Alpha's Embrace 2(2)
“No shit, really? So that’s where you’ve been?”
“Pretty much yes. Darian looked after me.”
“Darian, that’s his name?”
“Mags, stop bloody interrupting will you else I’ll never finish,” Lyanne joked with her friend and felt so much better now she’d made it through the ‘Nathan’s demise’ chapter of her story.
Maggie’s eyes were wide with amazement, “Oh shit, I’ve just thought we’re going to have to inform Nathan’s folks.”
Lyanne hadn’t thought about that small detail, “Yes, yes I guess we are Mags. I only heard him scream I never saw him actually die.”
“Lyanne the wolves wouldn’t have given up on the chance of a meal, you know that.”
Her friend was right, she knew Nathan’s fate. Would the authorities search for his body to prove it though she wondered.
“We need no notify the police Lyanne, as at the moment they think they’re starting a search for you both this week. I’ll contact them soon,” Maggie said quietly. Then she returned the conversation to the most interesting part for her, “So this Darian, what happened?”
“Cold, Mags, cold. I’ve just told you that Nathan has probably been killed by wolves and you want to talk about Darian!”
“Oh come on Ly, what happened to Nathan was fucking awful but he’s gone there’s nothing we can do about that now. So yes, I want to hear all about this Darian, the guy who looked after my friend.”
Lyanne smiled and her face became animated as she said, “He lives on his own, and helps the injured animals. He’s kind, gentle, sweet and loving and so, so handsome.”
“Jeez he sounds perfect, why did you leave him behind?”
Lyanne thought about Maggie’s question, “He won’t leave his home and I had to come back Mags. What about the vet surgery? Have they called?”
“Your job’s safe don’t worry. Just call them and let them know you’re home.”
Maggie had been a good friend to Lyanne, she’d kept her life going for her while she’d been away, she’d worried for her and even notified the authorities.
“Are you going back then to Darian?”
There it was the ultimate million-dollar question.
“You know what Mags, yes I am as soon as I can. Life’s too short; he made me feel special, unique. I’d be stupid to ignore that,” her friend agreed, and later that night while she was lying in bed wide awake Lyanne knew she’d made the right decision.
Chapter 2
Once Lyanne had made the decision to return to Darian her days went by in a blur. She contacted the veterinary surgery who gave her as much ‘compassionate leave’ as she required due to her ordeal with Nathan.
She’d decided this time to go by coach rather than fly to the Blackcomb Ski Resort in Whistler, with no idea in her head of what she was actually going to do when she arrived there. What was she supposed to do? Just hope that Darian sensed she was there, yeah right, of course, Lyanne felt foolish.
Was she being completely irrational? She was returning on no more than a whim and an impulse to see Darian again. She had no way of contacting him, but she just felt deep in her heart this was the right thing to do, and after all, he’d said, “I will find you sweet Lyanne. I will know when you are here.”
Lyanne almost wanted to test his theory, to see if he’d really know when she was there and if he’d be able to find her. She’d bought an open-ended ticket, as she didn’t know how long she’d be staying. Lyanne didn’t know how to find Darian’s place in the snowy wilderness, so if he didn’t find her there was no point in her staying at the resort, as she couldn’t even ski.
Her mind wandered to James.
She hadn’t seen or heard from him since he flew home to Vancouver with her, so she assumed he’d gone back. Was he reporting that she’d made it home to Darian? Did Darian even care now that she’d left his wilderness life?
Lyanne’s journey out of Vancouver was all set for the next morning so she finished packing and then treated herself to a long soak in a hot bubble bath and an early night. Her night was filled with dreams about Darian, which were much better than the nightmares about wolves that she’d experienced when she was first back home. Many nights she’d woken up covered in sweat, with Maggie asking if she was okay.
The next morning Lyanne was up early, Maggie was seeing her off at the coach station.
“So I can’t contact you at all then?” Maggie asked her friend as they ate breakfast.