“Call the others in,” Cyrus told Zach. “The perimeter alarms are in place and we’ll set up a rotation for tonight, but I think we’re good for now.” He glanced at the microwave clock. “I don’t know about the rest of you, but I’m starving.”

  They’d missed lunch and the afternoon was waning. A lot had happened since he’d awoken with Kinley in his arms this morning.

  “I don’t know what to do.” She sounded lost, totally unlike the take-charge attitude she wore like a shield. It was the first crack in the facade of her control, exposing a hint of fragility that struck him like a blow.

  God, he wanted to take her away somewhere safe until this was over, but she’d never agree. It wasn’t what she needed either. As much as he might not like it, the fight was as much hers as it was his. More so.

  “You’re still recovering from your week on the run.” The reminder was more for his brothers than her. Kinley had been rundown when they’d met and wasn’t anywhere near full strength. There’d been no time. Events were unfolding fast. “You could take a nap.”

  The scathing glare she sent him had him hiding a smile. The warrior was back. “Or I could help in the kitchen.” She narrowed her gaze. “Listen in and have input on any plans being made.”

  Eli chuckled. Zach grinned. Hell, even the corners of Cyrus’s mouth twitched. No way was she going to allow him, or any of them, to keep her out of the thick of things. Kinley Wright was one hell of a woman. The more he got to know her the more he was attracted to her. “You cook?”

  She caught the hopeful note in his voice and smiled. “Yes, I can cook. I worked in the pack kitchen, helping prepare enough food to feed dozens at a time.”

  “Dozens.” Eli patted his stomach. “Maybe you might be able to make enough to feed us.”

  Her laugh went through him like a caress. He wanted to rub against her, mark her with his scent to warn away other males. Talk about primitive. From the start, she’d aroused both sides of him—human and wolf—in a way no other woman ever had.

  She tossed her tangle of auburn hair over her shoulder and shot him a sassy smile. “If you’re lucky maybe I will.”

  Every muscle in his body clenched at the teasing comeback. Getting lucky with her was foremost on his mind. His control had never been this close to snapping. Don’t push her. The reminder shouldn’t have been necessary, but it was easy to forget what she’d been through and what was left to deal with when her eyes glittered with a mischief that invited him to play.

  His life had been all work and discipline for as far back as he could remember, but there’d been a time when he and his brothers had romped and played in the mountains while their daddy laughed and Mama had urged them to be careful. Kinley reminded him of those times, made him want them again. First, they had to get rid of the menace that threatened their peace and her safety.

  Her smile slowly faded. Her throat rippled when she swallowed. The neckline of the oversized shirt she wore dipped in the front, exposing a semicircle of smooth skin that begged to be tasted.

  Josiah walked in with Levi behind him and announced, “Silas just pulled in.” He scanned them for injuries, subtly relaxing when he didn’t find any, but he did frown at the dark stains on Eli’s clothing.

  Where the heck had Silas been? He’d assumed his younger brother was somewhere out on the mountain. Noah silently slipped in the back door.

  Seconds later, the front door slammed open. Carrying two large bags, Silas joined them. “I got the alert, but was in Jackson. What happened while I was gone?”

  Cyrus sat back and cocked his brows, waiting for Eli to take the lead. It was yet another reminder to keep his attention on the task at hand. “We had an uninvited visitor,” he told him before addressing the rest. “There’ve been a few developments.” They needed to know about the execution and impending attack.

  “While you’re filling us in, Kinley can check out the stuff I got.” She looked to him for clarification, but he shrugged. He had no idea what Silas was talking about. “I ran to the Walmart in Jackson. Left right after breakfast. Had to guess the sizes, but Levi helped with that.”

  Levi grinned and gave a mock salute. “Glad to use my expertise to help.”

  Silas brought the bags over to her when she didn’t go to him. “It’s some basics—underwear, leggings, tops, socks. It will hold you over until you can shop for yourself. And Levi insisted you needed your own brush and soap that doesn’t, and I quote, ‘smell like a guy.’”

