Tom’s brows shot up. “What exactly did I miss last night?”
Darien swore Tom already knew, but wanted him to reveal more of the details. Which he wasn’t about to do. He opened his mouth to speak, but Tom and Jake’s attention switched to the entryway from the living room. Darien turned around and saw Lelandi, his long flannel shirt reaching thigh-high, her legs and feet bare, her hands locked as if in prayer.
His gaze shifted to her hair, the sensuous curls garnering his full attention. He was unable to tear his gaze away from the beauty of her silky tresses. Even more red than her sister’s, less golden, more like the woman’s in his dream. How could he have not realized she was the one? Because of the switched names and that Larissa had lied about the dreams, damn it.
“Ahem.” Jake said, breaking the spell.
She looked sweet, innocent, edible, her lips parting to speak. “I smelled the food and thought if I ate something, I’d feel more energetic.”
Tom hurried to escort her to his side of the table. Jake got her a plate and piled it high with eggs and sausages. Darien stared at her rumpled, shiny hair. No matter how much he didn’t want to show his feelings for the woman, he couldn’t block the emotions. Already he was hard as a rock, and he shifted uncomfortably under the table.
Lelandi sat in the seat Tom pulled out for her, and then he returned with a mug in hand, the coffeepot in the other. “Black?”
“Cream and sugar,” she said, her voice so demure, Darien suspected something was brewing in that pretty head of hers, and he bet he wouldn’t like it.
“I want to go to the fair.”
Not expecting that, Darien sat back hard against his chair. “Absolutely not.”
She furrowed her brow at him. “I feel one-hundred percent better, and I want to get out. I told you I’d be ready to run laps today.”
Tom grinned and saluted her with his coffee cup.
“Not after all that’s happened to you,” Darien said.
“That guy in the copper coat is still running loose,”Jake reminded them. “Mason thought he saw him running near here as a wolf last night.”
Darien frowned. “The answer is no. You’ll stay here and continue to recuperate.”
Sam called out from the foyer. “Everyone decent?”
Even Darien managed a small smile at the comment, although he was trying to maintain his hard line with Lelandi.
Sam stalked into the kitchen and cast Lelandi a broad smile. “You’re looking good.” He handed Darien a stack of mail. “Is Silva around?”
“Upstairs sleeping in my bed,” Jake said. Sam looked a little bothered. Jake added, “We’re playing musical beds. I had last guard duty. She slept in my bed while I was pulling duty.”
“Oh. I need her for the big opening ceremony. Free sodas for the first fifty customers.”
“First bedroom on the right,” Jake said. “We woke her and made her move six times last night. I don’t want to disturb her again, so be my guest.”
Sam hesitated.
Lelandi stood. “I’ll get her.”
“Sam can. Eat and get your strength back.” Darien lifted one of the envelopes off the table and frowned.
Lelandi plopped back down on the chair. “For what?
So I can stay here and watch soaps all day? You won’t even let me go to the fair.”
“She could help Silva and me hand out the free sodas,” Sam offered. “We’d watch over her.”
“Sure, that would be fun.” Lelandi cut up her sausage.
“I can serve drinks in between Silva and Sam. You wouldn’t have to post a guard for me for a few hours.”
“Where will you be set up?” Darien asked Sam, then lifted the envelope to his nose and breathed in deeply. His heart nearly exploded when he smelled Larissa’s scent on it.
“The tavern. I can make sure only the front door is accessible. Lelandi can stay behind the bar with me.”
Looking for a return address, Darien flipped the envelope over. None. He glanced up at Jake, who was watching Darien with concern. “All right. I want a guard on the place just in case.”
“Mitchell will do it,” Jake said.
Lelandi’s face brightened and Darien hoped to hell he wasn’t putting her in any more danger. But seeing her expression, he figured she’d feel better and heal faster if she got out of confinement for a while. He considered the envelope again, typewritten, so no clue there. But the postmark indicated it had been mailed from Wildhaven.
“Anything wrong, Darien?” Jake asked.
“Tom, get me a map of Colorado.”
“Sure thing.” Tom cast a questioning glance at Jake, missing out on what was going on.
“If you hear screaming and things being tossed about, you’ll know Silva wasn’t happy I woke her.” Sam grinned and then headed out of the kitchen.
“Where’s Peter? He should have come down with you when you joined us,” Darien said to Lelandi, his voice dark.
Lelandi shrugged and waved for Jake to get her some more coffee.
