Wolf’s Heart by Ruelle Channing, Cam Cassidy Page B

good than milk ever could. She felt the sculpted muscles underneath his shirt. Strong arms not only held her in place but held her together, somehow transferring his strength through just his touch. He had a close-cut beard now that gave him a more rugged look.
    Then there were his eyes that seemed to change from a gun metal grey to a crystal blue depending on his mood, and she wanted to drown in their warmth.  When Ryden looked at her it felt as if he could see clear through to her soul. At one point, she was sure the drugs had gotten to her as she saw his eyes flash a golden hue. She looked away, and when she looked back, they were a warm, crystal blue again.
    “Now that we’re alone, you’re going to tell me the rest of the story. No more of the bullshit, no holding things back like you did at Cal’s last night.”
    Carlee knew Ryden well enough that he wouldn’t stop until he got the answers. There was no sense in delaying it. “How stupid was I? I thought he genuinely liked me. Not that it was a live-happily-ever-after kinda thing. It was just, well, I thought that someone finally gave a shit if I came home,” she said on a sob. She cried as Ryden silently stroked her hair, his fingers threading through the tangled mop while she soaked his shirt with her tears. There was a slight tensing of his arms around her. “Just take a deep breath and tell me what you’re talking about Carlee.”
    “I wasn’t mugged. I was beaten up by the guy I was seeing and some friend of his. He…he said if I told anyone, he would hurt you or Kyle. I couldn’t tell anyone what happened. He works for the Bureau, Ryden. He has connections. If something happened to either of you I don’t think I could live with that.”
    She cried for what seemed like hours before the tears finally dried up. When they finally did, she resolved she would bury the hurt and lock it away. Ryden shifted her in his arms, forcing her to look up into his eyes as he spoke. “Listen to me Carlee, there will be no secrets between us. You will tell me everything. Nothing is going to happen to me. Your father will keep your brother hidden as he always has. I swear that bastard will never touch you again.”  
    She needed answers. Snuggling her head against his chest, she hated to admit how good it felt just to be held in his arms, how much she needed it, how much she missed him since he’d left her. But, she couldn’t let herself to go there. Allowing herself to be comfortable in Ryden’s arms would be a mistake.
    “You have some explaining to do yourself. You can start with how you found me, then how you managed to jump onto a second floor balcony. I mean, I hear of people doing some pretty crazy shit on an adrenaline rush, but if you’re doing steroids, dude, the last thing I need now is ‘roid rage kicking in. The last week has seriously sucked.”
    She could feel Ryden tense as he held her and let her talk, brushing the tears away with the pads of his thumb. She couldn’t explain why, but she felt safe and protected in his arms.
    He met her eyes, and she knew he saw the fear there. She hated the sound of fear and uncertainty she heard in her own voice. It was a weak, soft, contrast to her normal bubbling way. She could feel the strong, steady beat of his heart and the rise and fall of his chest as he breathed. She searched his face for answers, hoping he would tell her the truth, come clean with whatever was going on. The changes in him were there, things she’d seen and couldn’t explain. Something was very different about him.
    “Hmm, how did I jump to a second floor balcony? Would you believe there were steps, and I just walked right up?” She just looked at him like he had to be joking. “Oh, right, no steps. Okay, a rope...yeah, that’s it, I climbed a rope.” She wasn’t buying any of it; she was too smart for the bullshit Ryden was slinging her way.
    ”Well, shit, Buttercup. Just be glad I got up there and got you back down again. No