“I can’t imagine how hard it must be to raise a child out here,” she said. His handsome features tightened, and she could tell that she had struck a nerve. Hastily changing the subject, she said, “That reminds me, I didn’t tell you about Snow.”
She kept the blankets wrapped securely around her as she sat up to face him. “I’m pretty sure she has asthma. It’s pretty common where I’m from, but I get the impression it’s unusual for werewolves?”
“We do not get sick,” Cain said, echoing Clover’s earlier words. “A pup may get a cold once or twice, but I have never seen one become ill as often as Snow.” He grimaced, then added, “At least none that have survived.”
Hesitantly, she asked, “Do a lot of pups die?”
“No, at least not in my pack. But it was common when I was younger. My father had a lot of pups, more than he had any business having,” he said, his eyes darkening. “When pups like Snow were born, sickly ones that could not shift, they always died.”
“That’s awful,” she said, feeling queasy at the thought. Cain nodded his agreement.
Returning to the pertinent subject, she said, “Well, I think she’ll be okay. What she really needs is to see a doctor, but seeing as that’s not an option, you’ll just have to manage her symptoms and hope she grows out of it.”
He cocked his head. “Is that possible?”
“Mmhm. Kids her age grow out of asthma all the time.”
Cain smiled at her, flashing white teeth and sharp canines. She looked down at the blankets, swallowing hard as her heart fluttered.
Pretending to be intrigued by a loose thread, she said, “I was thinking, seeing as how no one here really understands how to manage her asthma, I could stay a little longer, maybe like a couple weeks or something, just to help out.”
Sarah felt his hand on the back of her neck, and when she looked back up, he was still smiling. “You would do that? What about your family?”
“I think my trip to see Mom is already a bust. If I stay two more weeks, I’ll probably miss a few days of class, but I think this is more important. Helping Snow, that is.”
He pressed his forehead to hers. “I would be in your debt, Sarah.”
Oh, man, she loved it when he said her name.
“It’s really the least I can do,” she said, unable to look away from his golden eyes. “If it weren’t for you, I’d probably still be wandering around the mountain right now.”
He gave her a sly look. “Presuming you had not starved, frozen to death, been eaten by bears, or drowned in a river.”
She jabbed a finger in his side. “Hey, let’s not forget, you’re the one who wanted to cross the Log of Doom…”
The rest of her protest died in her throat as Cain brought his lips down on hers. They were hot, firm, and moved with consummate skill, making her shiver in pleasure. She held onto his hair as he lowered her onto the bed, the weight of his heavy body bearing down on her.
In spite of her soreness, Sarah’s nerve endings flared to life beneath him. Her hands ran over his hard, corded muscles, fingernails raking over his tough skin. He uttered a sound into her mouth, part satisfied male and part hungry wolf, before pressing his impressive erection against her.
When he didn’t start tearing her clothes off, Sarah decided to help him. She tried squirming out of her gown, which now felt unbearably constricting. Cain chuckled against her mouth before pulling his head back.
“You are not ready,” he said in a chiding tone.
Sarah crinkled her nose at him. “I think I’ll be the judge of that.”
In response, Cain slipped a hand under her gown, moving it between her legs. She bit down on her bottom lip, grinning in anticipation as his fingers slipped past her curls to brush against the nub of her sex. And then he pinched her.
“Ow!” she shrieked, wriggling away from him. “What the heck did you do that for?”
“You are not ready,” he repeated.
“Not for pinching,” she grumbled. “You could be gentle.”
Cain leaned over, pressing her back onto the bed. Candlelight danced in his golden eyes. “I do not do gentle,” he purred. “There will be plenty of time for this later, after you have recovered.”
He looked far too pleased that he had screwed her into disrepair, and she wanted to smack the smug look off his face. But then he kissed her again, and she was pretty sure the man could solve any problem with his lips.
Cain lingered for a few more minutes before leaving with a whispered command for her to sleep. After he’d gotten her so worked up, sleep seemed like an impossible task. She lay awake for a while, still smelling his scent beside her and still seeing him each time she closed her eyes.