As much as Jake had acted annoyed with her, Darien was surprised to see his lips lift slightly, while he refilled her coffee mug. For being such a petite little thing, she sure had everyone wrapped around her will.
“Poor deputy was bone tired,” Lelandi said.
Jake gave her the coffee and headed for the doorway.
“I’ll take care of it.”
Lelandi frowned at him. “Don’t be too rough on Peter. You’re overworking him.”
But Jake just stormed out of the kitchen.
“I’ll talk to that McKinley fellow and tell him you’re too busy to see him, Darien,” Tom said, returning with the map, but waited while Darien looked up the cities listed in the index. “What’s wrong?”
Darien looked up at Lelandi. “I got a letter postmarked Wildhaven. I wondered where it was and who might have sent the correspondence.”
“Wildhaven? Never heard of it,” Tom said.
But Lelandi looked peeked. She glanced at the envelope and dropped her fork on the table.
Darien seized his knife, slipped it underneath the envelope flap, and ripped.
Jake rejoined them. “I’ve spoken with Peter.” His gaze switched to the envelope and the map spread over the table. “What’s up?”
Pulling the letter out, Darien barely breathed. The paper was hers—a light rose color, her scent, her handwriting. “Larissa,” he said under his breath.
Dearest Darien,
If you’re reading this, I’m no longer of this world, and I regret I’ve brought you so much sorrow. I beg your forgiveness for lying about my family, about saying I had dream mated with you.I wasn’t your soul mate, but I wanted to care for you like you desired me, a love I didn’t have in my first mating. I wished with all my heart to be who you thought I was. When I found the right man, it was too late for me to take back what I’ddone to you. Now, all that matters is that you know the truth. My sister came into her first wolf’s heat after she was dream mated. Since you think it was me, I believe you’d truly seen my sister. Ask her, Darien. Don’t lose your true soul mate for what I’ve done. My sister will seek you out to avenge my death, and I plead with you with all my heart, if you ever loved me, you will protect her. She doesn’t think she needs your protection or anyone else’s, but she’ll be in grave danger as soon as I’m dead.
Whatever you do, do not turn her away. She had nothing to do with what happened between you and me, but I have harmed her greatly with what I have done. If nothing else, I pray you will protect her for my failings. I craved to be her, free, unattached, until you took me in. But now she’ll pay for my crime if you don’t help her.
Love me in death as you did in life by taking care of my blood, my sister, Lelandi.
Your mate, Larissa.
Chapter 13
DARIEN STARED AT LARISSA’S LETTER IN DISBELIEF, HIS whole body numb. He reread the note, trying to fathom the hidden meaning of her message.
He rose from his chair and walked out of the dining room. How could he have been so blind? The woman he’d mated had loved another? Who? He’d kill him.
Darien didn’t remember walking into his office, or sitting at his desk. He stared at the letter, and then clenching it, he hollered, “Jake!”
Jake entered the office, a look of confusion crossing his face.
“Get Lelandi in here, now.”
Jake’s brows raised, he quickly nodded, then closed the door.
Tom entered a minute later, his eyes wide. “What’s wrong, Darien? Jake says you’re ready to kill someone.
Want me to sit in on the little talk?”
“No.”
“But—”
“No!”
His neck muscles tightening, Tom gave a brief nod.
“You’re the boss.”
Jake ushered Lelandi into the room. She looked pale and her eyes quickly shifted from Darien to the floor.
Darien motioned to the love seat in his office, then gave his brothers a look that meant one thing. Get outand stay out! Although he had no doubt they would loiter beyond his office door in case things got out of hand.
They both glanced at Lelandi as she took a seat, looking like they wanted to rescue her, then finally obliged by leaving the room and shutting the door.
Folding his arms across his chest, Darien tried to settle the fury in his blood before he spoke. “Tell me about Wildhaven, Bruin, your parents, the whole deal.”
She clenched her teeth and glowered at him.
“Wildhaven’s my family’s name.”
“It’s the name of a town.”
“It’s my family’s name,” she reiterated, indignant.
“Then you’re a pack leader’s daughter? The Wildhavens settled the area? And both you and Larissa disobeyed him? Terrific. Then tell me about your family. All of it.”
Lelandi pulled the shirt lower, which drew his gaze to her bare legs. Instantly, he wanted to take her, confirm that she was indeed the one of his dreams, his soul mate. But her soft voice penetrated his lust-filled thoughts. She looked at the letter in his hands, then tilted her chin up.