Wild Instinct (11 page)

Sarah Anne glanced over her shoulder for Garrett. He strode up the porch steps, wearing that slightly baffled look everyone had the first time Megan slipped their grip.

Wyatt’s gaze dropped to Megan. And that fast, his expression softened.

“Hello, Megan. Welcome to your new home.”

Sarah Anne blinked again. Was he being . . . charming?

“My name is Wyatt.”

“Mr. Carmichael,” Sarah Anne corrected.

Wyatt cocked an eyebrow at her. “That’s a mouthful for a bit of a thing like her.”

Sarah Anne licked her lips. “Manners are important.”

Daire nodded. “So are traditions.”

She licked her lips again. That didn’t bode well. Tradition would have her packless. Tradition would have her daughter killed. “I’m not that fond of tradition.”

Wyatt’s golden brown eyes met hers. The corner of his mouth twitched. In annoyance or a smile? “I’ve never been overly impressed with pack tradition, either. That’s why we’re starting new traditions here.”

She decided to take the bull by the horns. “If they involve you kidnapping my child, they’re not going to fly.”

His mouth twitched again. And it was definitely a smile. He motioned her into the room. She didn’t have any choice but to go. Thank God Garrett was right behind her.

“Is that a threat?” Wyatt asked.

She squared her shoulders as she passed. “Yes.”

Two things happened simultaneously. There was the sound of a scuffle and the door closed, trapping her in the room with Daire, Wyatt and Donovan.

“Not much of you backing that threat,” Wyatt commented as she spun around.

“Wyatt,” Heather gasped from the other side of the closed door.

Garrett’s energy pulsed against the edges of Sarah Anne’s mind in a relentless wave. He was telling her to stay calm. That he was there. She took another gamble, holding hard to that energy. “I’m not alone.”

“You’ve accepted Garrett as your mate, then?”

She looked at Daire’s stony expression. She didn’t doubt for a minute that he’d take her daughter if he saw a need. She looked at Wyatt. He still had that half smile on his face, but she didn’t have any illusions there, either. He’d take Megan, too, if it meant pack safety. Donovan was the wild card.

“Yes.”

The walls closed in around her. Energy whirled. She could feel Garrett’s intent. He was coming in. She held tighter to his energy, needing him.

The order came out of nowhere, echoing in her mind. Startled, she gasped and spun around. Daire?

There was a series of hard thuds against the wall. Daire warned, “He’s not going to wait much longer.”

Wyatt shrugged. “He doesn’t have much choice. If I say he waits, he waits.”

“He has mating lust. She’s telegraphing like crazy. I give him about two minutes before he stops giving two hoots who you are.”

Wyatt smiled. “Then I guess we’ll have to make it fast.” He turned back to her. “You sure about accepting Garrett as your mate?”

She nodded again. “Yes.”

Garrett cursed.
Not like this.

What does it matter?
she shot back.

She couldn’t believe that she was the only one who heard Garrett’s thoughts.

With a pointed glance toward Donovan, Wyatt said, “Then it’s settled.”

Settled? What was settled? She wasn’t even aware there had ever been an option. “What does that mean?”

The sense that events were spiraling out of her control increased.

“It means just that. Your relationship is settled.”

“And Megan?”

“She’s your mate’s responsibility.”

“And Josiah?”

“He’s pack, and will be brought home.”

She couldn’t ask for a more solid promise than that of her Alpha. A bit of her anxiety faded.

“And Garrett? You’ll leave him alone?”

Wyatt shook his head. “Him I haven’t decided about yet.”

For a moment Sarah Anne was torn, but she owed the debt of her daughter’s life to Garrett. The least she could do was to insure he had pack. “If I decline the mating, would that help you to accept him?”

A snarl erupted behind the door. She felt the surge of Garrett’s energy.

Wyatt’s expression was sympathetic. “No, it won’t.”

“So I chose him with no certainty?”

“Only the certainty any wolf is born with when meeting their mate,” Donovan answered.

How could she trust that?

Another surge of energy and a mental warning.
Stand back!

