Virtue: A Knight World Novel (Fireborn Wolves Book 2) Page 13

  That’s when he saw her. Selene locked eyes with him across the sparsely wooded lawn, her beautiful skin gleaming in the moonlight. From the moment he’d met her, he’d admired the way she carried herself, like she lived above the fray, and now was no exception. Her hair was down. Goddess, he loved her hair. The delicate bones of her face added to the long stretch of her body, giving her the look of a ballerina, graceful even in the face of impending pain, an angel in their midst.

  The din of the older members of the pack starting to shift filled the space: groans and growls and breaking bones. Jason pitched forward, the tawny fur of his underside breaking out along his abdomen. Human thought was difficult in this state as his wolf mind started taking over, but the last clear thought he had before he changed was a raging need to claim Selene as his. Mine, his wolf whispered. Mine.

  And then he surrendered completely to the animal within.

  The next morning, light poured over Selene’s body, the scent of new grass filling her lungs. Spring signified new life. Tiny hatching eggs deep within fresh earth. Budding green things. Blooming moss. Fresh dew. But it was another smell that made her spine stiffen. The warm spicy scent of male, musky cloves and chicory, a male whose arm draped across her stomach.

  She might have turned in her half slumber to confirm who it was, but with a sleepy grunt the owner of the arm pulled her against a wide muscled chest. Glancing down at the hand between her naked breasts, she didn’t need to see his face. Dark hair dappled thick cords of muscle in the forearm. Strong hands held her. She knew this man. Knew his scent. It was Jason.

  A werewolf was not responsible for what he or she did in wolf form. It was commonly accepted that a person’s wolf had a mind of its own. But lying here in Jason’s arms, every second brought her deeper into the realization that it wasn’t just her wolf who’d enjoyed Jason’s company. She could hardly bring herself to move from the pleasure of his closeness.

  Moving only her eyes, she glanced around them. They were inside a closely set group of trees, and they were alone. She pretended to be asleep and snuggled in closer, closing her eyes as the feel of his breath on her hair sent tiny sparks of longing down the length of her neck and across the surface of her skin.

  His hand coasted over her nipple, along the flat length of her torso and rounded the curve of her hip. Goddess, it was delectable. A warm ache ignited in her core, her need opening like a flower. She crossed her legs against the feeling, suppressing the moan his touch elicited.

  She felt the moment he woke, the realization of her closeness causing his body to tense. He removed his hand from her hip and whispered, “Sorry” into the back of her head. As he rolled away from her, she knew she should act as though she were sorry too, cover up, move away. But she didn’t.

  Instead, she rolled onto her back and looked up at him, naked, vulnerable. He was balanced on his elbow beside her, hovering but not touching. When their gazes met, her longing was so intense, her body began to tremble. Tears streamed down her face.

  “Oh goddess, I’m so sorry. Did my wolf hurt you? Should I get help?” Jason whispered.

  Selene shook her head. She wiped under her eyes. “It’s not you or your wolf,” she said softly. “It’s me. Lying here next to you, I can’t pretend…”

  He frowned, his eyes narrowing. “Can’t pretend what?”

  “I can’t pretend that I’m not jealous of my wolf.” She sobbed quietly. “I wish things were different. I wish I had the freedom to feel what I feel.”

  He swallowed audibly, cleared his throat. “What do you feel?”

  “I’m falling in love with you, Jason,” she said, the words tumbling out all at once. “For the first time, I’m questioning what I want for my future. This isn’t supposed to happen. I’m supposed to keep a professional distance. But every time I close my eyes, I see you.” She turned her head to look away from him. “I’m a terrible person. I’ve betrayed my role as an acolyte.”

  A shadow passed over her face, his hand hovering, almost as if he were afraid to touch her. She thought he might pull it away, but then he wiped her tears with his thumb. He stroked along her jaw, encouraging her to face him.

