Lycan Christmas

Chapter Three

Lorent had just finished helping Anthony, Brent, Knox, and Raze position the last of the chairs around the blazing fire when her scent hit him.

His gut clenched, and he had to smother a groan. His cock did a happy twitchity-twitch dance in his jeans, and he sucked in a sharp breath.

“You okay, man?” When Raze patted him on the shoulder, he jumped.

“Sorry, um, yeah, I’m all right.” All right? No. Ecstatic, bewildered, confused? Yes.

Her tinkly laughter slid along his spine as she came into view walking beside Rose. Rose was beautiful, but the girl with the pink hair was breathtaking. Every instinct he possessed screamed at him to touch her, kiss her, swoop down and take her away so he could get her alone and claim her.

He’d run away from those urges earlier, but now had no choice but to face them head-on. He struggled to fight them back with an imaginary club.

He watched her, hoping that the hunger that burned inside him for her didn’t show on his face. She was perfect, too perfect for him. Suddenly, it felt as if he’d eaten a brick, and it now lay heavily in his stomach.

Although he’d longed for this woman, this one being who would belong only to him, love only him, he realized that he didn’t deserve her. He wasn’t good enough for her. The things he’d witnessed, the things he’d done when he was a rogue, the things he’d allowed to happen all around him made him unworthy of such a pure, rare gift.

Besides, he had no idea how to treat a woman. Of course, he knew the basic niceties and manners, but he’d never had a girlfriend. The women who had come on to him in the past were no sweet, innocent pink-haired girls.

They’d been prostitutes or girlfriends of other rogues, girlfriends who had about as many morals as the rogues had. Ultimately, not one of the women had sparked a true interest in him. Not one of them had appealed to him strong enough to make him want to fuck her.

And now he understood why. He didn’t want to fuck the pink-haired girl in the enticing black-and-pink getup either. He wanted to make love to her, possess her, keep her safe and by his side forever, cherish her. He started to back away slowly, wanting to flee as he’d done earlier, needing to put some distance between her and him, but Knox called out to him, and he stilled.

“Lorent?” Knox chuckled. “Can you hear me?”

“Sorry, I was daydreaming,” he muttered under his breath, and his whole body tensed as Rose drew nearer, the girl following, until they stopped only a couple of feet in front of him.

“This is Melony.” Rose pointed to the girl he’d been admiring, been lusting after.

“Melony” was a pretty name. A pretty name for a young, innocent girl you have no business tarnishing. He wasn’t good enough to touch the likes of her. But, oh man, did he want to. Her spiky pink hair framed a delicate, angelic face, and thick lashes accentuated the deep chocolate brown of her wide, intelligent eyes. Her nose was small, and tipped up just a little at the end, and her mouth, good God, her mouth was set with some of the lushest pink lips he’d ever seen.

“Melony, this is Lorent.” Rose continued as if the world wasn’t tilting and sliding off its axis.

“Hi, Lorent.” Melony’s voice was like warm silk, with just a hint of huskiness.

“Hi.” He barely got the word around his thick tongue.

He was going to have to make sure to keep lots of distance between them because he was seriously starting to doubt his ability to keep his hands, and other body parts, off her.

“It’s nice to meet you.” She smiled, and his heart skipped a beat.

“I suppose it would be a good time to tell you that you both will be spending some time together,” Knox said as if he didn’t notice Lorent nearly choke. “Melony, Lorent is fairly new around here. He’s completed his official training, but we feel it would be good for him to take on a new charge.”

“Charge? What exactly does that mean?”

Lorent slid a quick glance to Melony. She looked nervous, and Lorent couldn’t blame her. He couldn’t stop staring at her, and she was probably regretting the fact that she was going to have to spend time with him.

Rose squeezed Melony’s shoulders. “We’ve only told you the basics about lycans. Lorent will have the task of giving you the details.”

“Oh. Yes, I’m anxious to learn more,” Melony said before biting down gently on her bottom lip.

She was tiny, petite, nothing but a slip of a thing, but damn, she had some serious curves. Lorent was nearly a foot taller than her, and another fear slithered through him. He could hurt her with ease, without even trying, yet another reason he needed to keep his hands off her. If he let his hormones get out of control, he could harm her. She needed a gentle lover, one who would caress her, hold her, and he doubted he was that man.