Sarah Anne jumped back. Megan spun around as the door hit the wall. Her face lit up with joy as soon as she saw Garrett.

“Gar!”

All the males watched as the little girl ran, with total trust, toward Garrett. He scooped her up in one arm and then put the other around Sarah Anne’s shoulders. The gesture of possession summed up the one word that slipped past his lips. “Mine.”

Instead of reacting with a snarl and a challenge, Wyatt just laughed and leaned back in his chair. “Apparently no one, least of all her, is contesting that.”

Garrett whipped around to look at Sarah. She forced herself to meet his eyes.

“Sarah Anne was in the process of accepting your mating claim when you . . . interrupted,” Donovan said.

Garrett studied her for a heartbeat. The probe in her mind was as gentle as his thumb’s touch to the corner of her mouth. There was hesitation but also . . . joy? His “Finish it” was beyond arrogant.

He was so irritating. She folded her arms across her chest. “I’m not sure I want to now.”

Another bark of laughter from Wyatt and a chuckle from Donovan.

Garrett’s thumb slipped between her lips, teasing the inner lining. “Do it anyway.”

She wanted to melt into a puddle at his feet. She wanted to kick him in the shins. Neither was the option a mature woman would pick. More was the pity. Which left her only one. With as much dignity as she could muster she said, “I accept his claim.”

Garrett leaned in until his breath caressed her lips, mingled with hers, inviting her to taste what he had to offer.

“Good girl.”

She stood on tiptoe, closing the distance between them. As his lips parted against hers, she kicked his shin. There were some things that needed to be understood from the get-go. “I’m not a girl.”

His chuckle puffed into her mouth in an erotic invitation. “Good.”

Good. She shivered from head to toe as his kiss flowed through her. Yes, it was very good.

Megan giggled. Wyatt tossed an envelope on the desk.

“What’s that?” Garrett asked, watching Sarah Anne’s mouth so intently as she ran her tongue over her lips that it felt as if he had kissed her again.

“Keys. We have three houses currently available. The addresses are in the envelope. Pick one and return the others.”

A house? They were going to have a house? It was more than Sarah Anne had dared to hope. A house spoke of permanence, acceptance. Garrett slipped his hand from around her back and reached for the envelope. She held her breath. Would he accept? “Just like that?” Garrett asked.

“Yup.” Wyatt folded his arms across his chest. “Just like that.”

Fifteen

SARAH Anne liked the cape the best. Garrett could tell from the way she lingered and trailed her fingers across the few pieces of furniture in the living room. He hitched a dozing Megan up higher onto his shoulder. Her mouth pressed against his neck. There was a suspicious dampness.

“Is she getting drool on me?”

“Yes, she is.”

He grimaced.

Sarah Anne laughed. “Suck it up.”

“Easy for you to say. You’re not wearing kid drool.”

She paused and turned, facing him. “Do you really mind?”

She meant more than just the drool. She was worried that he resented her children.

“Can’t say that I didn’t expect to.”

“But?”

There was a world of hope in that “but.”

“Apparently, it’s not in me. Maybe I’m more human than wolf in some ways.”

Her head cocked to the side. Her hair swung around her face. She looked very pretty standing there, studying him.

“Do you think saying that will make me more comfortable with you?”

“I hope something will.”

Her gaze dropped to Megan. “You’re growing on me just the way you are.”

“You sure?”

“Don’t make me think on it too much, okay?”

“Why?”

“Because if I don’t think about it, I’m more comfortable.”

“Deal.” He rubbed Megan’s back. “How about we lay this one down for a bit?”

“You don’t think anyone will mind?”

“Why would they?” he asked, carrying Megan to one of the two downstairs bedrooms. “This is going to be our home.”

Sarah Anne trailed behind him. “You liked that Victorian.”

“It was nice, but this feels like home.” Mainly because Sarah was comfortable here, and he liked to see her comfortable.

“Thank you.”

“For what?”

He laid Megan on the pastel yellow comforter that brightened the sunny room. She immediately turned on her side. Her thumb popped into her mouth. She looked like a tiny angel. Too tiny to have so much trauma in her life.

