Rain (Stranger in the Woods Book 1) Read online

  Gunner breaks. He really breaks.

  My arms go around his neck, desperately pulling him to me, wanting to shield him from pain he can’t avoid. His shoulders shake through heart-wrenching tears. I instinctively know this isn’t just about his aunt. This is exhaustion from it all. I might not know much about relationships, but I do know heartache with the loss of loved ones.

  The heart in my chest, the one Gunner always keeps safe, constricts with pain for his pain. I would give almost anything to ease his agony. I tighten my hold and kiss him anywhere my lips can reach, his hair, his face, his lips… His tired eyes search mine. “Gunner, will you stay with me tonight?”

  He doesn’t move. “I have slept with you, in your bed, so many times. Why does it feel… different now?”

  I hesitate. “Because we are different now.”

  Slowly, I take his hand and walk him up the stairs. His shoulders are not rolled back and proud like normal. They cave forward. His head hangs. Gunner is utterly drained. In my room, he stares at my bed like he doesn’t know what to do next.

  Facing him, I pull his T-shirt over his head. Gunner stares at me as I unbuckle his jeans and strip him down to his boxers. Then I turn away to get ready for bed. Growing up skinny-dipping with Gunner Hayes has made it so I’m not shy to undress in front of him. He’s never stared or gawked, but as he stands there waiting for me, I feel his eyes on my back for the first time. “You’re beautiful.”

  I reach for a T-shirt.

  “Please don’t. Rose… I need you… close to me.”

  Gunner is always so strong, so dependable. Him sounding lost is an unknown for me, and I want him to feel… found. I glance down at my naked breasts. I’m only in panties. I can’t help wondering what my body can bring him, why he wants it. I mean, I’m not stupid. I understand the concept of sex, but his aunt just died. So why is my nakedness something he desires at this moment? I guess it doesn’t really matter. This young man has done nothing but give. If an embrace from me is what is needed, it is his.

  I release my shirt. It falls to the floor. I slowly turn to face Gunner.

  His eyes follow the contours of my body, causing unexpected, delightful chills to dance inside me. My nipples perk, and my chest heaves as I allow myself some self-indulgence, something that is just mine, personal time between a young man and woman. I stand before my best friend, letting his eyes explore, something I have never allowed. Gunner slowly walks to me. “Can I hold you?”

  I want to know what it feels like to be touched like this. I want to know what it feels like to be held by a man when he is seeing more than a friend. I want to know what it is like to be the one to give—the one with the power to bring comfort to a loved one. I want to nurture my friend. “Of course you can.” I reach out for him. “I love you, Gunner.”

  His eyes well up again. “I love you, too, Rose.”

  Gunner’s broken heart pleads, and once I have him close, he melts to me. He is the bigger and stronger of the two of us, but I am the one holding him up, being his strength for a change. One does not usually admire a moment of weakness, but I find beauty in Gunner’s exposed side. Seeing him raw, I feel closer to him than ever before.

  My lips find his for a timid kiss, a kiss of comfort. His eyes close as the kiss naturally builds. I don’t close mine. I want to see how I affect him. As I open my mouth to sample his tongue, Gunner’s face winces, and he whimpers. I’m starting to suspect that he doesn’t want this until his hands pull hard on my back. I’m flush up against him and feel his penis hardening.

  Our second real kiss finds the rhythm lovers need to move forward. Desire builds. Gunner is fully erect now, and my body trembles. I suppose I need relief too.

  Two lost souls search for any peace that is possible.

  Chest heaving, Gunner stops kissing me and searches my eyes as I slowly pull down his boxers. There’s an odd moment seeing him completely naked. Gunner is no longer a child. I can’t help seeing him for the man he has been for some time. He was always just Gunner. Now he is a large, unclothed form with longing desires. His fingers pull my panties down.

