The Fire Inside (10 page)

His hand released her hair and he gripped her shoulders,
assisting her to stand. “Thank you, my precious mate.” He pulled her into his
embrace.

She wasn’t sure how long they stood there, holding each
other, but when the water began to turn cold, she giggled. “I better get washed
really fast or I’m going to freeze.”

He gave her a quick kiss and they both washed quickly and
got out of the shower. As Tyra toweled herself off, she couldn’t help but feel
a little down. Inside the shower she’d been able to forget about all the
pressing matters of life. For a moment it had been just them, and their passion
for each other.

“What’s wrong? Did I hurt you?” Konrad closed the distance
between them, dropping his towel to the floor.

She glanced up at him as she secured her own towel around
herself, tucking the end between her breasts. “No, you didn’t hurt me.”

His finger touched her chin, applying light pressure to
bring her gaze to his. “Something’s bothering you.”

She stared into his eyes as the burn of unshed tears
assaulted her own. Could she do this? “I’m…well…I’m scared I’ll let you down.”

He smiled. “Never.”

“I’m serious. What if tomorrow night doesn’t go well?”

“I’m serious too. You won’t let me down. But I understand
how you feel.” Konrad slid one arm around her shoulders and scooped up her legs
with his other.

Tyra released a surprised yelp as she wrapped her arms
around his neck. “Why are you carrying me?”

One side of his sexy mouth cocked upward. “Because I want
to.”

“I can walk.”

“Maybe I like the feel of you in my arms.”

She sighed and leaned her head on his shoulder as he sat
down on the edge of his bed, cradling her in his arms. “With all the bad things
in my life, I’m also scared for wanting this so much.”

He kissed the top of her head. “Fear can be a crippling
thing if you let it. But there are stronger emotions then fear.”

“Like?”

He brushed his lips across her forehead. “Hope.”

She tilted her head back to look at him. “I learned a long
time ago hope can be crippling as well.”

He narrowed his gaze at her. “Are you a devout pessimist, or
is this something you’re just dabbling in for a time?”

She tried to stop the grin from spreading over her lips, but
quickly lost. “Smartass.”

He gave her a wicked grin. “Better to be a smartass than a
dumbass.”

“All right, Mister Funny. I get the point. I’ll try to stay
positive.”

He pivoted and laid her back across the bed, leaning over
her. “Fortunately, I think I should be able to help you. Or at the very least
keep you thoroughly distracted.”

She sighed as he placed a warm, lingering kiss on her bare
shoulder. Ripples of excitement fanned out along her nerve endings. His fingers
played at the edge of the towel, tugging at the material until it gained slack
and he exposed her breasts. Cool air danced across her newly exposed skin. Her
nipples puckered into tight buds, begging for the warmth of his mouth. But he
wasn’t in a hurry. She watched as he traced a slow pattern around each peak
with his talented tongue. Her back bowed in silent invitation and she sucked in
a quick breath as his teeth closed over one sensitive tip and grazed the skin.

She moaned as he pulled back, delight from his nibbles
spreading through her to settle low in her belly. He pulled the towel and she
wiggled her hips to help him free the cloth from her body.

He leaned back, letting his gaze run over her with slow
appreciation. “Damn, you’re hot. I want to taste every each of your creamy
skin.”

She gasped as he came forward and sucked her nipple into his
mouth. Her core clenched and she moaned. He moved, covering her body with his,
and she welcomed his weight, spreading her legs so that he lay cradled between
her thighs. His thick erection rubbed against her slick flesh and she rolled
her hips, increasing the pressure.

A whimper escaped her lips as he moved his body down hers
and she lost the wonderful contact of his warm, solid cock against her
sensitive pussy. She gripped his shoulders, squeezing the large muscles
beneath. “Konrad, please.”

A growl rumbled through his chest, vibrating near her pubic
bone. She lifted her hips, welcoming any contact with his body against hers.
Her hands found his hair and she buried them in it as he tongued her navel and
then moved lower, dropping hot, tantalizing kisses on her skin as he went. Warm
breath caressed the sensitive flesh of her cunt as his hands slid underneath
her ass. Her core tingled and she sucked in a staggering breath as she felt his
thumbs spread her labia.

“Such pretty pussy,” he said in a husky whisper before
taking a long lick over her entrance and clit.

Her head lolled to the side as she fisted his hair. “Yes,
Konrad.”

He kissed her cunt with wondrous perfection, sliding his
tongue in and out of her core and flicking it across her clit. The dewy scent
of her own arousal mixed with the awesome scent that was all Konrad. The things
he did to her body were exhilarating. She undulated against his sexy mouth as
she cried out her praise for him. Each growl and moan he released had her pussy
creaming as her body strained toward the wonderful release his lips promised.

