try to go back to sleep, or get the water herself?

“He should have mated Trevor’s sister. Hell, none of this would have happened if he had.”

She ground her teeth. Trevor’s sister? No wonder the guy didn’t like her. But she would not give in to Jake’s challenging her. Jake knew she wanted some water, but he made it clear he wasn’t about to help her. Fine, she didn’t need a gray’s help anyway.

“I told him to leave her alone. That she wasn’t right for him. He doesn’t need you messing with his head, too.”

Lelandi glowered at Jake. She had no intention of “messing” with Darien’s head. Leaning over, she reached for the water pitcher. A cold draft sent shivers down her back where her gown opened up. Her head filled with fog, and she paused, nausea filling her belly, dizziness washing over her.
Slow. Take it nice and slow.

The chair scooted back across the industrial-strength carpeting covering the floor and footsteps hurried in the direction of the hall.

She closed her eyes to shut out the dizziness when Jake said, “Get Ritka. The woman passed out.”

What woman?

Lelandi opened her eyes, her thoughts still fuzzy. She had to get off this blasted medicine that made her feel so out of control.

Jake stalked back into the room. “Lie still. Go back to sleep.”

Ignoring him, she tried for the water again. As soon as she leaned over the bed railing, her stomach and head started dog paddling, and she felt herself quickly going under.

“Damn it, woman.” Jake laid his hand on her
shoulder and pushed her back, his touch gentle, his stern face anxious.

Nurse Grey stalked into the room. “What’s the matter?”

“She needs those restraints back on.”

Lelandi glowered at him. “Water.” She limply lifted her hand and pointed to the container.

“She passed out twice and was about to do the same again.”

“Trying to get the water herself?” Nurse Grey asked, her tone annoyed while she took Lelandi’s temperature.

He shrugged. “She didn’t ask.”

“And you weren’t going to offer. Take a seat, and roll up your sleeve.”

“What…?”

“Come on, tough guy. The little lady needs more of your blood. That’s why she’s passing out.”

“Hell, I already gave her a river’s worth.”

The nurse
tsk
ed. “A big alpha male like you can give a little more.”

Lelandi wished she were feeling more with it, able to respond, as she dearly would love to laugh out loud at the look on Jake’s face. More than disgruntled. Every bit of blood she’d get from him was spitting fire.

Good.
Maybe it would give her some energy.

After getting some sleep and feeling somewhat better, Darien walked into Larissa’s room, saw his brother giving her blood again, and came to a dead stop. “What the hell’s going on?”

Jake scowled at him. “You could have given her blood when you were here last. This is the second go around for me.”

Larissa’s face was still ghostly pale. “Feeling any better?” He sure as hell hoped so or he’d never get the truth out of her.

She nodded, but she seemed to be nearly as out of it as the night before. He guessed he shouldn’t have insisted she got more pain medicine when she’d objected so strenuously. Still, hearing her groaning in the middle of the night…

“I gave her some more pain medication about an hour ago. It seems to be kicking in,” Nurse Grey warned.

“Can I ask you a question?” he asked Larissa in the most sweet-mannered way he could manage.

Jake raised a brow.

Larissa headed off Darien’s question. “Room broken into.”

Her voice was clearer, not as raspy, but she sounded weary. “So Uncle Sheridan came by already and talked to you about it.”

“An hour ago,” Jake said as Nurse Grey released him.

Now
he
looked a little peaked.

“Come on, Jake. You can lie down in room five until you feel more yourself.” Nurse Grey helped him up.

“Good thing we can manufacture blood more quickly than humans.” Jake gave Darien another dirty look. “Next time, it’s your turn.”

“Wrong blood type.” The nurse held Jake’s arm as they walked out of the room.

“Good excuse,” Jake said. “Hey, we’re triplets. He’s got the same blood…” His voice trailed off down the hall.

Darien pulled the chair closer to the bed. “The guy who broke into your place must have stolen your bag. Did Uncle Sheridan tell you that?”

She took slow, shallow breaths. “Gun.”

“I found your gun. What had you planned to do? Shoot someone you thought killed your sister? You can’t take matters into your own hands, damn it.”

She stared at the ceiling for a minute as if trying to remember what had happened. Her eyes drifted to the bed, then she closed them.

“What’s your family’s name? Where are your parents?”

She stared straight through him. “Lelandi. Parents…” She swallowed hard. “Killed, accident.”

“I’m sorry to hear it.” But he hadn’t even known his mate had a family, and he still wasn’t sure Larissa had been telling the truth so he was having a tough time feeling any sympathy. “What did the letter say?”

“
Lupus
blackmailing her.”

Darien’s heart nearly stopped. “What, who—”

She studied the blanket, her fingers twisting the thin fabric.

“Yours or mine?”

Larissa looked up at him, her eyes revealing confusion.

“Do you think it was one of my grays or one of your reds?”

She didn’t answer, which made him suspicious. “Why would anyone blackmail her?” Darien considered Lelandi’s nightmares, her reluctance to discuss her past with him. It fit. When he opened his mouth to question Larissa, she had shut her eyes again. “Larissa?”

She didn’t respond and appeared to be sleeping. He growled under his breath, swore he would not tell anyone
to give her any more pain medication if she needed it, and took his seat again.

Two painfully long hours later, Larissa opened her eyes, and immediately Darien launched in with his questioning, determined to get the truth out of her this time. “What about the man who accosted you outside of Hastings?”

“Gunman?”

Being evasive on purpose? Or confused again? “No, the hooded man in the copper coat.”

Instantly, her already pale face turned whiter.

“Larissa?”

She scowled. “No one.”

He clenched his fists. “If he’s from your pack and he followed you here, angered you’d be investigating this, it might be something.”

Closing her eyes, she shook her head.

“Fine, when we catch the bastard, we’ll find out all we want to know.” He paused, waiting for her to give in. When she didn’t, he started in on her again. “He broke into your room, got physical with you—”

“I…I don’t think he broke into my room.”

“How do you know?”

She didn’t respond.

“Got physical with you then.” Darien barely curbed his rage. Why did she protect the bastard?

“Little angry.”

Darien paced across the floor. “
He
was a little angry?
I’m
a little angry. Who the hell is he? And where is that damned letter? In your bag? Did you even have a bag?”

Deputy Peter knocked on the door and poked his face in. “A deputy sheriff’s here who picked up a red
lupus
garou
matching the little lady’s description, hitchhiking. He’s from Green Valley. Want to talk to him?” Peter’s expression said there was lots more, but he didn’t want to say in front of the patient.

Darien cast Larissa a smug smile. “Yeah, I sure do.”

Silva sneaked a peek in the room, waving a bag from Chipper’s Donuts like a white flag, the aroma of glazed icing, chocolate, and pastries filling the air. Silva smiled at Lelandi. “I brought some chocolate iced donuts. Sounds like we need some cheering-up food in here.”