  Scared, naked bodies come together on my bed as we shake away fear and wishes. On top of me, lying between my thighs, Gunner’s asks for permission with his eyes. I’m trembling, not from the cold air on my naked skin but with the knowledge that I’m not turning back. My hands grasp his face. I look deep into his eyes. “I think I need this. I feel I need this.”

  “I don’t want to stop, but I will.”

  My strong kiss silences him and feeds his hunger. His hips move forward—nudging—but my opening resists him. On TV, it looked so romantic. I didn’t know a vagina could refuse to cooperate. He stops. “Rose, I can’t stand the idea of hurting you.”

  “Try again.”

  He tentatively surges forward but is not willing to push past a reluctant barrier. To help him past unneeded guilt, I reach around, grab his butt, and pull him to me. Gunner hisses as his erection pushes a little inside me. The pain is more than I expected. Wincing, I stop pulling him deeper. Gunner tries to retreat. “Maybe we shouldn’t do this.”

  Stubbornly, I pull a little on his hips. His face falls to my neck as he pants. He seems so torn between his need to be inside me and his need to care for me.

  “I’m sorry.”

  His voice is muffled. “Don’t you dare apologize for me causing you pain.”

  “Gunner, look at me.” He does. I nervously smile. “I don’t know what I’m doing, and I want this. With you. You’ve got to take charge. I know you’ve had sex before, and I’m starting to suspect you’re above average size?”

  He shamefully looks away.

  “Aren’t you supposed to be proud of this fact?”

  “Not with you, no—not with you, Rose.”

  This is sweet of him, but it’s becoming awkward. So I kiss him, and I kiss him hard, trying to spur the romance or desire needed to complete what we have started. His tongue dives into my mouth as I tap into his pool of male hormones. His hips move of their own accord, gently rocking inside me, a little deeper each time. And then, through burning and stinging, he’s finally all the way inside. Still moving with his slow strokes, a tear slips from me. I hear in my mind, “Something lost… Something gained…”

  Gunner stills, wiping the runaway tear. “Are you alright?”

  “Yes… special moment. I think I’m thankful… for you, Gunner. For you.”

  Movements—sensations—in my core begin as his movements slowly resume. “I love you, Rose.” Him gliding in and out of me becomes pleasant as my body finally accepts his. I take a deep breath, relieved to know this is getting better. When I smile, Gunner relaxes, and then he makes love… love, to his very best friend.

  “Rosie? Can I sleep with you guys?” My eyes struggle to open and see it’s still dark outside. Gunner and I, still in our embrace, smile at her. We didn’t let each other go after sex except to dress in case Lulu comes in during the night, which proves to be a wise choice. Gunner reaches for Lulu. “Of course, baby.” He makes room. Louisa slips in between us, snuggles to us, and is out like a light.

  In the morning, Gunner is still asleep with Lulu and Wade—who also made his way into my bed—so I quietly go to check on Mama and go downstairs to cook breakfast. Fried eggs are sizzling when Gunner’s arm comes around my waist from behind. His face touches my neck. “I’ve never had a girl wear my T-shirt before.” His hand holds out a little box in front of me. “Happy birthday, Rose.”

  The spatula falls from my hand. He spins my body in his arms. “It’s my birthday?”

  Face to face, Gunner grins as if proud he remembered because there is no one else to. “Yep, the big Two O as of six o’ three this morning.” Gunner slips the little box between us again.

  I hesitantly reach for it. “Gunner, you shouldn’t have
spent—”

  “I didn’t. It was my mom’s.”

  My eyes, meeting his, tear up immediately. Inside the box, I find an upside-down triangle charm made out of some sort of aged metal, hanging from a weathered, dark leather necklace. “I wish I could have known her.”

  His big index finger touches the charm as if it were priceless. “Me too.”

  I close the box and hand it back. “I can’t. It’s too special.”

  “My dad and I want you to have it. We have another necklace of hers. Don’t worry.” Before I have a chance to argue again, Gunner puts it on me. “We won’t take it back, so don’t start with me.”