Wetness trailed down over her anus and she felt his fingers
caressing her there. As he sucked her clit into his mouth, he slid two fingers
into her channel, rubbing her G-spot ’til she trembled with need. Incoherent
words tumbled out of her mouth as she tried to deal with all the sensations he
caused in her. He withdrew his fingers. She whimpered again, and then gasped as
he inserted one finger into her ass and the other back in her cunt.

She screamed and moaned as he pumped his digits in and out
of her, as he sucked and laved her clit. Her senses became overloaded and she
felt the first pulses of her orgasm starting to build with an unreal intensity.
She gave over to the wonderful feeling, floating away as her pussy creamed and
spasmed. “Konrad!”

He continued the wonderful torture until he’d wrung every
last spasm her body offered. Her limbs felt heavy and her breaths were rapid as
he slid back up her body. He captured her lips in a fierce kiss, and she could
taste her passion on his tongue. His thick, hard cock probed her entrance and
she wrapped her legs around his hips as he slammed into her depths. He
swallowed her cries of pleasure as he delivered measured strokes of both his
tongue and dick.

Each glide and pull of his lips had her straining for more.
The slick slide of his cock rubbed all the right places inside her. Never had
sex been like this. The intensity was off the charts. He held and caressed her
just right, until she no longer knew where she ended and he began. One. Mates.
Truly a blessed thing. No one could make her body and heart come alive like
him.

As her climax gripped her, she tore her lips from his,
giving voice to the spectacular feeling that zipped through her body. Her pussy
milked his cock, and his answering growl had her cresting again.

He picked up the pace, thrusting into her quim with renewed
vigor. “Tyra, my perfect Tyra. I feel your pretty pussy fisting me.”

“Yes, fuck me. Harder.”

He bared his teeth, snapping them with a cocky laugh as he
lifted her leg over his shoulder. “As you wish.”

She couldn’t contain the screams that tore from her lips.
They mixed with his moans of pleasure, providing a melody with which their
bodies fell into rhythm. Her pussy quivered then gripped his cock as she came.
A roar tore past his lips as he arched his back and released his seed inside her.

Konrad awoke with Tyra in his arms. The first light of dawn
bathed the bedroom in a soft glow. He smiled as he snuggled against her bare
backside, loving the feel of her warm skin against his own. For a moment, he
basked in the peacefulness that holding her close brought him as he listened to
the sound of her soft, even breaths.

Last night had been amazing. Well, at least the part that
included their lovemaking. The rest of the ugly truth hit him as he reflected
on the events prior. Teeth clenched, he held back the growl that wanted to
rumble through him. Knowing that Thanasis had killed Tyra’s pack put a whole
new spin on things. No way could he buy land from the bastard now. His gaze
went to the ceiling. As much as he hated to, he had no choice. He would have to
split the pack.

It had been a long time coming. Luken needed to be on his
own. But he would have to wait for the right time. He wanted the pack strong
when he turned Thanasis down, ready for anything in case the punk ass bastard
retaliated.

The thought had his lips pulling back from his teeth. He
hoped the asshole would be stupid enough to come after any of his pack mates.
And when he did, Konrad would tear him apart. In fact the longer he thought
about it, he wasn’t so sure he wouldn’t tear him apart regardless. No one could
blame him after the pain Thanasis had caused his mate, but then again he had to
think of the whole pack and not his own need for vengeance. It would be best to
think some more and analyze the situation further before he acted.

His gaze went back to the beauty beside him. She looked so
peaceful with her delicate hand curled up near her face. He also couldn’t help
but notice that she seemed to be free of the nightmares that had plagued her
before. A smile lifting his lips, he reached out and tucked a stray lock of
hair behind her ear. Her nose twitched and she made a small sound of protest.

His cock began to stir to life as she stretched and arched
her back, her rump rubbing against his groin. As much as he would love to sink
deep inside her once again, it would have to wait. He needed to meet with Luken
and settle things out, as well as prepare for tonight. Luken would have to run
head so that Konrad could stay with Tyra.

He was pretty confident that she wouldn’t have problems with
the shift, but he’d rather be safe than sorry. It would go a long way for her
comfort not to have an audience as she shifted. Green eyes stared up at him and
his grin broadened as a lazy, sensual smile spread across her full lips. Unable
to resist, he leaned in and sampled her mouth.

Never had a woman slept in his bed. Sure, he’d bedded his
fair share of females, but he always saw this intimacy as something to be
reserved for his mate. Waking to her now and being able to kiss her lips went way
beyond his expectations of the joy it would bring him. His level of
possessiveness had also gone off the charts. With a growl, he wrapped his arms
around her and pulled her close, savoring the kiss. His cock grew hard and
throbbed with the need to fill her again. Using the last bit of restraint he
could muster, he pulled his mouth from hers and released his hold on her body,
promising himself another taste of her delights later.

