An Undying Love by Janet MacDonald

part.
    “I can’t do that,
Beth. There’s no time.”
    “Then she’ll be
lost to you and never be truly yours, no matter how much you try to force her
to be.”
    Dante made his
way back toward his cabin, his thoughts consumed with the deed he may have to
do. He didn’t even feel the coldness of the rain pelting him. He was numb
inside, lost as to how he could make Anya love him before tomorrow night. It
was impossible, he knew that, but a part of him still clung to the bleak hope
it could happen.
    After Memphis
told him everything had been quiet and that Anya was asleep, Dante decided it
was also something he needed. He stepped into his room and saw the oil lamp
burning softly on the dresser. The light showed the sleeping woman in his bed.
The longing in him grew stronger as he breathed in her heady scent. Now he
wished he had a spare bed.
    After stripping
down, he gingerly crawled in beside her. He tried not to wake her as he
unraveled her from the bedding and took one of the pillows for himself. She wore
one of his shirts, and a smile crept over his lips at the sight. This was how
every night should be, he thought. Always sharing a bed with her and being his
mate. Maybe someday that wish would come true, he prayed.
    He curled up as
close as he dared and smelled her heat. It would make it harder to control himself.
Dante closed his eyes and tried to dwell on other things. The coming winter,
the harvest, anything to keep his mind from painting images of him and Anya in
the throes of ecstasy. Eventually sleep stole him away.
    Anya’s fitful
sounds woke Dante up. The lamp cast more than enough light for him to see by
and he watched the woman beside him murmur softly. He saw the heat rising off
of her body. The ability to see wavy heat patterns of living things was a
benefit to their kind, and he could tell she was throwing off a lot of heat
right now. She’d tossed the bedding away, exposing most of her to him. The soft
mound of her pelvis and the sexy curves of her hips were completely uncovered.
    He was going to
turn his head and look away, but a moan passed her lips. Dante smelled her
intoxicatingly delicious fragrance, and she suddenly arched her back. The shirt
rose just enough to expose part of her breast. He grew more aroused at the
thought of sinking into her silky depths, and as if she knew what he was
thinking, she shuddered again. He knew what kind of dream she was having as the
heavenly musk of her body wafted toward him as she moaned a name he couldn’t
quite make out. He wanted to touch her badly as he watched her twist about. She
had to be climaxing in her sleep. Never before had he watched a girl have a wet
dream. The image gave him all kinds of ideas. His self-control waned as the
beast’s need to have her began to overrule his human nature to not just ravage
her. Then she suddenly stopped moving and her breathing changed. She was awake.
     
    * * * *
     
    Memphis and his
girlfriend were in the other room talking quietly, too quietly, for Anya to
overhear what they were saying. She couldn’t help it. She was not only curious
but a bit nosey as well. She heard the girl giggle softly and thought how sweet
it was for Memphis to have someone. The young couple had her feeling the loneliness
she’d felt for most of her adult life. The years of looking at others and being
without a mate and never truly believing she would ever find hers. Now she knew
she may never, but the wolf within her had. It’d made its mind up about Dante,
it seemed. Although she truly was happy for Memphis, she also was jealous of
the lovebirds.
    When Memphis
came in and found her trying to leave, he’d apologetically told her to go back
to the bedroom. The guy was too sweet to be mean, but even so he would go get
Dante if she pushed her luck. So she did as he asked and went back inside the
bedroom. The place was comfortable, and she hated to admit that to herself,
hated that she felt at home in the enemy’s residence.
    She had no