Nothing in him wanted to be gentle at the moment.

He wanted to pin her to the ground and take her, claim her until she cried out his name, until she accepted that she belonged to him.

Unfortunately, while he might believe she needed a gentle lover, now that he’d met her, there would be dire circumstances for any other man who dared touch her.

Protective instinct surged in him hard, and in that moment of time, Lorent understood what Knox had been feeling the night he’d tried to take Rose. The clarity was nearly knee buckling, because he didn’t have a clue as to how Knox had kept from killing him.

Lorent would never allow harm to come to Melony. He’d kill anyone who hurt her in any way, and that’s where the true problem lay. He wasn’t supposed to kill unless necessary. He was trained to have restraint, compassion, but he doubted that restraint when it came to Melony and other men.

Reformants were not allowed to be near the women until they’d been trained and proved to be trustworthy. Melony would be his final test. If he screwed this up, if he touched her, it may be the death of him, literally. He eyed Knox and Rose. They were protective of Melony. If he hurt her, they’d have no qualms about ripping shreds from his ass.

Hell, if he hurt her, he’d deserve it. How had this happened? He couldn’t refuse to do as they’d requested. He had to find some way to dig deep into his control and get through this. How long could it take to teach someone about lycans anyway? A couple of days? He might be able to get through that.

“We would also like for you to teach Melony basic self-defense, Lorent.”

Rose smiled.

Shit. So much for keeping his hands off her. He wouldn’t be able to teach her self-defense without touching her at least a little.

“Now that you two have been introduced, you can both meet at the Learning Center tomorrow. We trust that you can talk with Melony and figure out how to proceed with her training in a way suitable for her specific needs. We don’t want her overwhelmed or frightened in any way,” Knox continued on. “Over the next few weeks, she’ll count on you to enlighten her of our ways, to answer any questions she may have, and to show her how to protect herself. You’ll need to have the lessons in the afternoons, as you’ll have your normal duties to carry out in the morning, Lorent.”

Lorent barely heard another word. A few weeks? He’d have to spend every afternoon with her for a few weeks? How would he get through this without claiming her? Should he come clean and tell Knox that she was his?

Rogues were not allowed mates until they’d finished their training, and apparently, he wasn’t done as he’d thought—not until after tutoring Melony.

If he told Knox, Knox would undoubtedly tell Rose, perhaps Anthony, Brent, Raze, and Piers. He didn’t know what would happen after that. At the very least, he’d be watched so closely he’d never have a private moment again. At the most, he might be asked to leave, because if anyone was asked to go, it would be him, not Melony. He didn’t want to leave. Sanctuary was the only true home he’d had. It was the only place he felt safe, had friends.

He had no choice. He had to do this. He’d play Melony’s teacher for the next few weeks, keep his hands to himself, and when it was all over, when he’d finally finished his training . . . well, he didn’t know exactly what would happen after that.

He either had to control his urges with her or leave Sanctuary. He didn’t want to do either, didn’t want to lose either. He took a long, deep breath.

The next few weeks were going to be pure hell.

“Now that we’ve got that out of the way, we’ll introduce you to the rest of the couples and let you enjoy the fire.” Knox smiled at Melony and motioned her to follow him and Rose.

“Do you think it’s a good idea pairing Melony with Lorent?” Rose whispered to Knox as they discreetly watched Melony, who, after being introduced to the others, had made her way over to the fire and now sat next to Lorent.

“We don’t have a choice. The only place he didn’t excel in his training was communication. It’s okay to be laid-back, quiet, keep to oneself, but it’s more than that with him. He won’t hurt her. I wouldn’t put her in danger.”

Knox hugged Rose to him.

“I know,” she sighed. “He just acted strange when we introduced them.”

“Strange how?”

“I don’t know.” Rose shrugged before wrapping her arms around Knox.

“Something I can’t quite pinpoint. I mean, I didn’t get any vibes that I thought he would hurt her. It’s just . . .”

“We’ll keep an eye on them, baby.”

He ran his knuckles over her cheek, and she closed her eyes, letting his caress soak into her skin. She still couldn’t believe she’d fallen in love with a lycan. She’d hunted them, had hated them for over ten years, but Knox had changed all of that. He bent and captured her lips, and she sighed, opening her mouth, allowing his tongue to sweep in.