  “You are not a terrible person,” he said quietly. “Why does this have to be a mistake? Can’t you see that I’ve fallen for you, too? I don’t care if it’s because of the therapy or if we were just meant to be together. By the goddess, you’ve gotten under my skin. If you feel the same way, don’t we owe it to ourselves to see where this goes?”

  Selene blinked up at him and scoffed. “You don’t understand. I can’t just try you on for size. If I pursue this, there’s no going back for me. I’d have to give up my status as an acolyte.”

  Jason’s brow furrowed. “I’m not suggesting you try me on for size. I’m talking about something exclusive and permanent. I’ve never had that before. I know it won’t be easy, but I want to try with you.” He removed his hand from her face and shifted as though he might get up and walk away.

  Goddess help her, she couldn’t deny this anymore. Selene reached out and caught him behind the neck. At first he looked surprised. He gripped her wrist, searching her face.

  “Try,” she whispered. “I want to try.”

  A muscle in his jaw twitched. “I’ve learned to restrain myself around you, Selene, but make no mistake, I’ve wanted you, my wolf has wanted you, since the moment I saw you standing under that tree in Red Grove. You don’t know what you do to me. You’re playing with fire.” His eyes flared amber. His presence loomed like a growing hunger above her. “Do you know what you want? Because I do, and I don’t think I can resist you anymore.”

  In answer, she pulled his face toward hers. A rumble came from deep inside his chest and his mouth slanted across hers, the kiss warm and soft, a question instead of a demand. Her arms snaked around his neck, gripping him tighter. He licked the crease of her lips, an invitation she was more than happy to accept. The erotic feel of his tongue stroking against hers made a rush of heat flare inside her. With a sharp inhale, his body responded to her arousal, covering her, surrounding her. His elbows landed on either side of her head as his fingers buried in her hair.

  Her hand stroked along his side, skimming over his warm skin, then up and over the peaks and hollows of his back. She used her nails to pull him closer, scoring his skin. He groaned into her mouth.

  Breaking away, Jason panted, his chest heaving. “This isn’t the right time or place. Not here. Not now.” She was surprised that it was Jason who said it. Wasn’t she supposed to be the one to protest? “I want it to be special for you. Our first time should be memorable.”

  Only, she didn’t want to wait. She didn’t want the opportunity to think or to change her mind. “Please,” she said against his lips. She guided his hand down her inner thigh and between her legs.

  Amber eyes flashed, a growl vibrating against her chest. His fingers stroked her, circling her opening with a tantalizing rhythm. By the time he dipped inside, she was quivering. Her body rolled beneath his touch, his expert hands coaxing a rush of pleasure from her core. She arched, creating counterpressure against his hand.

  His thumb circled and his fingers thrust before he dipped his head. She felt his lips below her belly button, his tongue tracing circles toward his fingers. It was too much. Her face blazed thinking of him down there. But if her mind wished to protest, the rest of her suppressed that urge as Jason’s tongue licked up her center.

  She spread her arms on the soft moss and arched into him. Two more languid licks and she shattered, her body clenching around his fingers, tiny sparks of pleasure blowing out through her fingertips before echoing back to her core.

  He held her as the aftershocks rocked her body. Stroking her hair back, his hips settling between her legs. He hesitated to enter her.

  “Let’s make this real. I don’t want shadows or secrecy with you.” His eyes pleaded with her. “I want the world to know you’re mine.”

  “I’ll have to step down from my positi
on.”

  He searched her face, his jaw tightening. A deep breath moved in and out of his lungs. He suddenly looked gravely serious. “I can’t ask you to do that.”

  “You don’t have to. I want to. It’s the right thing to do. It’s time to make a choice, and I…” She ran her fingers across his chest. “Well, I already have. I choose you.”

  A smile spread across his face—until Silas’s burly hand clamped down on the back of his neck and lifted him off her in one swift movement.

  “What have you done?”

  Chapter 20

  Jason’s back slammed against the nearest tree, Silas holding him there with a stiff forearm to his neck.

  “No. Stop!” Selene cried.

  Silas ignored her. “You fucking asshole. Taking advantage of an acolyte! I should beat you senseless for this.”

