Lycan Christmas by S. Yule (best contemporary novels txt) 📗

“I kind of got that feeling when I saw how you ripped into Rufus. It appeared personal.”

150

Lycan Christmas

S. K. Yule

“It was. He was going to kill her. I knew him from my past. He was brutal, did horrible things to so many people, and there was no way in hell I was going to allow him to take Melony from me.”

“Do you love her?”

“I don’t know. I want to, but I’m not sure I know what love feels like,”

Lorent admitted.

Piers blew out a long breath. “Can you picture yourself without her?”

“No.”

“When you found out she was in danger, did a perfect maelstrom of anger and fear like you’ve never felt in your entire life swirl inside you? Did the thought of her possible death spark an urgency to get to her so strong it felt as if your skin could not contain it?”

Lorent thought for a moment. “Yes. That was exactly how I felt.”

“How do you feel when she is near you?”

“As if everything is right in the world. She can touch me, and all of my past sins seem to melt away. She makes me want to be a better man so I can be good enough for her.”

“That’s love, my boy. That’s love.” Piers grinned. “It’ll twist you up so bad inside that no matter how far or hard you run, there is no getting away from it. It makes you think you will never be good enough for her, and while you are arguing with your own bloody self that she can do so much better, you will never let someone else try to be better than you. Because the mere thought of someone else touching her will drive you insane.”

“Holy hell. I do love her.”

Piers chuckled. “What are you going to do about it?”

Lorent smiled. “I’m going to go get my woman.”

* * * *

It had been several hours since they’d made it back to Sanctuary, and Melony paced in her living room. She hadn’t heard from Lorent, and she was worried. She’d already taken a shower and fed Puss, and was about to rip her hair out in frustration, when her front door flew open.

151

Lycan Christmas

S. K. Yule

She spun around and gasped. Lorent stood in the opening watching her, his hazel eyes glowing brightly. His hair was damp and tousled, and he looked sexy and . . . wild. He took her breath away and made her heart flip-flop. He had changed his clothes, and his T-shirt hugged his broad chest but wasn’t neatly tucked in under his waistband as normal. His dark jeans hugged his hips and muscular thighs, and a sudden urge to see him naked made a dull ache throb between her legs.

She cried out and flung herself into his arms. “I was worried about you,”

she said against his chest.

She pressed her nose to him and took a deep breath. He smelled good, and he was warm. But when he remained still, she looked up at him and realized he didn’t look happy. She frowned, then worried her bottom lip with her teeth as anxiety settled in her chest.

“You were worried about me?” One of his dark brows slowly rose.

If she had any sense, the warning in his voice would have put her on guard, but apparently, where he was concerned, she’d lost all common sense.

“Of course. It’s been hours. I was scared you got hurt.” She stepped back and started running her hands over him, inspecting him for injury.

He grunted and stilled her hands with his fingers. “What the hell were you thinking?”

She tried to back away from him, but he encircled her wrists and held her to him. She huffed in indignation. “I already got the second degree from Knox and Rose. I don’t need it from you.”

“I disagree. Actually, I think you need a good spanking.”

Now it was her turn to raise a brow at him. He’d never talked to her that way. Then it dawned on her. He was angry. Well, too bad. She wasn’t a child, and he wasn’t her keeper.

“Excuse me?”

“Don’t you ever do something like that again. Putting yourself in danger is reckless enough, but putting others in danger along with you is irresponsible. Do you have any idea what it did to me when I got your call on the walkie?”

152

Lycan Christmas

S. K. Yule

“Don’t tell me what to do. You have as much to answer for—more—

than I do. You didn’t tell me about dreams between mates, and you didn’t tell me I was your mate.”

“What I did didn’t endanger me, you, or anyone else.”

“How was I supposed to know that a simple trip to town would endanger anyone? I would never put anyone—myself included—in harm’s way on purpose. Do you know what it would have done to me if something had happened to Sherry or the baby? It was a bad decision. Nothing more.”

“I stopped by Sherry and Piers’s. Sherry told me what you did for her and the baby. Piers said he’d made it clear that he was not happy with you, but after he heard how you risked your life for Sherry, he asked me to let you know all is forgiven.” He squeezed her wrists gently. “You’re amazing.”

God, the man was perplexing. One minute he was scolding her, the next he was praising her.

“The rogue killed my mother.”

Lorent nodded. “I know. Rufus was always a braggart, and today was no different, but believe me when I tell you he’s paid for what he did.”

She knew what that meant and couldn’t seem to bring herself to feel one ounce of sorrow for Rufus, maybe a general sadness for a loss of a life that could have made a difference, but she wasn’t upset that her mother’s killer was dead. In fact, Rufus’s death gave her some closure.

“It was my fault. My scent is what got my mother killed.”

“No, it wasn’t. It was one of those