When he deepened the kiss, she melted against him. They’d been together for over a year now, and she had a big surprise for him. She wanted it to be his Christmas present, but she wasn’t sure she could wait a whole month. His hands cupped her ass, and all thoughts fled her mind, replaced by the heat of his touch.

Whew wee, the man was some serious eye candy. Melony sat next to Lorent—well, kind of next to. Every time she’d lean a bit closer to try to start conversation, he’d widen the distance between them. Did she make him uneasy somehow? Maybe he didn’t like pink hair. He hadn’t been rude in any way, but he seemed cagey, withdrawn. Maybe he was just shy, like Knox had said. Shy she could deal with.

She looked around at each of the couples she’d been introduced to: Anthony and Karen, Rindy and Brent, Raze and Janine, and Sherry and Piers—who had arrived only a few moments ago. When her gaze rested on Knox and Rose, she blushed when she saw their heated embrace. Lorent followed her gaze, and his eyes widened, an eerie glow flashing in their depths for a split second before disappearing. She assumed it had been the firelight reflected at an odd angle.

“How long have you lived here, Lorent?”

“This will be my second Christmas.”

She looked around at the trees outlining the path she and Rose had taken to the campfire, the one that continued on from where they had stopped and curved around out of sight. There were already a fair amount of lights twinkling in the trees on the path, and she smiled. She loved Christmas.

Everyone was kinder around Christmas, more giving, more . . . not nasty.

She’d met a lot of nice people, but she’d met a lot of not-so-nice people too.

The magic of Christmas tended to create an air of amicability.

“The lights are pretty. Did you help put them up?”

Lorent nodded.

Okay, so he wasn’t going to be a forthcoming font of information, but she didn’t mind. She’d never been one to back down from a challenge. She’d just have to work on him, and hope that he would eventually open up to her.

She’d always had a way with people, and she wanted him to be comfortable around her.

“I’d love to put a tree up in my cabin. Maybe you could help me pick one out and decorate it.”

“Lorent doesn’t do decorations, do you, hon?”

Melony turned to find a girl standing behind them, a gorgeous girl who could grace the cover of any magazine. Wavy brown hair framed an elegant face, and blue eyes and dark skin were evident even by firelight. Her tall, fine-boned figure didn’t sport an ounce of extra fat on a lithe frame. Melony’s stomach curled with a tinge of jealousy that suddenly turned to guilt. Melony considered herself pretty in her own way, just not . . . beautiful. She smiled.

She wasn’t an envious person by nature, and looks weren’t everything in life.

“I’m Melony.”

“Shannon.” She sat on the other side of Lorent.

Melony didn’t miss the way Lorent stiffened when Shannon scooted close until their thighs almost touched. Hmm. Were they an item? The girl eyed her up and down as if she were competition, but seemed to quickly dismiss the notion. That kind of irked Melony, but it wasn’t the first time she’d been shot down as competition by tall, gorgeous girls. She supposed most didn’t take her as a serious threat simply for her fashion choices and pink hair.

Her pink hair and fashion weren’t bad, just different. However, she wasn’t so naive as to not know that her trend appealed to a certain kind of man. Was Lorent that kind of man? She eyed him. He was, no doubt, a beefcake. His ruffled black hair had that sleep-tousled look, and his eyes were a clear, alluring hazel framed by dark lashes. She wished she had lashes that thick. His nose was straight and just the right size for his face. His jaw was squared out, but held a hint of youthfulness that belied the recentness of his transition from boy to man.

He was tall, much taller than she was—most people were—and the slight cleft in his chin gave her a strange urge to run her tongue over it. His stubble lent an edge of sexiness to his rugged looks, and the dark T-shirt he wore perfectly sculpted his broad chest and wide shoulders. She didn’t even want to think about how delectable his backside had looked in his snug jeans. She frowned. What was wrong with her? She had no qualms about appreciating a fine-looking man, but she’d appreciated him with more tenacity than just a passing admiration of a fine male specimen.