  Jason tried to speak but his windpipe failed under Silas’s crushing weight.

  Selene shoved against Silas’s massive chest as she wedged her waifish body between the two men. “Stop! It wasn’t Jason. He didn’t do anything wrong.”

  Silas looked at her in confusion.

  “It was me! I’m in love with your brother.”

  Jason shoved Silas away from Selene, his newly increased size translating into a more powerful thrust than he’d intended. Silas stumbled backward, growling and baring his teeth.

  “This isn’t what you think,” Jason said. “Just forget you saw anything. It will work itself out soon enough.”

  Selene held up her hands, a look of panic on her face. Jason longed to wipe the tears from her eyes, hated that his feelings for her were ripping her apart. He wished he could make it easier for her, but no one could turn back time. He couldn’t unlove her and he wouldn’t turn her away if she loved him back.

  “Please. Please don’t tell anyone. I’m not ready,” she said to Silas. “I will tell Artemis. Give me a chance to tell her myself.”

  With a shake of his head, Silas seemed to contemplate her words, pacing and cursing to himself. “This… this isn’t going to go over well with the pack. How could this happen?”

  “Please, Silas.” Selene folded her arms over her stomach.

  After more grumbling, Silas placed his hands on his hips and let out a deep breath. “You two can’t walk back together. People will talk. You”—he pointed at Jason—“go back the long way. Selene, wait five minutes and take the direct route. I don’t know what’s going on here, but I’ll give you the next two days to get your heads on straight. After that, I’ll expect action and answers.”

  Jason glanced at Selene who seemed amicable to the arrangement. “Fair,” he said.

  When he reached out for her to say good-bye, Silas thrust a hand between them and shook his head. “I’m not the only one out here.”

  With one last look at Selene, Jason obeyed his brother and jogged toward Rivergate Manor.

  Alone among the trees, Selene waited, hugging herself against the cool spring air. She’d have to tell Artemis, move out of the monastery, try to find a job and a temporary place to live. She was fairly confident that Jason would help her. He was wealthy after all. She wouldn’t ask him for money, but he might have connections. Perhaps there was a werewolf family in need of a nanny. She’d always been good with children.

  As she paced, a high-pitched keening met her ears, the bleat of a dying animal. She wandered toward the sound, peering through a thick web of tree branches. A deer. Mauled by a wolf, by the looks of it. She frowned. It was odd for her kind to kill what it did not eat. Unless… it might have been her or Jason who’d done it, perhaps becoming distracted with each other and not finishing their meal. Well, she couldn’t just leave it to suffer. She pushed through the thick line of trees and strode toward the doe, intending to break its neck. But when she reached it, the strangest thing happened. The doe changed. She’d seen it move, watched its throat constrict with its screams. But now it was dead. For some time, by the looks of it. An old, rotting kill. She shook her head. Was she hallucinating from the stress?

  “He doesn’t mean it,” came a woman’s voice from behind her.

  Selene whirled to face a svelte woman with a platinum blond bob. Her skin was smooth as marble and her features as sharp as if they were chiseled from the same. She was wearing a red wrap dress that showed off a curvy figure. But it was the talisman around her neck that gave her away: a twisting dragon with a red stone eye. It looked to be made of pewter but she knew better. It was dragon scale.

  “Nickelova.” Selene eyed the line of trees behind the woman in horror. She’d been so caught up thinking about Jason, she unwittingly crossed the border, moved beyond the protective enchantment of Rivergate Manor. She hugged herself harder, suddenly feeling more naked than a moment before.

  “He’s a dog,” Nickelova said. “He uses women and throws them away. He used me. Then, when I asked him for help, he dropped me like a hot stone.”

  “Jason didn’t drop you. You tried to kill him and his siblings,” Selene said, hoping her words were enough of a distraction that she could make it to the safety of Rivergate. She inched in that direction.

