A howl exploded through the yard. Clary peered through the front window as the metal barn doors slammed open and a gigantic black wolf barreled out with bared fangs and brightly glowing eyes.
Metal crashed behind the house, and she and Rose jumped. Clary whipped the curtain open over the couch and watched a line of sculptures fall like dominoes. A massive body fled into the open desert with a speed she’d never witnessed. The black wolf she now assumed was Sam rounded the house and pursued the red-eyed monster. That was its official name right now since she didn’t have a fucking clue what it was. Long legs ate up the ground, and Sam’s growls followed in his wake.
Clary whispered under her breath, “Please be careful.”
Rose patted her shoulder with a quick touch. “He’s strong, Clary. Don’t worry.”
She watched his wolf melt into the horizon of the high desert. Her heart squeezed in her chest. It’d been years since she’d worried about anyone and the pain of it hurt too much. She didn’t want to worry about Sam.
“What was that thing? How come it didn’t break down the door?” Clary asked. She flopped on the couch and ran a hand through her hair, not sure what to do and too numb to think coherently.
“I should wait for Sam. He needs to be here…” The refrigerator clicked closed as Rose walked from the kitchen holding two bottles.
Rose handed her a beer, and she slugged down half before she took a breath. “I know you’re holding out on me,” Clary said, picking at the label on the bottle. Worrying. She gave Rose a hard look. “Spill it.”
“My nephew is complex,” Rose evaded, her expression unreadable. “He holds things close to his chest and doesn’t share his emotions.”
Clary snorted, draining her beer. ‘Could’ve fooled me.’
Rose glared at her. “Sex doesn’t count, little girl. Wolf's brains are hard-wired to mate. That isn’t emotional; it’s instinct. This is personal.”
She mumbled, “Sorry.”
Rose tapped her knee. “He’s back.”
“Thank God.”
The door flew open, and Sam stood in the entry in all his naked glory. His chest heaved with exertion and sweat dripped down his chiseled form. A line through the dust formed with a drop headed south and Clary could only stare as it moved at a leisurely pace toward his…‘Oh my.’
“I’ll leave you two lovebirds alone. I’ll be in the barn.” Rose slid around Sam and pushed him into the house. She slammed the door then yelled, “Where I can’t hear you.”
Golden eyes burned with a feral heat, and they zeroed in on her. “Clary.”
His guttural voice slammed into her chest, and she gasped with the pain it held. “I’m okay. A bit concerned since I’ve never seen something like it before, but I’m okay.”
He pounced and hefted her into his arms. Her slippers fell and thumped on the table as he wrapped her legs around his torso and dove into her neck. His body hummed with restrained anger, his power swirling in a chaotic mixture of possession, want, and anxiety. Every cell in her body acted like a magnet, drawn to what he offered. She wrapped her arms around his neck and hugged him tightly. ‘I was worried.’
His voice whispered through her mind. ‘I know, baby. I felt it.’
He turned and headed to the guest room. Her chest ached with the unknown. She shouldn’t care. It meant an emotional tie. Emotions hurt. They hurt her the most. She’d lost someone, someone that mattered to her and it’d broken her, made her not want to open up to anyone ever again. She jolted with her next thought. ‘Sam makes me feel whole again.’
Her back dipped into the feather comforter, and Sam followed. His body fit in the notches of her hips and pressed her farther into the bed. “Hey.” He swiped away a stray tear and leaned in to kiss the corner of her eye. “We all have a past.”
She closed her eyes and gulped in a breath as heat roared through her cells. “Like you, I’m having a hard time separating my past from the present. It’s not easy for me. This thing between us—I had something close to it once and lost it. I don’t want to get hurt again.”
“Have a little faith, Clary.” He nipped and licked her neck, then ground his hips against hers. “And trust me…”
A long sigh left her aching chest, and she nodded—slowly. “Okay…” He tapped her nose. She opened her eyes to the elated smile on his face and knew she’d made the right decision.
‘Time to let the past go. Time to let the demons go.’