She felt like telling Shannon that there was no competition with Lorent anyway, that he’d looked as if he were pained when Knox had informed him he’d be acting as her teacher. He’d barely spoken to her at all, and it was obvious he had no interest in her. When Shannon scooted even closer to Lorent, brushing her leg against his, he tensed and shifted until there was some space separating them once again. Hmm. Maybe he wasn’t interested in Shannon either, but Shannon didn’t take the hint as she breached the distance between them again.

“I already asked Lorent to help me decorate earlier, so if he helps anyone, it will be me. Besides, I’m sure you’ll be busy for the next couple weeks settling in.” Shannon put a fat marshmallow on the end of a stick and held it over the fire.

“Actually, Lorent is going to be my teacher for the next several weeks.

We start our lessons tomorrow.” Damn. Why was she goading this girl?

Shannon froze for a moment and treated Melony with a scalding glare that sent chills down her spine. But when Lorent turned to look at Shannon, her face instantly transformed into a bright smile.

“Well. Won’t that be nice?” Shannon stood and let the stick with the speared marshmallow drop to the ground. The marshmallow plopping into the dirt made a gooey, sticky mess. “Lorent, will you walk me home, please?”

Sherry strolled up behind the girl right before she’d asked Lorent for the escort. “Shannon, I can see your cabin from here. If you want to go home, we’ll watch you until you get inside. I’m sure no big bad wolves will get you.”

Shannon turned as if she’d give Sherry a good tongue-lashing, but then seemed to think better of it. She huffed, “Good night, all.”

“Sheesh. When will she get the hint that you aren’t interested in her, Lorent? You aren’t, are you?” Sherry teased Lorent with a mischievous smile.

Lorent’s cheeks flamed redder than the hot bits of wood on the bottom of the fire, and he shook his head.

“I mean, don’t get me wrong. Shannon is a good person underneath all of her puffed-out exterior. She just has some ideas that she should forget.”

Sherry didn’t sugarcoat her words, and Melony found that refreshing.

Sherry sat down in the seat Shannon had vacated only moments before, and Melony couldn’t help but admire her gorgeous red hair and deep-set green eyes. She thought she looked to be close to her and Lorent’s age, and she was very pregnant.

“She hasn’t really done anything to me, Sherry.”

“Oh, come on. Don’t think we all haven’t seen the way she rubs all over you like a cat in heat, not to mention that you look as if you’ve been sucking on a lemon every time she does it.”

Melony snorted before she could stop herself, and Lorent shot her a look that said in no uncertain terms he didn’t appreciate being the center of entertainment. She cleared her throat and tried to hide the smile that tugged at her lips. Oh, Lorent, you need to loosen up, babe, and I’m just the one to show you how.

“How are you liking it here, Melony?” Sherry brushed off Lorent’s agitation with casual nonchalance.

“It’s a beautiful place, what I’ve seen of it so far anyway. Everyone has been nice to me.”

“Everyone?” Sherry shot a glare in the direction Shannon had disappeared.

Melony just smiled at Sherry’s upturned brow, deciding it would be better to leave this conversation alone for now.

“There you are.” Piers came up behind Sherry and pulled her up gently.

The man was huge, and dwarfed the redhead by at least a foot, but Sherry didn’t appear intimidated in the least. She turned and hugged Piers before standing on tiptoe and kissing his chin. He smiled and rested a hand on her swollen belly. The intimacy made Melony blush just as Rose and Knox’s embrace had earlier. Good God, the heat the couples gave off around here was near sinful.

Fighting the urge to fan her hot cheeks, Melony yawned, and stretched her back instead. The last few days—the last few months—had been stressful, and exhaustion crept into her muscles and bones. She covered her mouth with the back of her hand to stifle another yawn.

“Sorry. I think I’m going to turn in now.” Melony stood.

Sherry turned back and tapped Lorent on the shoulder. “Lorent will see you home safely. Won’t you?”

He nodded and stood. Melony thought he looked as if he’d probably rather chew his own arm off than walk her home at the moment.

“I can make it back on my own.” Melony tried to move away, but Sherry interrupted her progress.

“It’s your first night here, and it’s really dark. Let him walk with you.”

Sherry smiled. “It was nice to talk with you, Melony.”

“You too, Sherry.” Melony told Sherry and Piers good night before stopping to tell Knox and Rose good night as well. She waved at the other couples before starting home with Lorent by her side.