Free The Fire Inside by Virginia Cavanaugh

are run on a timely
basis. Besides, there isn’t anyone here that would dare steal from me.” He
watched as she gave a tight nod and walked into the house. His own irritation
began to grow as he walked in behind her. What had happened to her to make her
wall herself in like this?
    She stopped in the living room, turning in a slow circle as
her gaze took in everything. “You have very nice things.”
    He looked around at his tan walls adorned with landscape
paintings. His sofas were comfortable, overstuffed brown leather. He never
really paid any attention to it. “I paid one of the females to decorate about
ten years ago. It’s comfortable.”
    She glanced at him then back toward the flat-screen
television on the wall. “Well…she did a good job.”
    Konrad tried to ignore the fact that her voice was low, and
that he could smell the slight bitterness of fear lacing with her scent.
Without thought, he walked over to her and raised his hand to caress her back,
wanting to soothe her. But she stepped away before he could touch her. His hand
fisted as he lowered it.
    She walked toward the kitchen. “I need you to take me to my
apartment so that I can get some things.”
    There was no way in hell he’d take her back to her apartment
right now. He could see her riding the fence and had a feeling she would back
out of staying here if she walked into her apartment right now. “You can take
anything from my things you need for tonight, and I will have Luken gather the
things you need tomorrow.”
    She spun around to look at him. “I’m capable of getting my
own things.”
    He bit down hard, taking a second before responding. His
dominant nature rose to the forefront at the challenging tone of her voice, but
he beat it back. “Then I’ll take you tomorrow to get your things.”
    “And what if I want to go now?”
    He sighed. Sadness crawled over him, and the wolf inside
didn’t like it much. All he needed was a target. If she’d just point him toward
whatever object or person was responsible for her fear, he’d destroy it. How
did he win a war with an unknown enemy? “Then you will most likely choose to
stay there instead of here.”
    Her teeth sank into her bottom lip.
    “I can smell the fear coming from you, Tyra. But I don’t
understand it. I’d never let anything happen to you.” He held her stare, hoping
she could see the sincerity of his words.
    She looked away. “I can wait ’til tomorrow.”
    Defeat now mixed in with her scent. He wanted to hit
something. She apparently wasn’t going to tell him what was wrong, and he
couldn’t stand the fact that she felt fear and sadness here. “Tyra, if you want
to go back to your apartment, we can. Or tell me what’s wrong so I can fix it.”
He continued to stare at her back as she stood, shoulders back, tension visible
in every muscle of her body.
    “I just need to be alone.”
    Frustration filled him as he walked past her to a notepad he
kept on the fridge. He pulled the pen from beside it and began to write. “This
is my cell number. There are phones all over the house. If you need me, you
call me.” He looked back at her and noticed she still stood with her gaze
averted from him. Anger over the unknown obstacle that had her pulling away
from him rode him hard. Leaving would probably be best, before his temper had
him lashing out at the wall she seemed so preoccupied staring at. That type of
display sure wouldn’t help to reassure her. His steps ate up the distance
between them. She didn’t move to look at him. He bent down and placed a light
kiss on her hair and then headed for the front door.
    Everything in his nature screamed at him to turn around as
he opened the front door. Leaving her alone in this state clawed at his
insides. He heard her steps behind him and as he crossed the threshold onto the
front porch, he turned to look at her. Were those tears shimmering in her eyes?
He opened his mouth to say something, but she closed the door. When the