“Good morning,” he whispered next to her lips.

Tyra turned in his arms and gripped his erection. “Yes, it
is.”

Konrad’s eyes slid closed as he sucked in a hissed breath.
She made it very hard to want to leave this bed. Her soft, delicate hands
caressed him from base to tip and he couldn’t stop the moan parting his lips.
With effort, he managed to grip her hands gently and pull them away from his
cock. He opened his eyes and noticed the puzzlement crossing her features.
Hoping to reassure her, he lifted her hands to his lips and brushed kisses
across the back of her knuckles. “I’m trying very hard to resist you right now,
because I have a meeting with Luken that I need to attend. But rest assured,
when I get back,” he nibbled the flesh of her inner wrist, “I’ll take you up on
the pleasure you’re offering.”

Her frown turned into a wicked smile that promised ecstasy.
“Hurry back.”

A low growl rumbled his chest and he nipped at her lower lip
then gave her a quick kiss. He rolled from the bed and landed on his feet. “Oh,
you can count on it.” His steps took him in the direction of the bathroom.

“You have a very nice ass by the way.”

He turned to see Tyra lying across the bed on her stomach,
face propped up on her hands, watching him. He smiled back. “You have a sexy
everything.” Damn, the way her gaze roamed over him had his whole body tingling
with the anticipation of touching her again. A growl rumbled his chest. The
combination of their scents hung heavy in the room, making him want her all the
more. With effort, he turned away from the sultry sight of her and made it to
the shower.

He went through the motions of getting ready with speed. The
faster he got to Luken’s house, the faster he would be back at his mate’s side.
When he emerged from the steam-filled bathroom, he found Tyra still lying on
her tummy, a bliss-filled smile curving her full lips. He leaned down and
brushed his lips across hers, afraid to deepen the kiss lest he end up right
back in the bed with her.

He rose and walked to the closet. “I’ll be back as soon as I
can. Make yourself at home while I’m gone.”

She nodded as he pulled on his clothes with quick movements.
As he moved toward the door, he couldn’t resist the temptation of her lips as
he passed her on the bed again. God, the things this woman did to him. It felt
like pulling teeth to leave her. But what he had to share with Luken was
important.

She giggled against his lips. “Don’t you have somewhere to
be?”

He sighed. “I know I have somewhere I want to be.”

“And where is that?” she whispered against his lips.

“Between your silky thighs.”

She moaned. “I want you there too, but I won’t let you slack
in your duties because of me.” She pulled back and scooted toward the middle of
the bed. “I’ll be here when you get back.”

“Okay. I’m going.” But damn if the sight of those taut rosy
nipples didn’t make him want to move in her direction. He closed his eyes and
groaned, turning to head out of the bedroom. Her laughter rang in his ears as
he made for the front door. Even with his cock pulsing painfully behind his
zipper, he smiled. All the different sounds of pleasure coming from her were
wonderful, and he planned to hear a lot more of them.

He stepped out into the waiting sunshine. The humidity level
was already climbing, but it still felt nice. He decided to forgo the drive and
instead started at a nice run in the direction of Luken’s house. Various
members of his pack called out greetings as his feet pounded against the
pavement. He returned their morning salutations and continued on his way.

It didn’t take long to arrive at Luken’s home. As he started
up the driveway, the smile he’d been sporting seemed to fade as the seriousness
of the impending conversation began to sink in. He wished there were another
option, but even if there were it would only be delaying the inevitable for a
short time. Luken needed his own pack.

Konrad raised his fist, but his knuckles met air as he went
to rap on the solid wood.

Luken pulled the door open, a welcome smile on his face.
“Hey. What’s up?”

“I need to speak with you.”

Lucan took a step back, allowing Konrad to enter the house.
“I don’t know if I like that seriousness in your tone. It usually means
something is going to suck for me.”

Konrad gave a halfhearted laugh as he stepped into the empty
living room. All the debris from their earlier work-out had been removed, and
someone had come in and patched the damage to the sheet rock. He would miss his
friend being so close.

“Oh hell. Not the half laugh. Just how bad is the suckage
going to be this time?”

Konrad turned to look at his long-time pack mate. His
second. They’d been through a lot together over the years. Luken had joined up
with him thirty years ago, along with a few other stragglers who were left from
an attack on Luken’s original pack. They’d wondered up from Oklahoma when Luken
had been just a rebellious teen. But Konrad had seen the strength in him even
then. It didn’t take long for Luken to come up to scratch and prove his worth
as well as his loyalty. A smile pulled the corners of Konrad’s lips up as he
took a fast jaunt down memory lane. He had given Luken some pretty interesting
assignments over the years that had provided them both with some good laughs.
“Well…I guess this will both suck and be good at the same time.”