  “I guess you’re taking your father’s example to heart?” He chuckles, and it’s music to my ears. “Thank you. It is an honor to wear something from such an amazing woman.” His hands grab my face, his lips to my forehead. Gunner loved his mama with all his heart. “I will treasure this gift, Bubba.”

  “So will I.”

  Oh, he means me.

  Chapter Six

  Ryder

  Injuries to the heart are nothing I have ever felt before, not before Rose. I’ve never been Linked, never had the interest for it. Blaze knew who was his as soon as Morning Star hit a certain stage of maturity. Isolde had predicted the match, but only time would tell.

  Blaze had told me, “Something just snapped inside. After all these years of her being my friend, I knew she was the one.” Blaze also said he has never been the same since. Maybe that is why he keeps telling me I’ve changed. I know this is true for him. I watched Blaze change right before my eyes. Blaze adores the ground Morning Star walks on and would die for her in a second.

  Having to watch Rose embrace Gunner with such affection is gut wrenching, and I can’t leave to avoid it. Even if I had the strength to deny my pull to her and leave, I can’t. We don’t know the hour she was born. The Demons can only come out at night, so if Rose was born after midnight, they will be here. Therefore, I must endure this agony.

  I sense Parker nearby, and he skfens there is no sign of the Demons but that I’m to stay with Rose. Blood Demons are known to separate, distract, and attack. Art of war.

  Fate is cruel. There is no need for the gods to connect me to Rose like this. I would have guarded her with my life regardless. Now I am obsessive, possessive, and empty handed. Gunner holds the person I might have to die for.

  I’m so distracted entering her house, knowing what just took place between Rose and Gunner, that I forgot to give Sam his sleepy treat. Standing there, staring at Rose being held by another man is interrupted by a wet snout. To make my sadness even more depressing, I know the dog understands because he’s sitting still, looking at me. He’s not chasing me to play with him the way he does in the woods. The furry one, who always gives my location away, is now my only friend through this horrid moment.

  Sam leaving Louisa’s bed to greet me must have woken the little girl. I sneak out the window before Louisa sees me, and I have to listen to Gunner welcome Louisa like they’re a happy, little family. I have to listen to all their breathing and know, in the comforts of each other, they’ve all fallen back to sleep.

  Parker crosses the yard and approaches, waiting for me below. “All clear down here.”

  It is five a.m., and the sun will rise soon. The physical threat is ending while my emotional one is just beginning. I take a deep breath to survive what I’m trying to hide. I leap from her porch’s roof. “Yes, she must have been born during the day.”

  We head to the woods. “Tonight will be hell.”

  I speak out loud what my heart is telling me. “In more ways than one.”

  “Ryder, we won’t fail you. Never have I seen you like this.”

  Parker is our Warrior leader, but he and I are very close. If it weren’t for his dark skin and turquoise eyes, one would think he is my father. He practically raised me, and even with him in charge of my duties, at times like this, his fatherly side comes out.

  High alert.

  We have no other Guardians, so all other routes have been temporarily abandoned. Warriors are with me and heavily armed for Rose the Prophecy. All Guardian Warriors know that Rose and Gunner just solidified their relationship. As the mating began, it was an awkward “suddenly something is very interesting in the opposite direction” moment, and every male went deeper into the woods. I was thankful for the Guardians’ respect for her privacy. I, on the other hand, as her lead guard, was not permitted to leave. In the tree, I turned away, plugged my ears, and kept my senses open for Demons only.

  Parker grabs my shoulder. “Let’s go home to rest and prepare for tonight.”

  The sun slowly sets as if she is trying to give us more time to prepare. I am grateful as I sit in the tree. No one tries to take this spot from me because they don’t want me to come unglued. I observe my surroundings. The other Guardians are spread out since Rose is almost completely surrounded by woods—the Blood Demons’ favorite cover—just like it is ours. Tonight, the woods are eerily quiet. We hope it isn’t confirmation that the Blood Demons know what they’re coming for. If so, Rose’s death is necessary so their kind can continue to exist… Or so legend says.