  When she didn’t take the bags, Eli did. “Thanks.” He hadn’t even had to ask them. As always, his brothers rallied to do what was necessary, but this went above and beyond.

  “Kinley?” Her silence was worrying him.

  Her bottom lip quivered. “I’m sorry.” She fled up the stairs. A door slammed shut.

  Silas looked stricken. “I didn’t mean to upset her.”

  “It’s nothing you did. It’s everything else that’s happened. Cyrus will fill you all in.” Bags in hand, he headed up the stairs.

  Chapter Thirteen

  Kinley curled up on her side with her face buried in Eli’s pillow. His scent offered solace, but it wasn’t the same as having his arms around her.

  They’d bought her clothes and her own brush and special soap. They’d not only thought to do it but had gone out of their way. She had no idea where the nearest store was, but it had to be a half hour or more one way.

  Their home—their lives—were being threatened, yet they’d done that for her. It was more than anyone in her pack had ever done. The simple kindness, so rare in her world, had accomplished the one thing all the threats and violence hadn’t—it broke her. The walls she’d built around her grief crumbled, leaving her scared and lost and alone.

  The bedroom door quietly opened and closed. She kept her face averted hoping Eli would get the hint and leave. The scrunching sound of shopping bags being set down was followed by silence. Then the mattress dipped beside her, and a big hand smoothed up and down her spine. She gripped the pillow to keep from taking the comfort within reach.

  In a shockingly short span of time, he had become a huge part of her life. The reality she’d lived for twenty-five years was fast becoming a distant memory. Eli dominated the here and now.

  She sniffed back tears, hating that she’d shown weakness in front of him and his brothers. “I don’t know what happened.”

  “I think you do.” He continued to rub her back, consoling her with his touch. Fur rippled under her skin, her wolf wanting to reach out to him. “Cut yourself some slack. You’ve been dealt one blow after another since your daddy died. You haven’t had time to grieve. I guarantee you no one downstairs thinks less of you.”

  That he’d unerringly zoned in on her fear sent butterflies flitting through her stomach. The man knew her almost as well as she knew herself. It was disconcerting, yet oddly reassuring. Wolves were pack animals by nature, and she’d been lacking that connection for a very long time. She hadn’t fully understood how isolated she’d become back in Alabama. She’d lived among them but had spent most of her time alone.

  Don’t start depending on it.

  The warning from her intellect battled with instinct that insisted she could make a place for herself here. That was presumptuous considering Eli hadn’t asked her to stay indefinitely, and he wasn’t the only one who had a say in the matter. Cyrus, for one, would surely object.

  Eli brushed several strands of hair away from her face and stroked the pad of his thumb over her cheek. “You should check out the clothes Silas picked out for you. There’s no telling what he bought.”

  The lump in her throat threatened to choke her. She managed to swallow but couldn’t stop a stray tear from falling.

  “Ah, sweetheart, you’ve had one hell of a time, haven’t you?” His understanding brought on a fresh rush of tears. She frantically tried to blink them back. As if sensing her need to pull it together, he snagged one of the bags. “How about we take a look?” He pulled out a package with six pairs of underwear, grunted, and tossed them on the bed.

  She gave a watery laugh and pushed upright. “Let me see.” She examined the package of all white panties. “I’m not sure if I should be grateful or concerned that he got the size right.”

  “You can thank Levi for that.”

  She didn’t want to know how he was able to accurately measure women for clothing by sight alone. Eli had said he was a ladies’ man, but this took it to a whole other level. “I’ll take a hard pass on that.”

  “Probably for the best.” Eli flashed a grin that lightened the darkness lurking in his eyes. He had to be regretting he hadn’t run hard and fast the first night they’d met.

  “I’ve been nothing but trouble.”

  He dropped the garment he was holding on the mattress beside her and cupped her face with both hands. “You’re trouble with a capital T, but I wouldn’t have you any other way. You’re a gift. One I don’t deserve, but I’m going to do my best to see that I do.”

  That fast the butterflies in her stomach were back. “What do you mean?” It was too soon to be thinking about more than survival, wasn’t it?

