Chapter 25: the night.

"Hey ladies," Conri greeted the two sisters his features expressionless as he stepped through the door. "Is Kyra ready?"
"Yes, I am," Kyra said hastily and attempted to push past her sisters blocking her way, who stood squarely in her way. She exchanged a look with Lola, rolling her eyes as she did so. Did men have to posture all the time?
Conri reached between the sisters and caught her hand. "You look truly beautiful, wife." His palm swept her hair as he pulled her in close to him.
His cool way of speaking to her was very much in evidence that he was feeling her as much as she was feeling him and Kyra immediately felt guilty for having told her sister about she felt that night about him.His vewice as extremely sexy, like he knew what he was doing to her, he didn't remove his eyes off of hers. Lola will always tease her about it now. She felt his fingers curl around hers, his body heat enveloping her, the strength in his muscles as he fit her beneath his shoulder. It was all so familiar. He even smelled like she remembered, clean and masculine and far too sexy for her liking.
His body moved against hers almost protectively as they walked out into the night air from the short walk on the passage way, all too familiar, the way he just held, announcing to the world and the pack that she is his was too overwhelming . In the distance the ocean boomed and she could smell salt in the air, something she loves about the pack. The sky was clear and the stars sparkled. A perfect night, just what she needed.
"You’re pulling away from me, Kyra" His voice was low, his lips against her ear. "Tell me what’s wrong."
She waved her hand to encompass her surroundings. "This. You. Me. I’m always so lost around you, Conri, it's crazy that cannot control myself whenever I am around"
He drew her hand to his mouth. "Then don't control yourself around me Kyra not as long as I’m with you, you’ll never be lost."
Her skin tingled where his lips brushed her knuckles. In all the time she’d known Conri, her own Conri, there had never been awkward silences between them. Now, she felt nervous and edgy. With supreme self-discipline, Kyra drew her hand away from him. "How’s the investigation coming?"
There was another small silence and then he sighed with resignation.” What investigation? “ he asked, looking lost then came to his right senses as immediately as he has been lost "It’s coming along. I have some leads. But I still to know if I want all this to end badly, I want to give him a chance tonight, I will see how he acts generally today, I just wish. . . Oh I wish “ he didn't finish his sentence but Kyra knew, he wished to confirm finally which side his former friend is on, the good or the bad.
" We have plenty things to work on and put in place, plenty things are happening and it's my job to put a stop to it, it doesn't matter what happens after“ He opened the passenger door of his car for her. The statement scared her but she chose to ignore its meaning and just asked the one that was more strange.
"We?" She tilted her head, hesitating before slipping onto the seat. " What do you mean ‘we’ , Do you have someone else working with you?"
"It was a figure of speech."
"Was it? Really? " He closed the door and Kyra felt trapped. That feeling intensified when he entered on the driver’s side. His shoulders nearly touched hers. His hands were large, fingers wrapping around the steering wheel and reminding her of too many things. She turned her head away from him to stare out the window. Why was she thinking about his touch, his kiss, the taste and feel of him instead of betrayal and lies? She inhaled, breathing him in, taking him into her body when she should have been stiff and resistant. Immediately she held her breath, trying to avoid the scent and feel of him. Trying not to notice her hands were shaking and, inside, her stomach was curling into tight knots of anticipation.
As the vehicle pulled onto the main highway, Conri reached for her hand again, lacing his fingers through hers. "You’re not breathing. If you keep that up, I’ll have to give you mouth-to-mouth and you know where that will lead."
His voice was so low and sensual it seemed to vibrate through her entire body. The thought of his mouth on hers was dangerous. She remembered the first time he kissed her. It felt like a brand, as if he’d stolen a part of her and left his mark on her forever. "I’d probably faint," she managed with a small smile. "And then where would I be?"
"Here In my arms. Safe and unbothered ."
Conri allowed silence to stretch between them for a few minutes. The thought of being in his arms actually made her feel faint. It was dangerous. "What do you want me to do tonight?"
He pressed her hand to his thigh and held it there. She could feel the shape and strength of his muscles beneath the thin material of his trousers. "Just have fun, there is absolutely nothing for you to worry about, I will do all the work, Dante will too focused on keeping his posture than coming out to you, just enjoy the music and maybe dance? “
“ What do you mean? Just me? Where would you be? “ the thought of him moving away from her scared the shit out of her, they were finally getting somewhere.
“ No, of course No, amI not leaving you, I am here with you, where else would I be if I don't sit with you in the middle of the crowd, In fact I would not want any disturbance if I could handle that, I would havetake a VIP room, just me and you, so I can spend the best night out alone with you, but I want to see who he talks to, who is with him. And afterward, I’m going to follow him."
" I understand, thank you. But is there something you wish to tell me? Something else going on?," she asked him, looking at his face. The temperature seemed to be going up in the car, at least straight up her arm and burning over her face.
He shrugged. "I will let you know when I know it is safe for you to kno, don't worry about a thing. It's okay."
"My sisters are coming, Will this be any danger to them?"
"No, they will be in my sight, Dante would never publicly challenge his Alpha, that would the last thing he will do. He would not want anything to drive him furtherway from what he wants, even though what he want he will not get”
“ What about in private uh? Will he come after you? Do you think he’ll make a try for you?" There was no way to conceal the anxiety in her voice so Kyra didn’t even try.
” Oh Kyra, there is absolutely for nothing you to be worried about. I am the Alpha “ He flashed her a brief smile, maybe to lift her spiritt.