Sarah Anne took the pink-flowered throw off the bottom of the bed and drew it over her daughter’s shoulders. “For claiming an association with humans to make me feel better.”

He chuckled. “It was that obvious?”

“You’re all wolf, Garrett.”

He pushed her hair out of her face. “And you don’t like it.”

“Sometimes it scares me.”

“Only sometimes?”

“Just sometimes.”

That was an improvement. She hovered by the bed. He took her hand and tugged. “Might as well let her get some rest.”

Sarah Anne nodded, but her lower lip slipped between her teeth. No doubt, she was rethinking the wisdom of telling him so much. No doubt, she worried he was getting ideas. And she’d be right.

He caught her hand. “Let’s check out the backyard.”

They passed through the neat kitchen on the way to the back door. Garrett could easily imagine sitting at the glass-top table sipping coffee with Sarah in the morning while the kids ate breakfast. It was a very settled image of a future he’d never thought would be his. The feeling of being on the outside looking in slipped some more. He squeezed Sarah Anne’s hand. To his surprise, she squeezed back. And smiled. He opened the back door and looked out, kissing her hand as she stepped through onto the small deck. Her smile faltered, but didn’t slip. Maybe she was warming up to him.

The backyard was fenced in. The grass was freshly mowed. Situated in the deep rectangular yard was a small jungle gym and a barbecue, along with a brightly colored play house. Something for a girl and a boy.

“Looks like Wyatt thought you’d like this one, too.”

Sarah Anne’s hand lay unresponsive in his. “Maybe.”

She was staring at the jungle gym. He knew what she was thinking. It was all too easy to imagine a little boy playing there. “Cur will be calling anytime now with news of Rachel and Josiah.”

“Thank you.”

He stepped in front of her, blocking her view. “You don’t have anything to be nervous about, Sarah. I’ll take care of you.”

She glanced up, startled. “I know you will.”

Yeah, he guessed that was a given seeing as he was wolf, but she could sound more enthusiastic. That lack gnawed at him. What had her human husband been able to give her that was so wonderful? Had the mating heat been stronger with her husband? Did he kiss better? Hell, what did that matter when the man hadn’t even been able to protect her? Garrett tugged Sarah out onto the deck, closing the door. When he turned back, he was struck by how small she looked standing there. She lacked the sturdy structure of a female wolf, the sleek muscle, heavier bone. He remembered the flash of her small canines.

“Can you change at all?”

Her eyes flew wide. She shook her head as her gaze ducked his. It wasn’t hard to figure out why. A werewolf who couldn’t change was like a human without limbs. Trapped. Often ostracized. He remembered the small wolf fleeing with the male child. “Josiah can?”

She nodded.

“He’s only a quarter wolf.”

She shrugged. “He can change.”

“Megan?”

She took a step back. “So far, no.”

He followed. “There’s still time.” Sometimes it took years for werewolves to come into their full powers. “Besides, she has other strengths.”

She frowned. “That Daire wants to use.”

“Daire can want forever. It’s not happening if you don’t want it.” In case she didn’t understand he had value that was directly applicable to her needs at the moment, he added, “One of the benefits of having a werewolf for a mate.”

“I think it was a mistake to come here.”

“I think that has yet to be determined.”

“You’ve sworn loyalty to Haven. My loyalty is to my children.”

“In about five minutes we’re about to be mated and my loyalty to you will take precedence.”

Another step back for her. “Pack law says ‘pack above all.’ ” Another step forward for him. “Does it?”

“You know it does.”

One more step and she’d be back against the side wall, with nowhere to go but into his arms. “I haven’t read the law.”

She swallowed hard but didn’t take that step. “It still applies.”

He tipped her chin up. “Not to me. I never thought I’d have a pack or a mate and I’ve thought about it enough to know what matters to me more.”

“Which?” She needed to hear the words.

“Nothing will ever matter more to me than you.”

“Promise?”

He stroked his mind over hers, letting her feel the depth of the truth. “Promise.”

Her hands slid up over his shoulders and her frown softened. “You’re a good man.”