  “Did he tell you that? It’s refreshing to know he speaks of me at all. But it appears I am at a disadvantage. I didn’t know about you until today.” She frowned. “My curse should have brought Jason to my door by now. When the full moon rose again and he still didn’t come to me, I realized there was a problem. No way could he go this long without sex. Not Jason. Imagine my surprise to track him here only to see him, to feel him”—she ran a finger along her bottom lip—“with you. Such a tender moment. That sort of thing should have triggered my curse. It seems someone has interfered with my magic. You wouldn’t know anything about that, would you?” Her eyebrows knit.

  Selene said nothing.

  “Did you think I wouldn’t suspect anything? Did he think I wouldn’t check on him when he didn’t follow my instructions?” Her face contorted, rage turning her elegant features ugly.

  Selene darted for the border, running as fast as she could in a wide arc around Nickelova. But one pulse of the dragon fae amulet and her muscles locked in place as rigid as if she’d been turned to stone from the neck down. She cursed.

  “What’s your name, wolf?”

  “Go to hell,” Selene said.

  The dragon amulet flashed again and Selene’s throat constricted. The force at her neck lifted her onto her tiptoes. “Say your name.”

  “Se… lene…” she rasped, clawing at her throat. The tightening eased and she dropped to her feet again, pitching forward to take deep gasping breaths.

  “Selene, I think once you get to know me, we are going to be great friends.”

  “I don’t plan to get to know you,” Selene said between pants.

  “You don’t have a choice. I want Jason’s help, and I have a feeling that all he needs to see things my way is a little motivation. Judging by what just went on between you two, I think you are exactly what I’m looking for.”

  Selene screamed as her body lurched with another pulse of Nickelova’s amulet. All the air was sucked from her lungs as a rush of darkness overtook her. A moment later, she landed somewhere hard and cold and totally alone.

  Jason had just fastened the last button on his dress shirt when he heard Selene’s scream. He ignored the questioning murmurs around him and broke into a dead run, taking the short way back to the place where they’d been, the direction of the scream. But when he reached the tightly grouped trees, she was gone.

  “Selene! Selene!”

  “She went this way,” Silas said, arriving behind him and sniffing the air. The two brothers walked to the tree-lined border of the property and stopped. “She passed beyond the protective boundary.”

  “Why? Why would she do that?”

  “There’s a kill.” Silas pointed at a dead doe. He approached the carcass, carefully picking his way through the tight web of branches that signified the border. “Do you smell that?”

  Jason caught a whi
ff of someone other than Selene, a dangerous scent he hadn’t smelled in weeks. “Dragon magic.” A hard lump formed in his throat.

  “Fuck.” Silas dug his fingers into his wild hair.

  Jason’s phone rang. He slid it from his pocket, glancing at Silas when he saw who was calling. He tapped the screen and raised it to his ear.

  “Jason?” said the familiar, dark voice, edged in gravel. “Ryker from Lost Things.”

  “This isn’t a good time.”

  “Something just arrived in my store for you.”

  “What? What are you talking about? Arrived? Did someone bring something in?”

  “No, Mr. Flynn. This item appeared where before there was nothing. I think you’d better take a look. I’m sending a picture now.”

  Jason heard the chirp of a text coming in. One look and he doubled over. “No. No. No.”

  “It smells of dragon,” Ryker said.

  “What is it?” Silas asked. “Show me.”

  Jason held up his phone, his hand trembling so hard he was surprised his brother could make out the picture. But the item was unmistakable. A ponytail of caramel-colored hair lay across the counter at Lost Things, labeled with a simple note. For Jason Flynn.

  Chapter 21

  “Nickelova took Selene.” Jason couldn’t breathe. This was a living nightmare, the worst possible scenario. He knew Nickie would come back for him. It never once occurred to him that she might target Selene.

  Silas grabbed the phone out of Jason’s hand. “Who is this guy Ryker? How do we know he’s not helping Nickelova?”

  “He’s a business associate.” Jason’s voice trembled with a mixture of anger and fear. “Look, Nickie wants me to follow her clues. She’s always wanted that. She won’t free Selene unless I go to her.” Jason strode toward Rivergate.