“But something like this happened before three years ago” she asked still in doubt.
"Don’t worry, it won’t happen like that this time, I know my enemies clearly this time." She found herself beginning to relax, not a good thing when she needed to keep her armor on around him. He was wearing the aftershave she loved so much; it smelled rugged and tempting.
” But until I mange to neutralize Dante, I will worry for the rest of my life, about what he does and who he does it to. o course I know now that Viktor was there because of Dante that day, and I feel a sense of hope and relief that he didn't go through with what he had been told to do, I knew that, though, He will send others for me, if dViktor onget't the work done, I will not allow anything to happen to you and your sister. Believe me. But theywill always miss and I won’t." He shrugged. "That’s life."
She shook her head. "No, it isn’t. That’s no way to live. Sooner or later someone’s going to be waiting for you and you won’t be ready."
His teeth flashed in a faint smile. "I just told you not worry a minute ago, learn to listen to my words”
She didn't bother replying, there was no point.
He nodded as he turned into bar’s main highway. "I believe you have heard what I said, because I know a lot go in and out of your mind, if you are not saying anything”
"Conri." Kyra waited until he parked the car in the side lot of the pack bar before replying him. " I have heard you, and nothing is going through my mind right now”
For the first time since she’d met him, the way he looked at her as if she was lying and wish he could go into her soul to appease her there,made him appear almost vulnerable, if such a thing could happen.
He turned toward her and in the car he seemed to take up all the space. His fingers tightened around hers. "It’s silly, know, just trust me ."
“ You trust me too”
“ On what? “ he asked, scared about what might be her answer.
“ You will bring me in all your investigation, all of it. Because I am going to help you”
He swept his free hand through his hair, another gesture of nerves. Alpha Conri, the man with nerves of steel. Now she was really intrigued. She maintained steady eye contact, refusing to allow him to get out of he moment.
"This is ridiculous, Kyra, why would you want to put yourself in danger ."
“Because you are in it too”
There was a lump in her throat.the wanted to cry but she held it in, his face showed that he was clearly annoye. She framed his face with her hands. "I will let you protect me, I just dont want you out of my sight ."
Relief flashed briefly in his eyes.
she continued “ I think you try very hard not to feel emotion. That’s really not a good thing."
"It’s sometimes necessary for survival."
She ached inside for him. For both of them. His life was so different and yet, the same as hers. "I’m going to hate it if you were right."
"About what?"
"That we should be together." She nearly clapped her hand over her mouth, but the words had escaped before she could stop them. It had to be the lace panties talking. She certainly couldn’t be so close to him and not feel his breath on her skin and ache for his body in hers.
"I am right."
A small smile curved her mouth. "You always think you are. Let’s go in before I get into any more trouble." She opened her door quickly, sliding out into the cool night air before he could stop her.
He quickly got out, too, and his gaze swept the parking lot, the building, and street, the way it always did. Careful. Meticulous. Noting every detail. Committing the layout to memory. Conri swept his arm around her and drew her to the wall behind one of the many large bushes. His body pressed against hers, his shoulders blocking out the light from the porch. He pinned her wrists to the wall on either side of her head.
She seemed small and light, her soft curves tight against his chest. Memories flooded him. The warmth of her skin, the feel and texture like satin. Her hair pouring over his body like a silken waterfall. Her touch. Her taste. Her mouth teasing his senses into a terrible craving. Her body moving with perfect rhythm under his, submitting.
A man had only so much discipline. He’d been three years without laughter or sunshine. Too many nights without the comfort of her soft body. He couldn’t wait until he’d convinced her. He even knew he was rushing her, but it was too late. With a small groan, he bent his head to hers.
Her lips were cool and soft and seemed to melt beneath his. He teased her mouth with his tongue, running over the seam of her lips to coax her to open for him. Need was hot and greedy, clawing at his gut and spreading lower, racing through his veins with a kind of voracious hunger to harden his body into an intolerable ache.
He kissed her again and again, unable to get enough, unable to tear himself away from her. His body pushed aggressively against hers and he gathered her into his arms, dragged her so close there was barely room for clothes between them. He felt starved for her. He shook with desire. With a ferocious need to just hold her to him forever.
"I want all of this to stop , Kyra. I want everyone to go away and let us just be together." He whispered it against her ear, returned to her mouth. Fire and honey, a combination he could never resist. She turned his world upside down and made him feel as if he had everything. As if everything he did was worthwhile. "How do you do it?" he murmured, bringing her hair to his lips. "How do you make me feel so out of control when my entire life is all about control?"
"Don’t talk. Kiss me." Kyra slipped her arms around his neck, her mouth moving over his, back and forth, tiny teasing kisses designed to drive him crazy. "Again, Conri. Kiss me again."
Her voice slipped past his guard and went straight to his heart. Damn her for her ability to bring him to his knees. He’d always been a strong man, able to stand alone, until he met her. Now he felt incomplete, lost even. He’d never felt alone or had really known the meaning of the word until she was gone from him.
He kissed her with every fiber of his being, every emotion in his heart. Anger and lust and mostly love, all mixed together so he couldn’t separate them. Kyra Lowell had given him his soul and then she’d walked out of his life and taken it with her.
Someone set of people passed them and the whispers somehow penetrated into her ears.
Abigail pulled back, trying to flatten herself against the wall, her gaze jumping to Conri
Tonight is the night, she thought to herself.