N. Walters - Isaiah's Haven

He could smell her too. Her soap and the essence that was pure female, pure Meredith.

His cock jerked to attention. Isaiah longed to go to her and drag her into his arms. He wanted to feel her feminine curves against the hard planes of his body, softening and accommodating his much larger frame. He wanted to inhale her scent into his lungs until it drove out every other smell.

Her lips parted and her tongue flicked out to touch the bottom one. He swallowed a groan as his balls drew up close to his body. Meredith had lips that were made for kissing, full and soft and sweet.

He clenched the muscles in his thighs to keep from walking across the room and sweeping her into his arms. The urge to take her, to make her his once again was overwhelming.

The only other urge that could take precedence, that could control the primal instincts beating at him, was the urge to keep her safe. Nothing was more important than that.

“I thought you’d gone.” The words “for good” went unsaid. Tension crept over him, hardening every muscle in his body.

“No.” He wouldn’t tell her he’d rented a place and was watching her club for any sight of her.

“Oh.” She fiddled with her pen, then tossed it onto the battered desk and squared her shoulders. “Why are you here?”

Meredith could barely breathe. She was finding it extremely difficult to slap together a string of coherent words. Isaiah was here.

He filled the room with his larger-than-life presence. The jeans he wore clung to his thighs. They were well worn and had been washed so often they were soft and supple, molding to the thick muscles. They also did nothing to hide the rather large bulge pressing against the zipper.

Her sex spasmed and cream dampened her panties. She resisted the urge to cross her arms over her chest to disguise her puckered nipples. Thankfully, the sweater she was wearing was thick enough to hide her arousal. Not that it mattered. If he got close enough, he’d smell it.

He was wearing a T-shirt with a flannel shirt over it. The inner shirt stretched taut across his abs, outlining his hard chest. Her fingers itched to touch him.

She wanted to run her hands through his shaggy hair and touch her lips to his. He looked tired. The lines radiating from the corners of his eyes were deeper than they’d been. His chocolate brown eyes ate her up as they stood watching one another.

She realized his gaze was on her lips and they parted of their own accord.

Isaiah sucked in a breath and took a step toward her before coming up short. He raked his fingers through his hair. “We need to talk.”

“Okay.” She managed to nod. Neither of them moved. She didn’t know how she felt about him being here. She was elated and frightened at the same time.

She’d sent him away. A man as proud as Isaiah wouldn’t come crawling back. That meant something had sent him here and whatever it was, it couldn’t be good. Only his innate sense of responsibility would have brought him back to her.

“What is it?” She had to know. Her stomach was jittery and her palms were sweating. “Is it about what happened in the park?” She felt slightly ill. Had someone seen them last night?

“I overheard a conversation in a restaurant,” he began. She nodded encouragingly and he continued. “There were three of them. Werewolves.”

“Oh, God.” She swayed, catching herself on the back of her chair. “What did you hear?”

“With the noise of the crowd, I could only catch a word or two so I followed them when they left.”

Meredith swallowed hard. Maybe it was nothing. Maybe it was—

She stopped trying to kid herself. If it weren’t deadly serious, Isaiah wouldn’t be here.

“They stopped in an alley and found a note they’d been told to expect. Seems that the bounty hunters saw where you came from last night and set someone to watch your place today. They had a man on a nearby roof and saw Benjamin and Neema. They also saw Teague.” He hesitated for a second and then continued. “They suspect he might be a half-breed.”

This couldn’t be happening. This was her biggest nightmare unfolding. “Oh, God,” she whispered.

Isaiah’s grim expression didn’t give away any of his thoughts or feelings on the matter. “They also know there might be two werewolf females here.”

Meredith flew around the desk, making for the door. Her kids. She had to protect her children.

Isaiah’s muscled forearm shot around her waist, stopping her. She turned on him and struck out. He captured her arms easily, pinning them behind her. She brought her knee upward in a lightning-fast move, but he countered it. Shoving her against the wall, he leaned against her, holding her prisoner with his weight.

She glared at him, trying to ignore the feel of his body against hers. His thighs were on the outside of hers, squeezing them. That put his erection right at the juncture of her legs. His cock was hard and hot against her mound. His broad chest covered hers, making her nipples ache.

“The others are safe. For the moment,” he added. He leaned down, touching his forehead to hers. “The wolves are planning to wait until closing to check out the situation. They want to make certain of their information before they attack. After all, the intel came from hunters.”

That made sense. She took a deep breath, but relaxation was beyond her. “I don’t understand. Why would hunters contact werewolves and why would the wolves have anything to do with the hunters?” That didn’t make any sense. All wolves hated bounty hunters. It was bred into them from the day they were born. They were natural enemies.

“I’ve come across this before. The bounty hunters use the wolves to do their dirty work for them. They let us kill one another without putting any of their men in danger. And the purist werewolves don’t care. All they care about is keeping the species line strong and untainted.”

“That’s crazy.”

“Yeah, it is.” Isaiah raised his head. “Considering how our species is clinging to survival, every member needs to be protected.”

Something deep inside her broke open and a warm, healing balm enveloped her. “Then you don’t agree with them?”

A low growl came from deep inside Isaiah. “Hell, no. What kind of male do you think I am?”

Pain flashed in his eyes and then it was gone. He stepped away and she felt the loss of his warmth.

“That’s why you didn’t tell me.” He glared at her and she felt the full weight of his displeasure.

Emotions pummeled her. Fear warred with desire, making her lightheaded. It took her a moment to make sense of his words. “You knew?”

“I suspected as much. It wasn’t hard. You’re a female alone with two pups. The rest of them would have been children or barely adults when they came to be with you. There’s only one reason all of them wouldn’t have been within the protection of a pack.”

“I think I need to sit down.” Her head was spinning. She lurched for the desk and sat down on the corner. Isaiah’s hand shot out to steady her while she tried to absorb everything he’d told her.

The sensual tension between them sizzled, but she shoved it aside. Bounty hunters knew about them. Werewolves knew about the half-breed members of her pack.

It hit her with the force of a sledgehammer. Their home had been compromised. Chicago was no longer safe. Haven was lost to them forever.

Tears threatened, but she blinked them back. She’d done harder things than this before. She would survive. Her pack would survive.

But there was something she could do.

Isaiah wasn’t a part of this. Nothing he’d said indicated they knew anything about him or his involvement with her pack. It might kill her, but she had to do this. She had to send him away again. And this time it had to be for good.