The Fire Inside by Virginia Cavanaugh Page A

cringe under his gaze. She should say something—anything to
try to straighten out the mess that she’d created. And yes, she was big enough
to admit she’d created it. But damn if everything in her life wasn’t spinning
out of control. She never meant for any of this to happen. Hell, her date with
Steve had been set up over a week ago. “Konrad…”
    “Get in the truck,” he said softly.
    “I know you’re angry, but I can explain.”
    “Get. In. The. Truck.”
    “Konrad, just listen to me.”
    “Tyra, I’m not having this conversation here. Now get in the
damn truck.” He turned and marched back over to the truck and yanked open the
door.
    Tyra sighed, her shoulders sagging as she walked over to the
passenger side of the truck, scooping up her purse on the way. She tossed it
inside and a poof of dust rose from it as she climbed into the lifted truck.
Once her door was shut, he put the truck in reverse and turned around, heading
out of the clearing. She watched as his fingers tightened and loosened several
times on the steering wheel. And each time he did it, she felt more and more
like an ass. But why? It wasn’t as if she’d made any commitment to him. A pang
of remorse went through her chest. Maybe she hadn’t verbally, but Fate had
declared one for her. And somehow it just didn’t seem fair or right. Why didn’t
she get to choose?
    She rode in silence with him as he took them off road, down
a dirt path. After a few minutes, he hit the brakes, threw the truck into park
and got out. She followed him with her gaze as he walked in front of the truck
then to her side, pulling open her door.
    She couldn’t stop the yelp of surprise as he reached up and
hauled her out of the seat against him. He wrapped his arms tight around her
and inhaled deeply as he placed his face in the crook of her neck. Her hands
pushed lightly against his shoulders. “Konrad…”
    “Mine,” he growled.
    “Konrad, just hear me out.”
    He nipped at the flesh around her collar bone. “Want,” he
nibbled some more, “to mark you.” His teeth grazed the flesh again. “So bad.”
    She couldn’t stop the rush of desire that flooded her lower
belly, causing her core to throb. The graze of his teeth on her skin set all of
her nerve endings on fire. “Konrad, wait…”
    “Do have any idea what thoughts were going through my head?”
His lips brushed her neck next to her ear.
    A shiver of delight ran down her spine. “I’m sorry. But you
don’t understand.”
    “No, mate. I don’t understand. What if Xabier and his pack
mates had hurt you, taken you from me? And what in the hell could that human
offer you? He could never give you what I can give you. He would age in front
of your eyes, until death came to collect his sorry ass.”
    Her heart clenched. She knew Steve couldn’t give her what
Konrad could. Steve didn’t have the power to break her heart. The loss of Steve
would never affect her the way the loss of a mate would. “I…it’s just…”
    “I can scent your desire. So why do you fight me?”
    She had to keep her thoughts in order. It would be so easy
to just forget rational thought and let him ease her as he’d offered
before. But she couldn’t. The whys were important. “Why do you want me?”
    “Because you’re mine, Tyra.”
    “I’m yours?”
    He pressed a few kisses to her neck. “You’re my mate.” He
dragged his tongue up her neck.
    A whimper escaped her lips. Her body pressed tighter against
his, and the pressure against her aching breasts felt wondrous. She wanted
him—wanted him bad. Maybe she could make him see reason. With effort, she
pulled back and put a little space between their upper bodies. “Konrad, listen
to me. You aren’t here right now because you chose me.”
    His hold loosened slightly and he released a frustrated
sigh. “What do you mean I didn’t choose you? I’m choosing you now, I chose you
the night I met you. It’s you that keeps fighting this.”
    She pushed