Tempting The Beast(44)

remorseful.

Merinus shook her head, fighting her tears. She was damp with sweat, his semen and her juices leaked

from between her thighs, a warm reminder of the fiery orgasm that had gripped her moments before.

She heard him sigh wearily as he moved away from her, then he was drawing his shirt over her head,

tucking her arms into it, covering her body. He moved away from her then, jerking his jeans from the

forest floor and pulling them on. His moccasins came next, his movements graceful, fluid, despite the

anger she could feel pulsing from him.

“Stay here. I’ll get your shoes,” he ordered her.

Merinus nodded, staring at her bare feet, the red polish that needed replacing on her toenails, the dirt on

her feet and legs.

A broad, male hand moved to her chin, turning her face to him. She jerked away, hiding her face, her

tears. His hand gripped her chin, pulling her face up as he stared down at her, his expression brooding.

“I told you not to push me,” he reminded her, his tone harsh. “Now will you stay here, or must I drag

you with me to find your damned shoes?”

She nearly choked on her sobs as she fought to contain them. She nodded jerkily. She couldn’t speak, if

she did, she was terrified she would lose the control she was fighting so desperately for.

He released her, demanding nothing more, then turned and stalked away. Merinus wrapped her arms

around her waist, biting her lip as she tried to stem the tears that fell from her eyes. She was suddenly so

frightened she could only shudder with it. What in God’s name had she gotten herself into?

“Here.” Callan knelt at her feet. With gentle hands he put her shoes on, then tied them quickly.

Rather than moving when he finished, he continued to kneel there, his head lowered, his fingers caressing

her ankle.

“I’m sorry.” His voice was edged with frustration. “I didn’t mean to hurt you.”

His head raised, his eyes dark with concern and bemusement. As though he too were treading in waters

so unfamiliar the threat of drowning was imminent.

“Kane will come for me,” she whispered. “You have to let me go, Callan.”

His lips twisted bitterly. “I know,” he agreed, his hand lifting, his thumb wiping her tears from beneath

one eye. “But to take you, Merinus, he’ll have to kill me.”

The finality in his voice terrified her. The resounding echo in her heart shattered her last hope that she

would ever be free of him.

“You said you could walk away,” she sobbed. “That even if it hurt you could walk away.”

“And an hour later I found you gone and lost my sanity,” he told her bleakly.

She shook her head. This couldn’t be happening. Not like this. It wasn’t supposed to be like this.

“Kane won’t let you keep me,” she said, desperate for him to understand, to let her go. Desperate to

make herself believe, despite the agony throbbing inside her. She didn’t want to be free of him, and that

frightened her more than anything.

“As I would refuse to let any man hold Sherra or Dawn against their will,” he answered her, his

expression drawn into lines of acceptance. “This will be up to you to solve, Merinus. One of us will die if

you try to leave with him. I won’t let him take you.”

“You said the doctor would find a cure.” Her fists clenched as she rejected his brutal statement. “You

said he would make it better.”

“And while you were running, I learned he cannot.” Callan reached up, pulling her hair back from her

face as he watched her. “It will have to ease on its own, and he believes it will. But he believes it will

never go away completely. This need, Merinus, whatever it is, could be something neither of us will be

free of. Something I’m not certain I want to be free of.”

She heard the curious note of vulnerability in his voice. A bemusement that he felt that way.

“I have to call my brothers. They have to know I’m safe.” She knew Kane was going crazy with worry.

He wasn’t safe to be around when he did that.

Callan sighed wearily, rising to his feet.

“Come on. Let’s go back to the cabin. We’ll discuss it there.” He held his hand out to her.

Merinus stared up at him, anger and pain shattering her.

“You won’t let me call them, will you? You won’t let them help me.”

“I won’t let them take you,” he corrected her. “And if they can find you, they will try to take you,

Merinus. They will convince themselves you can be cured. That the need can be taken away. I don’t

believe it can. I believe nature is having its last laugh on those crazy bastards who created me.”