Fires Of Solstice Part 24

True joy lit Bleddyn's face as he strode across the room. Then a frown appeared on his face. "Why did you go into his run alone? How could you be sure he wouldn't attack?"

Her smile disappeared as she gritted her teeth. Why did he have to keep finding fault with whatever she did?

"d.a.m.n it, Bleddyn Glyndwr, why... "

The drop of water that slid down Bleddyn's neck snared her attention.

"Why what?"

Meredythe ignored his question. His voice faded as she inhaled deeply, and his sharp, piney scent a.s.saulted her senses. Lifting her hand, she traced the droplet's moist trail down his shoulder to just above his nipple. Flexing her fingers, she caressed the hairs growing there.

"So soft," she murmured as she swirled her fingers deeper. "So soft-like Shadow."

A quick, indrawn breath escaped him.

She glanced up into his face. Fiery pa.s.sion danced in the depths of his eyes.

"Meredythe?"

He lifted his hand and gently laced his fingers through the curls that had escaped from the sloppy French braid she'd hurried through that morning and slipped them back behind her ear. She s.h.i.+vered as he caressed her neck then slid his hand under the parka she still wore. Thumbing the pulsing beat on the side of her neck delicately, he leaned forward and kissed her.

A thousand pinp.r.i.c.ks of desire exploded in Meredythe's body. Her nipples tingled with stabs of pleasure-pain as she surrendered to his kiss. At first soft and gentle, his lips teased then tantalized then tormented. With a moan, she leaned into him and slipped her tongue into his mouth. His groan melded with her sighs and his tongue tangled with hers, gliding and dancing together and apart as their kiss became more and more carnal. Throwing her arms around his waist, she pressed herself against him. The hard ridge of his c.o.c.k that jutted against her thigh left no doubt of his desire.

s.h.i.+vers raced up Meredythe's spine as he traced a delicate line up her neck then across her cheek to lace his fingers through her hair and cup the back of her head. His other hand tugged her parka from her shoulders. It slid from her body to pool at her feet.

With the bulky barrier gone, he caressed her b.u.t.tocks then pressed her hips into his. His tongue began to dart in and out of her mouth to match the steady, rhythmic pressure he was applying to her hips. Moaning, she lifted her leg and wrapped it around his thigh, rubbing her aching c.u.n.t against his rigid erection.

Bleddyn was reeling. The scent of Meredythe's arousal surrounded him and his body clamored for fulfillment. When she wrapped her leg around his thigh and started to rub against him, he let go of his self-control. She wanted him as much as he wanted her.

Then the dark beast in his blood raged to life.

Mine! Conquer! Mate! Now!

A violent shudder racked his body and soul. This woman was his, his to take, to mount, to dominate. All he needed to do was rip her clothing from her body, force her to the floor, plunge his aching erection into the soft heat of her body and take her again and again and again until she knew she belonged to him.

Cupping her breast, he thumbed her nipple.

She leaned farther into his hand.

He squeezed her breast harder.

She s.h.i.+vered and moaned and ground her hips against him. "Bleddyn, please..." she murmured against his mouth.

Her scent surrounded him-her hot, compelling, take-me-and-f.u.c.k-me-until-I-can' t-stand-upright scent.

Bleddyn lifted his head and looked down into her face.

Raw hunger leaped from her eyes.

Lowering his head, he captured her lips again and stabbed his tongue into her mouth. The beating of his heart surged, plunging pa.s.sion and fury through his blood- pa.s.sion for the woman in his arms, fury because he had not yet mounted her. His dark side was no longer willing to wait.

Mine! Mount her! Now!

He heard cloth rip.

Her teeth cut his lip.

The taste of his own blood brought Bleddyn back to his senses-somewhat. As the monster in his soul fought for dominance, fought to throw Meredythe down on the floor so he could mount her, so he could ram his c.o.c.k into her, so he could declare to the world that she was his, Bleddyn struggled to regain control. He could not let evil touch Meredythe. And without the moon and its stabilizing strength, the s.e.xual need and bloodl.u.s.t pounding though his veins could tear her to pieces.

He would not allow that to happen!

Tearing his mouth from hers, he grasped her upper arms and shoved her away.

"I am not an animal!" he growled into her pa.s.sion-fogged face. "I will wait for the moon. Only a few hours more."

Ruthlessly crus.h.i.+ng the desire boiling in his blood, he dropped his hands from Meredythe's shoulders and stepped back.

Clenching his hands at his sides, he watched her stumble forward and brace a hand on a small table to catch her balance.

"Bleddyn?"

Her voice was low, compelling, confused. Her face was flushed. Her breath came in short gasps. She lifted one hand toward him.

His blood surged anew.

Take her!

Every muscle in his body screamed with anger and frustration as he turned away.

"Leave me."

"What? But... " Her voice swam with confusion.

"d.a.m.n it, Meredythe, get out!"

Her m.u.f.fled sob pierced his heart. Taking a deep breath, he stepped toward the bathroom. Another sob then quick steps toward the door. The doork.n.o.b rattled then the hinges creaked. Her footsteps echoed through the hall and down the stairs.

Bleddyn leaned his forehead against the wall. He had to wait for tonight. He had no choice. The power he absorbed from the moon would counter the violent impulses that surged through his bloodstream. Tonight... Why did she have to come up here now? How was he going to explain? Plaster showered to the floor as his fist slammed through the wall.

Meredythe stumbled through the lower hallway to the front door. Wrenching it open, she took two deep gulps of air. Then she rushed outside and ran down the steps. She s.h.i.+vered, as much from embarra.s.sment and anger as from the cold. Her thoughts roiled.