  Ignoring her question, he released her and held up a pair of leggings. “Purple with white unicorns. Seriously? He couldn’t find a more colorful pair if he’d tried. That’s no good for sneaking around the woods.”

  She tugged the garment out of his hands and tossed it back in the bag. “Talk to me.”

  His hands were fisted in his lap. “I promised myself I wasn’t going to pressure you or rush you, but I can’t seem to help myself. It’s no secret I want you.”

  Her breath caught in her chest. Her wolf went still inside her.

  A downward glance at his lap revealed the outline of his arousal. “You’re a healthy, single man and I’m a single woman. We’ve been through a lot together. It’s natural.”

  “Stop it.” He dragged his fingers through his hair. The fabric of his t-shirt stretched over his torso, delineating every ripped muscle. The five o’clock shadow on his jaw added an edge of danger to his already handsome dark appearance. “Stop trying to reduce what I feel to nothing more than physical attraction. It’s more than that.”

  It’s what she both longed for, yet feared. “I don’t know what to say.”

  He huffed out a breath. “You don’t have to say or do anything.” His expression closed up, proving she’d hurt him. That she had the power to do so was startling.

  “I want you,” she blurted. “And it’s not just physical. God.” She tipped her head back and stared at the ceiling. “I can’t believe I’m saying this. You stir things inside me I never knew existed. It’s exciting and scary. I don’t want either of us getting hurt.” It was far too late for her. Her heart was already in jeopardy.

  A low rumbling sound vibrated around her. It wasn’t a growl exactly, but it was primal. And it was coming from Eli. Her heart pounded when he leaned forward. When she licked her lips, he groaned. “So damn sweet.” He swooped in and took her mouth.

  They’d been dancing around the attraction between them from the start. She was done fighting it or pretending it was only because of proximity. All Eli’s brothers were handsome male wolves, yet not one of them set her blood pumping. Eli was special. Her heart knew it. Her wolf knew it. She knew it.

  Threading her fingers through his thick hair, she returned the kiss. Passion stole her breath as their tongues tangled. Desperation fueled the need pulsing deep within her. Life was uncertain, death all too common. She shuddered when she thought of Ridge. He hadn’t started the day thinking he’d be dead before it was done. Neither had her daddy.

  What am I waiting for?

  There’d never be a perfect time for her and Eli. There were no guarantees she’d be alive this time tomorrow night. There was only now.

  Eli left a line of biting little kisses along her jawline and up to her ear. His breath was hot on her skin as he nibbled the lobe. A bolt of pleasure shot straight to her core. Her breasts grew heavy, her nipples puckering into hard buds.

  She fisted his shirt and dragged it up, needing to touch him. He reached over his shoulder, grabbed a handful of fabric, and ripped the garment over his head. She sucked in a breath, admiring the sheer perfection of his sculpted torso. It wasn’t the first time she’d seen him shirtless, but that didn’t lessen the impact.

  When she hesitated, he took one of her hands and pressed it against his skin. The heat pouring off him was incredible. It lured her closer. She’d been cold for what seemed like forever.

  Using her forefinger, she traced the outline of one well-defined pec and then the other before trailing over rock-hard abs. This big, rugged, dominant male wanted her, but he was simply sitting there letting her do whatever she wanted. A sense of feminine power welled up within her. She slid her hand lower and closed it around the thick bulge in the front of his jeans. His erection pulsed against her palm. If she’d been wearing panties, they’d be damp. As it was, she was keenly aware of being naked beneath one of his shirts and her jeans.

  A growl of pleasure rumbled through him. “We need to stop.”

  Her fingers closed reflexively around his erection. “I don’t want to.”

  He nuzzled her neck before nipping at the delicate skin at the base of her throat. It was the spot where the mating mark traditionally went. It sent a blast of desire arrowing straight through her.

  “I can smell your desire. Do you have any idea how hot that is?”

  She should be embarrassed but was too aroused to care.

