Memphis
yelled. He sounded out of breath.
“I told you to
get out,” he roared back over his shoulder.
“They’re here.
She’s here. Cora’s here,” he exclaimed.
Looking down at Anya,
he slowly let go of her arms and rose off her. Part of him was elated his
sister had returned. However, as he looked at Anya, his heart broke with what
he now had to do. It didn’t matter the outcome, either way he’d lost someone he
loved.
* * * *
They rode on
Dante’s horse toward the dock. He said nothing as he held her close. The heat from
his chest against her back felt nice in the coolness of the fall evening air.
Something had changed between them. She liked the feeling of his touch, the
warmth of his body and the sound of his voice. The closer they got to the dock,
the more Anya knew she would miss him.
Both her
brothers and Cora stood by one of the Silverback’s larger boats. Its lights
shone brightly over everyone, and she saw how nervous her twin was as well as
his mate. A look of anger and rage was more than clear in Mitch’s eyes as Dante
pulled his horse to a stop twenty feet away.
Dante got down,
and then helped her off. She turned and looked over the rest of the pack who
gathered to welcome Cora home. Instantly, she wished she could stay. The need
to be there was intense, and she wasn’t sure how to tell her brother she didn’t
want to go home.
“You’re late.”
Dante snarled.
“We ran into a
storm on our way back and it took us longer to get here.”
The sound in Mitch’s
voice she knew all too well. He was barely containing the beast within him. If
she didn’t go he would lose it. Someone would get hurt or killed, and that was
not something she could live with. She kept her words within herself, not
saying how she felt.
“Cora, your mate
is welcome into this pack. I’ll foster him,” Dante said, and Cora’s face lit up
with relief.
“All right, you
have your sister, now let mine go,” Mitch snapped.
“Anya,” Dante
whispered. She turned and looked at him.
Dante stared at
her. He reached out and tilted her face up to him more. She didn’t have time to
think or speak as his mouth sealed over hers, and he kissed her long and hard. The
kiss set her soul ablaze. She swooned, and her heart fluttered.
“Let go of my
sister.” Mitch growled.
He pulled his
mouth from hers, then stepped back. Dante slipped the braid from his wrist and
placed it into her hand. “Take her to her brother,” he said in a near whisper,
and as Memphis pulled her away she knew. Dante was him. He was the one. Tightly
clutching her braid, she knew she’d found him.
“No,” she
whispered as she was handed off to Mitch while Cora and Alex stepped forward.
As they boarded
the boat, Anya stared after the small group on the wharf as they faded off into
the darkness. Dante stopped before he was completely out of sight and turned
and looked at her. Her heart shattered at that moment as she saw the loss in
his eyes.
As their vessel headed
farther away she continued to stare back at the island. She’d been a fool.
“Did he hurt
you? Are you all right?” Mitch asked. She turned to look at him as tears rolled
from her eyes.
“I—” Her words
couldn’t come. How was she to tell Mitch she was in love with the man who’d
held her captive. Who’d held her for the ransom of his sister’s return. Mitch
cradled her in his arms, holding her tightly.
“Shh, it’s over
now, you’re safe,” Mitch cooed. It only made it worse, and she cried like a
baby.
It wasn’t all right,
though, and there was no way she would ever be all right again. She silently sat
there the whole trip back. Even on the drive to her home, she was silent. Anya,
for the life of her, did not know what to say. Mitch kept trying to make sure
she was unharmed. All she could do was nod when he asked if she was okay.
Chapter Ten
As soon as he
saw Cora’s mate, Dante had a hunch of just why Anya had been so closed-mouthed
about
yelled. He sounded out of breath.
“I told you to
get out,” he roared back over his shoulder.
“They’re here.
She’s here. Cora’s here,” he exclaimed.
Looking down at Anya,
he slowly let go of her arms and rose off her. Part of him was elated his
sister had returned. However, as he looked at Anya, his heart broke with what
he now had to do. It didn’t matter the outcome, either way he’d lost someone he
loved.
* * * *
They rode on
Dante’s horse toward the dock. He said nothing as he held her close. The heat from
his chest against her back felt nice in the coolness of the fall evening air.
Something had changed between them. She liked the feeling of his touch, the
warmth of his body and the sound of his voice. The closer they got to the dock,
the more Anya knew she would miss him.
Both her
brothers and Cora stood by one of the Silverback’s larger boats. Its lights
shone brightly over everyone, and she saw how nervous her twin was as well as
his mate. A look of anger and rage was more than clear in Mitch’s eyes as Dante
pulled his horse to a stop twenty feet away.
Dante got down,
and then helped her off. She turned and looked over the rest of the pack who
gathered to welcome Cora home. Instantly, she wished she could stay. The need
to be there was intense, and she wasn’t sure how to tell her brother she didn’t
want to go home.
“You’re late.”
Dante snarled.
“We ran into a
storm on our way back and it took us longer to get here.”
The sound in Mitch’s
voice she knew all too well. He was barely containing the beast within him. If
she didn’t go he would lose it. Someone would get hurt or killed, and that was
not something she could live with. She kept her words within herself, not
saying how she felt.
“Cora, your mate
is welcome into this pack. I’ll foster him,” Dante said, and Cora’s face lit up
with relief.
“All right, you
have your sister, now let mine go,” Mitch snapped.
“Anya,” Dante
whispered. She turned and looked at him.
Dante stared at
her. He reached out and tilted her face up to him more. She didn’t have time to
think or speak as his mouth sealed over hers, and he kissed her long and hard. The
kiss set her soul ablaze. She swooned, and her heart fluttered.
“Let go of my
sister.” Mitch growled.
He pulled his
mouth from hers, then stepped back. Dante slipped the braid from his wrist and
placed it into her hand. “Take her to her brother,” he said in a near whisper,
and as Memphis pulled her away she knew. Dante was him. He was the one. Tightly
clutching her braid, she knew she’d found him.
“No,” she
whispered as she was handed off to Mitch while Cora and Alex stepped forward.
As they boarded
the boat, Anya stared after the small group on the wharf as they faded off into
the darkness. Dante stopped before he was completely out of sight and turned
and looked at her. Her heart shattered at that moment as she saw the loss in
his eyes.
As their vessel headed
farther away she continued to stare back at the island. She’d been a fool.
“Did he hurt
you? Are you all right?” Mitch asked. She turned to look at him as tears rolled
from her eyes.
“I—” Her words
couldn’t come. How was she to tell Mitch she was in love with the man who’d
held her captive. Who’d held her for the ransom of his sister’s return. Mitch
cradled her in his arms, holding her tightly.
“Shh, it’s over
now, you’re safe,” Mitch cooed. It only made it worse, and she cried like a
baby.
It wasn’t all right,
though, and there was no way she would ever be all right again. She silently sat
there the whole trip back. Even on the drive to her home, she was silent. Anya,
for the life of her, did not know what to say. Mitch kept trying to make sure
she was unharmed. All she could do was nod when he asked if she was okay.
Chapter Ten
As soon as he
saw Cora’s mate, Dante had a hunch of just why Anya had been so closed-mouthed
about
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