  I stayed out of Rose’s room, not normal strategy, but we hope it will encourage the attack to get underway. We need to know what we are up against. We need to know if they know who Rose is. Suddenly, nature goes still, a telltale sign they will be here soon. Leaves crackling in the distance make me take notice. Parker skfens/reflects a warning, and then I feel everyone acknowledging him. Blaze, way off to my left, informs us he has three Blood Demons approaching.

  Parker has four…

  Hunter confirms five…

  Sage sees three…

  Chase has two…

  I see none. They are too far away—still too deep in the woods.

  Parker reflects another message. Last defense, Ryder…

  They won’t get through me…

  Sage skfens to us. This is way less than we expected… Doesn’t feel right…

  I agree… My instincts are beyond nervous with this battle to come.

  Parker gives out a command. Ryder, get to her room.

  My legs are out of the tree and moving me before I can reply. They all know no one has to order me twice. Running across her abandoned fields, I reply, I still see nothing around her house. I’m up and on the porch’s roof in front of her room in no time. My heart is clawing out of my chest. Did I miss anything?

  No. Rose is snuggled in her bed without any knowledge of the battle waging for her life. I silently climb through her open window. Gunner is not with her tonight. He went home to prepare for his aunt’s funeral. These fights will only get more intense as the Blood Demons get more desperate, so it’s a good thing for Gunner to be absent. Something inside me warns that Gunner would wake up to a struggle in Rose’s room. I keep telling myself that is the only reason I’m relieved Gunner isn’t present.

  I back up to Rose’s bed pulling out my knife, ready for any bloodsucker that dares to get near her. Blaze’s emotions vibrate through us all with his skfens. I am engaging! Fighting three…

  My body tenses. Now all Guardians send messages of being in the fight. Parker demands I stay put, No matter what!

  No way can I be pulled from Rose’s side, but I am worried for Blaze when he skfens, Six… I have six…

  I’m not the only one worried. Soon, Sage reflects, My three are down… Going to help Blaze…

  As if she senses the turmoil around her—or in me—Rose stirs in her sleep. Waking up right now would be the worst timing, so I reach behind me and rest my hand on her shoulder. Still facing her side window since I have locked all others, I defensively hold my knife in my free hand. My eyes want to close so I can relish in the emotion taking over my body when Rose hungrily grabs my hand. I do not need to se
e her to know she is still asleep as she pulls my palm to her face. But the sudden prickling over my skin is not from Rose and prevents me from enjoying this contact.

  They’re here, I skfen. I tense, readying for battle.

  It almost sounds like a whimper when—from behind me—Rose says, “Don’t leave me.”

  Only one thing can drag me from her, and I plan on killing the Demon in seconds flat for making me. My consuming need for her lets me know, without a doubt, if Rose does not make it through this, I will not make it through. Clearly, she is fated to be Gunner’s, but I am not fated to live without her. If Rose dies, I will follow. I will follow her to the after world.

  My hand squeezes hers while I whisper, “Rose, if you can hear me, try to trust me. I will be back. One way or another.”

  Her kiss and release of my hand tells me she hears me.

  My head rolls as I stretch my stressed neck for war. The low growl erupting from within me is the Blood Demons’ last warning.

  They choose not to listen.

  The first set of glowing red eyes peering out from under its dark hood appears at her side window. His cloak blows in the wind. He stands on the porch roof, leaning down to see in, which is perfect for my launch. I tackle the tall Demon and push him off the roof. We crash to the earth. This Blood Demon takes the brunt of the landing, courtesy of Ryder.

  Before the Demon can recover, I’m on my feet, squatting over his neck, knife in hand. My instincts and training step forward, and I become the perfect killing machine. His red eyes register recognition of his final moments as I slice my knife—dripping in my blood—across his throat. My blood, my venom, his poison. We are bred to bite but prefer not to engage in such close proximity, so we extract our venom and coat our knives regularly.