The Wolf Siren

An instant of panic clawed at her. Unreasonable, but still... “Will you,” she began, trying to bring the words up a suddenly tight throat. “Will you play and sing again tonight?”

He went so still she wondered if she’d offended him. But his expression appeared neutral when he looked her way. “Do you want me to?”

Nodding, she glanced down, aware she’d begun twisting her hands together. “I would like that,” she managed.

“Then I will.” His easy tone made her think he hadn’t noticed her uneasiness. But then she was coming to realize he pretended not to notice a lot of her weirdness in order to put her at ease.

“But first, I want a shower.” Turning, he headed toward the bathroom.

“Thank you,” she said, right when he closed the door behind him. She wasn’t sure he’d heard her, but at least she’d tried.

Carefully she removed the bedspread, folding it neatly at the end of the bed. Then, peeling back the sheets, she slipped in between them, trying to lie on her back, propped up with a pillow, or on her side, stretched out like normal people. In the end, she gave up and curled up into her usual, comforting ball and lay inflexible and rigid.

She’d give anything to have the ability to drift off to sleep. Just close her eyes, and let herself get carried away to the land of dreams. Instead, she lay absolutely still, her heartbeat fast, her mind racing.

Though she’d tried to school herself against it, she stiffened the instant the door opened. Keeping her eyes closed, she felt his presence fill the room. Damn it. No reason for fear, no reason at all. But helpless against instinct, she couldn’t stop the dread from filling her. A few minutes later, the familiar shivers started. Clenching her jaw, she tried to keep her teeth from chattering.

“It’s okay,” he said, his deep voice calm and sure. “I’ll get my guitar. Just a minute.” She heard the sound of him unlocking the dead bolt, then the door opened and closed as he went outside.

Her jaw began to ache as she waited.

After what seemed like an eternity, but in reality was probably only a moment, he returned. Eyes still closed, she held herself rigid, hating that she felt so tense. She listened as he moved around the room, heard the click of the fasteners as he opened his guitar case, the rustle and creak of the bed next to her as he settled on it. She could barely contain her impatience.

And then finally, he strummed the guitar. As the soft notes filled the room, she loosened her iron grip on herself, letting them pull some of the tension from her. When he sang, his husky voice low and sensual, and just exactly right, she heaved a great sigh, willing herself to become unknotted.

One song ended—she wasn’t even sure of the words—and he began another. As the music filled her, releasing her from the iron grip of her damaged psyche, she smiled. Muttering a slurred thank-you, she let herself fall toward the blessed oblivion of sleep.

* * *

Kane kept playing, long after he’d watched Lilly fall into slumber. Though exhaustion made him unsteady, he knew he had to keep playing or he might do something he’d regret. Like touch her.

Hell, the aching need to lay a hand on her had only intensified the longer he was around her. Only the certain knowledge of how badly such a thing would freak her out kept him from giving in to the craving. He’d been surprised as hell when she’d let him hold her hand earlier. And pleased, more than he should have been.

Four songs in, as the last notes died away, he made himself stop. Moving slowly, his body uncomfortable and aching, he returned the guitar to its case. He then went to bed, hoping he could get to sleep. He had another full day of driving tomorrow.

When he opened his eyes again, the grayish light told him dawn had nearly arrived. He sat up, glancing over at Lilly, who still slept. Heading toward the shower, he braced himself for yet another long day of driving. South Bend, Indiana, here we come.

Though this was only their second morning together, Kane considered it odd the way he and Lilly seemed to have developed a routine. In less than forty-five minutes, they were on the road, both having showered and dressed. After running through a drive-through for breakfast, they hit the highway. Once again, Lilly was silent, so he again located a country-music radio station and turned up the volume.

Several hours later, fueled by two large coffees, he debated trying again to engage her in conversation. She was a quiet little thing, though her slender, wild beauty lit up the interior of his car. He knew she had no idea of her impact on him, though everything about her fascinated him, from the apricot cream of her soft skin to the long lashes framing her clear blue eyes. He struggled against the temptation to taste her lush mouth, to tangle his fingers in her careless tumble of thick, honey-gold hair.

Even the first time he’d seen her, emaciated and filthy, huddled on a cold stone floor with nothing but rags to keep her warm, he’d seen the light of her beauty shining through her damaged exterior. For the first time in his life, he’d wanted to kill another human being, to find the one who had done this to her and wrap his fingers around his throat.