“Am I going to need a drink for this? It really is a little
early in the day to be hitting the liquor.”

Konrad met Luken’s gaze. “I’m going to have to split the
pack.”

Luken frowned. “And just why do you think you’re going to
have to do that?”

Konrad sighed. “You remember me telling you that something
was bothering Tyra? Well, that something was the fact that Thanasis attacked
her pack. She was the only survivor. She’s been on her own since she was a
kid.”

“Oh damn. Does she know you planned on buying land from
him?”

Konrad leaned one shoulder against the wall. “She knew about
the land purchase, but she doesn’t have a clue that I know who attacked her
family. I put that one together on my own.”

Luken folded his arms across his chest as his lips drew into
a tight line. “I understand that you don’t want to move ahead with doing
business with Thanasis, but I think you’re jumping the gun on splitting the
pack. We can look for other land opportunities. Something is bound to come
along.”

“I wish it were that simple, Luken. But you know as well as
I do that this moment would eventually come.”

“Well, it doesn’t have to come now. This could stir up shit
when you turn him down, and I am not going to leave your pack and take others
with me, leaving you to deal with what happens. And, shit. I’ve been saving
money, because, yeah, I did know that one day we would have to split, but damn,
I’m not in a financial position yet to take on the care of others.”

“I figured I would take the money I was giving to Thanasis
and give it to you. We can look at human land for sale, and we can still be
close—still be allied.”

Luken took a deep breath and released a low growl. “I don’t
need handouts.”

Spoken like a true alpha
. Konrad grinned. “And you
just made my point. Your need to be independent and in charge, along with your
pride, proves that the time is now. And who says I’m giving you a handout?
You’ll pay my ass back.”

Luken laughed and Konrad couldn’t stop the mirth from
swimming through him. He’d miss Luken being close, but this was for the best.
“I have a few favors to ask you.”

“Anything.”

“I need you to run lead tonight. I can’t explain why, but I
need to be close to my mate tonight.”

“Not a problem.”

“And I’ll need you to go with me to turn down Thanasis’
offer. We need to look united and strong. We may get lucky and he won’t do
something like attack the pack, but then again we are talking about Thanasis.”

“I hear ya. And of course I will be there. But what about
your mate?”

A low growl rumbled Konrad’s chest. “I don’t want her
anywhere near the son of a bitch. At a later date I’ll let her know that I’m
aware who attacked her family, once I’ve had time to think about how to handle
the situation.”

“I’m impressed with your restraint.”

“Oh, believe me. It’s taking a lot of will power not to hunt
the motherfucker down and teach him a whole new meaning of the word agony.” He
wanted to deliver a hundred-fold the pain he’d caused Tyra.

Luken’s cell phone gave a sharp trill, and he reached into
his jeans’ pocket to retrieve it. “Yeah.”

Konrad patted his own pockets and bit out a curse as he
realized he’d forgotten to grab his own before leaving the house.

Luken nodded in his direction. “He’s here. We’ll be there in
five.” He ended the call. “They need us at first control. Thanasis sent a
messenger. And to be honest, I smell a rat.”

Damn. “Let me borrow your phone.” He’d have to let Tyra know
he’d be later than expected.

* * * * *

Tyra ran a brush through her wet hair as she sat on the edge
of the bed. It had been a few hours since Konrad had left. She could still
smell the scent of their lovemaking in the room around her. It had been
incredible. Her heart swelled and ached. She was falling for him. And who could
blame her?

Her gaze went to the window that let the sunshine into the
room. Only a matter of hours ’til the full moon. She remained nervous even
though Konrad assured her he would be right by her side. It wasn’t fair that
she felt so at odds with her animal side. But things had just been so much
easier when she’d given in to the beast. It had been like going into survival
mode. Only her basic instincts had rode the surface. All the hurt, doubt and
fear were smothered by the need to live. She still wanted to live—to
survive—but only now she didn’t want to lose the emotions she’d fought so hard
to recover.

A knock sounded at the front door and Tyra tilted her head
to the side, wondering who had come to call. She stood and walked into the
living room, her red sundress swaying at her knees. Her hand clasped the brass
knob and gave a twist, pulling the solid door open to reveal a curvy brunette
of average height. But there wasn’t anything average about her looks. She had
that sultry sexiness down to an art. A brilliant smile tugged at her lush lips.

“Hi. I’m Hanna. And you must be Konrad’s mate.”

Tyra clasped the hand the woman offered. “Tyra, and I guess
I am.” It felt funny to admit it. It was like trying on a pair of shoes you
really liked and really wanted, but the price tag made you wince. “It’s nice to
meet you, Hanna, but Konrad isn’t here.”