Get out! He told me to get out, after I threw myself at him.

Fists clenched, teeth grinding, she raced around the house. Spotting Bleddyn's truck sitting in front of the garage, she hurried to it and jerked the door open. Shadow's questioning howl paused her, but then she saw the keys dangling from the ignition. Shadow would be fine for now. No way was she going back in that house for the keys to her own car.

Pulling herself up into the cab, she slid behind the wheel and turned the key. She stomped on the clutch, grinding the gears as she slammed the truck into reverse. Jerking the gears.h.i.+ft back to drive, she peeled down the driveway. For all she cared, Bleddyn Glyndwr could go to h.e.l.l.

When she got to the main road, she headed into Winterbourne and drove right through it. Twenty minutes later, after driving aimlessly around on almost deserted country roads, she eased to a stop on a wide spot at the side of the road and slid the gears.h.i.+ft into park. Sighing, she crossed her arms over the wheel and dropped her head on them.

What the h.e.l.l was going on? She and Bleddyn had been dancing around each other for weeks. He'd been interested-more than interested. Why had he rejected her?

"d.a.m.n it," she mumbled and pushed herself up. Sunlight bounced through the winds.h.i.+eld and into her eyes.

A dark shape appeared in the corner of her eye. As she turned her head, the door was yanked open and she was pulled out of the truck. Before she could protest, a rank cloth was jammed into her face. Her eyes watered and she coughed. Then the foul-smelling concoction she breathed in overpowered her senses.

"Hurry," said the brown-robed man to his companion. "Tell the master I have a gift for him."

The door's slam still ringing in his ears, Bleddyn pulled on his jeans.

An angry yowl echoed around the room as Methuselah sprang through the door and began to stalk Bleddyn.

What did you do to her, Wolf? Why did she leave?

Bleddyn dropped into a crouch and snarled, "Go to h.e.l.l, Cat."

The hiss that erupted from Methuselah's throat raised the hairs on Bleddyn's arms.

Mist began to s.h.i.+mmer around him as he began to s.h.i.+ft into wolf shape.

Stop this right now, both of you, snarled a sharp voice from the door.

Methuselah stopped, his tail las.h.i.+ng from side to side. He's hurt Meredythe, Keri. You felt her. You know.

Slowly, surrounded with dignity, Keri padded into the room and placed herself between Bleddyn and the furious cat.

What happened, Bleddyn?Again Bleddyn struggled to conquer the dark ent.i.ty that inhabited his soul. Once he had himself under control, he sank onto the corner of the bed.

"I refused her s.e.xual advances."

Both Keri and Methuselah froze. Their exclamations were simultaneous.

What!

What?

Bleddyn locked gazes with Methuselah. "So you see, Cat. I didn't hurt her."

Methuselah sat down. His tail still lashed from side to side. Perhaps not physically.

Three steps had Keri in front of Bleddyn.

Why?

"Why what?"

Why did you refuse her?

His answer was delivered with a snarl. "Because the devil living inside me could have torn her to pieces. You know what I'm like when the bloodl.u.s.t is on me. Without moonlight to counter the craving for violence... "

Blinking back tears, he turned his face from the wolf and stared out the window. "I will not allow myself to hurt her."

Keri licked his hand. Bleddyn, you could no more hurt Meredythe than you could hurt me.

He dropped his forehead against hers and threaded his fingers through the thick fur of her neck ruff. "Will you ever acknowledge the evil that lives in me?"

She sighed and licked his cheek. I acknowledge the evil that seeks to conquer your soul, Bleddyn. None knows better than I how it got there. But you master it. It does not master you.

Sitting up, he wiped his face with his hand. "It's getting harder and harder. I didn't want to take a chance, not with the full moon only hours away."

Keri sat back on her haunches and c.o.c.ked her head to one side. Put yourself in Meredythe's place. You rejected her.

Bleddyn's lips twitched. "And she'll be mad as h.e.l.l once she's thought everything through."

She may not come back.

Bleddyn stood up and grabbed the s.h.i.+rt he'd tossed onto the bed before he went into the shower. "She'll be back. She left that d.a.m.n cat here."

Methuselah's angry hiss followed him out the door.

If he weren't your son, Keri...

The wolf trotted toward the door. Calm yourself, Methuselah. Bleddyn's right. Meredythe won't leave here without you. She'll come back.

Methuselah remained seated. Lifting a paw, he licked it twice, then began to groom his face. That stupid wolf had no idea how angry Meredythe could get. His plans for the evening just might not develop the way he expected.

Methuselah began to purr as he pictured the anger Meredythe would let loose on Bleddyn. Tonight would be very interesting.

Rising, he minced delicately across the room. Numerous mouse nests were scattered about the mansion's unoccupied rooms. The center of the wolf's bed would be the perfect place for the bodies.

"Hey, Bowers, are you ever going home?"

Jon straightened away from the microscope, pulled off his gla.s.ses, scrunched his eyes closed and pinched the top of his nose. After blinking, he rolled his neck and shoulders.

"I just want to finish this report."

Kim chuckled. "Trying to make some points with the boss, huh?"

Jon simply grinned.

Kim grinned back. "We busted our a.s.ses on this city alderman's case from the beginning and the work paid off. It's solved. Go home and rest. Better yet, give Meredythe a call and go out on the town. Celebrate. Thanks to us, there's another murderer behind bars."

Jon turned back toward his microscope. "She's not back yet."

Kim shrugged out of his lab coat. "What was that you mumbled?"