Since he couldn’t, he’d managed to hold himself in check. The bastard, one Jacob Gideon, a prominent religious leader of a church called Sanctuary, had been arrested. The worst part of it was that Lilly’d believed Jacob to be her father. It’d turned out Jacob had killed her parents back when she and Lucas had been infants.

Shaking off his thoughts, he focused on the road. When she finally spoke, he nearly missed it.

“What’s your story?” Her soft-voiced question had him hurrying to turn down the radio. “How’d you get into the bodyguard business?”

He couldn’t help but smile at her description. “I’m actually a veterinarian. I work at a veterinary clinic in Fort Worth. I also work for The Society of Pack Protectors.”

To his amazement, she smiled back, making an ember smolder inside him. “Lucas told me about the Protectors. They...you helped free me and the others from Sanctuary. He said you’re sworn to keep safe others of our kind. Shape-shifters.”

Since he knew she’d believed her and her brother to be freaks of nature and hadn’t realized there were others, her calm acceptance now made him make a mental note to call Lucas and thank him for teaching his sister so much in such a short period of time. At least she knew some of her heritage.

“Exactly. The Protectors recruited me when I was still in high school. They paid a full scholarship to Texas A&M University and then to the veterinary program. In exchange, I have to work for them a few times a year. It’s similar to the military reserves here in the United States.”

“And you just finished up working undercover at Sanctuary.” She glanced sideways at him. “Since you’re an animal doctor, then how are you able to do this for Lucas?”

“And you,” he added softly. “I took a leave of absence, the same way I always do when I go work for the Protectors.”

She nodded and turned to look out the window.

By the time they made South Bend, he had to force himself to stay awake. Aware of the danger, he took the first exit with a motel sign and pulled in and parked in front of the dingy window with the red, neon vacancy sign.

Half turning in his seat, he dragged his hand through his hair. “I’m sorry, but I’m beat.”

She nodded without looking at him.

“Wait here.” Getting out, he went inside the office and procured them a room.

Which turned out to be yet another carbon copy of the previous two.

Dropping his gear on the floor, he didn’t even have the energy to hit the shower. “You go ahead,” he told her, lying back on to the bed and closing his eyes. “I’ll take mine in the morning.”

That was his last conscious thought before sleep claimed him.

* * *

Overnight bag still in hand, Lilly stood and watched as Kane dropped off into a deep sleep. She felt a flare of panic that he hadn’t even brought his guitar case inside.

She shook her head at her own weakness and took her bag with her into the bathroom. She made the water piping hot, and took her time, trying to summon up the courage to let Kane sleep undisturbed. The poor man obviously needed his rest. He’d been driving for a solid three days, and since she didn’t know how to drive she couldn’t even spell him.

But though she knew her thoughts were selfish, she couldn’t help but wonder what kind of a night she’d have, alone with him in a small hotel room, without even his music to soothe her. Telling herself to stop thinking of herself, she toweled off and put on her soft sleep T-shirt.

When she emerged into the room, Kane’s deep, even breaths told her he was still deeply asleep. She moved quietly, went through her familiar routine of folding the bedspread and slipped into the still tucked sheets. Only once she had, she realized she’d forgotten to put out the light. On her way to do so, she once again found herself entranced by Kane. A sudden image of what it would feel like to slide into his bed next to him, wrapping herself around him, made her gasp in shock and confusion.

What the... Staggering back, she managed to click off the light and hightail it back to her own bed.

Once there, she curled up in her familiar ball, but couldn’t relax enough to get comfortable. Again she briefly considered waking Kane up and asking him to sing to her, but she hadn’t the heart. So far, he’d been nothing but accommodating to her. She couldn’t be such a selfish person to keep such a man from his well-deserved rest.

If she didn’t manage to get to sleep tonight, she always had the car during the drive tomorrow. He’d promised it would be their last day of driving. And then they’d be... Grimacing, she realized she didn’t even know their destination. She told herself she needed to be more proactive, to take charge of her own destiny, or at least try.

And with that thought, somehow she must have fallen asleep, because when she next opened her eyes, it was morning. Kane’s bed was empty. Sitting up, she heard the sound of a shower going and smiled.

She’d done it. Gone to sleep alone in a room with a strange man, who wasn’t really a stranger anymore. Still... Baby steps, as her therapist had been fond of saying.

He gave her a curious look when he emerged from his shower, his dark hair still damp. She smiled at him, which appeared to shock him, since he froze, though he didn’t speak as she continued past him. Her smile held, even as she disappeared into the still-steamy bathroom.