  “I don’t want our first time to be rushed, and I can guarantee one of my brothers is going to pound on that door if we’re not downstairs in a half hour or less. That’s not nearly enough time to do what I want with you.” He dragged his tongue along the V-shaped opening at the top of the shirt. The hard tips of her nipples were outlined against the fabric.

  “I like your brothers, but right now I wish they were anywhere but here.” Sex had never been a priority. Like most healthy wolves, she’d experimented when she came of age, but she’d been smart enough to do so outside her pack, instinctively knowing it would cause problems if she didn’t. Her experience had been exclusively with regular human males. It had been pleasant enough but nowhere near the intensity of what Eli stirred within her, and he’d barely touched her.

  His groan turned into a chuckle. “I agree, but they are here, and they won’t leave us alone for long.”

  “Then we need to stop.” She couldn’t make herself pull away, wanted him too badly.

  “There’s not enough time to do everything I want, but...”

  When he didn’t continue, she tugged on his hair and wasn’t gentle about it. “Don’t make me hurt you. I’m a desperate woman.” Her body was alive in a way it had never been, demanding attention. In the blink of an eye, she was flat on her back with him looming over her. That was something else a human male couldn’t do—move with werewolf speed.

  “Let me touch you.”

  If she allowed this, it would change something fundamental between them, but she gave the only answer she could. “Yes.”

  ****

  He was out of his mind for even contemplating what he was about to do. It had been one hell of an emotional day for Kinley. She’d done her best to hide her tears, but he’d seen them, smelled her sadness. While the last thing he wanted was for her to have regrets, he understood her need for a diversion. And he was it.

  Independence and strength had been bred into his bones, along with love and loyalty for family. This driving need to touch, to comfort, to physically claim this particular woman went beyond rational thought. He needed her in a way he couldn’t articulate. Or maybe wouldn’t was a better word.

  There wasn’t much he wasn’t willing to do for her. That someone had that kind of power over him should have infuriated him. Instead, it felt ... right.

  He wouldn’t make love to her until he was certain it was what she truly wanted and wasn’t simply a reaction to her situation. That didn’t mean he wouldn’t touch her. He was far from being a saint, was after all a Sin. The cravings roaring through him demanded to be satisfied. There were things he could do that would give them both a reprieve from the never-ending need pounding in his veins.

  His dick was rock hard, the jeans he wore constricting. He didn’t dare take them off. His intentions were good, but it wouldn’t take much to shove him over the edge.

  The slight trembling in his fingers shocked him. Icy control was as innate as his black eyes, but around her it dissolved like frost in the morning sun. His breath caught in his throat as he lifted the shirt she wore, exposing the outline of her ribs. She was far too slender, a reminder of the hardship she’d been forced to endure. While she wasn’t in danger of falling ill, thanks to her genetics, she wasn’t as healthy as she should be.

  Her stomach was smooth and unblemished. He dragged his tongue over it, tasting the faint saltiness of her skin. The sweet and spicy scent of her arousal seeped into his awareness, making his head spin. Whatever her concerns might be, she truly wanted him.

  “Eli.” At her breathy sigh, his cock jerked. If he wasn’t careful, he was going to come in his pants. Kinley possessed a natural sensuality that was both intoxicating and enticing. That she was single astonished him. Mine. He ignored the whispered certainty in the back of his brain, refusing to even entertain the idea. Not until Kinley had a real choice. And that wouldn’t happen until she was free from all threats.

  As much as he wanted to take his time, he hadn’t been kidding about one of his brothers pounding on the door. Every second was precious. He shoved the shirt up enough to expose her breasts, firm mounds tipped with rosy nipples that beckoned.

  Groaning, he dragged his tongue over one taut bud. The slight catch of her breath, the way she arched upward seeking more of his touch, heated his blood. Attuned to her slightest reaction, he captured the nipple and sucked. Her fingernails dug into his bare shoulders. His name slipped from her lips.

  An unquenchable fire built inside him. He wanted her naked, wanted hours—no, days—to explore every inch of her. Maybe then the fever in his blood would abate. Maybe. He wasn’t sure it ever would now that it had been ignited.