Bitten by the Alpha Wolf Page 2
Kyla remembered coming to the bayou a few times as a child. Her mother liked to come to the bayou from time to time to get jams and preserves from an old lady that lived there. When Kyla was eight, the lady had passed away and they hadn’t been back since.
Landon interrupted her thoughts. "I hope you don't mind a little trip to the bayou."
"Not at all. It’s been a long time since I came out here."
As they drove across the bridge, the scenery became more and more rural. Kyla realized she’d become very used to living in the city, and here, she felt out of place. Kyla wondered if much had changed since she’d last seen Bayou Meroux. Pretty sure that things looked about the same, she settled back in the seat and focused on the music and the ride, and on Landon’s strong hands circling the steering wheel. She decided that there was beauty in change and in doing something completely different than what she was used to doing.
When there was finally an exit, Landon pulled off the highway. A gas station squatted beneath some towering, thick-trunked trees, but there didn’t seem to be anything else for miles.
Suddenly, she felt a thread of fear unfurl in her stomach. Sure, Jess knew she was out on a date with Landon, but nobody had any details. Why had she trusted him, anyway? She’d thought she could trust Dirk, but he’d broken her heart. What if she was trusting Landon, and he could do something much, much worse?
She thought of her phone in her purse, and thinking of her phone reminded her of that article Jess had sent, about the werewolves near Bayou Meroux. What if Landon was bringing her to them? He couldn’t be a werewolf himself—she’d read all about them, how they had hairy faces and hands, how they couldn’t stand to eat proper, cooked food and only dined on flesh. Landon’s face was well-groomed, his hands were hairless, and she’d eaten pastries with him. But what if he wanted to leave her out here in the bayou, like an offering?
Nothing but the hum of the engine and the music settled between them. She looked over and Landon was intently staring at the road.
“Why are you afraid?” he asked quietly.
“I, uh. I’m fine.” Kyla ran her hands through her hair and then decided to just let it be until they stopped completely.
He drove slowly down the open road. “It’s okay, cher.” He reached over and touched her hand, almost to see if she would reject him or not. She found herself clutching his fingers, just hoping everything was going to be all right.
He continued, “I don’t want to spoil the surprise, but I can tell you’re freaking out. I’m taking you to my family property. My aunt and cousin are at a party tonight, but they’ll be around later. If you’re worried, you can text a friend with my address.”
A wave of relief washed through Kyla. “No, I think I’m just not used to being in control, and my imagination was running away with me. I started thinking maybe you were some kind of monster.”
He gave her hand a gentle squeeze. “Monster or not, I’d never hurt you.”
Coming to a dirt road, they drove through the overhanging Spanish moss and a large house came into view. The mansion was white, with two stories and a wraparound porch on both levels. Kyla nearly swooned. It was completely beautiful, just as the plantations of the Old South were known to be.
Kyla wondered if she was dreaming. "You live here?"
"It's my family's home. My cousin Carolina lives here with me, as well as my aunt.”
She noticed that he hadn’t mentioned his parents, but Kyla decided not to ask. If he wanted to talk about them, he’d bring them up.
"It's breathtaking." The antebellum architecture was stunning. With so many acres of land, Kyla thought she would get lost if she ever lived in a place so expansive.
"Thank you. I’ll give you a tour sometime. For now, though, come on around. I have something set up for us in the back yard."
She followed him as he led her on a path around to the back of the home. It opened up to a back yard with the Meroux River meandering past. There was more Spanish moss and lush green grass. A gazebo and a covered sitting area with a fire pit rounded out the rest of the yard.
"I thought that maybe we could have a little dinner out here and get to know one another."
He had thought this out—Kyla was impressed. "That would be wonderful."
Landon touched her in the small of her back as he led her deeper into the yard. A wicker basket and a blanket were in the middle of the lawn, with candles set up on flat rocks surrounding the makeshift picnic area.
"I thought that it would be nice right here," he said.
She was ready to get to know exactly who Landon was. His shy demeanor that was sometimes usurped by his assertive nature was something that made her want to know more about him.
Landon flipped the blanket open and spread it out on the ground. Carefully setting the basket on top, he beckoned for her to come over and take a seat.
"Thank you," she said, smoothing the space as she sat down.
"I hope you enjoy the food," Landon paused. "As well as the company."
"I’m already enjoying the company,” she said shyly. “The food’s just a bonus."
Landon opened a bottle of wine and offered her some.
“Thank you,” she said, holding out her glass. "Landon, I feel like we talked so much about me when we last met. I don't want you to think that I wanted all of the spotlight. Please tell me more about you."
"Well," Landon began as he poured a glass of wine for himself, "I’ve lived around here all of my life. I love it here. This is where my family has resided for generations."
She sipped her wine. "You didn’t really mention your parents."
"No, I didn’t." His answer was blunt, leaving her no room to ask anything else.
Kyla took that cue to move the conversation in another direction.
"So, you were saying that you live here with your cousin. Jess tells me that the two of them are pretty good friends."
Landon seemed a bit more willing to talk about that subject. "Carolina and I grew up as close as siblings. For our whole lives, we’ve done almost everything together. But now she goes to school in the city. Takes some college courses and hates the drive back and forth, so she spends more time in the city than out here. I miss her being here every day, but she's going after what she wants in life. My aunt kind of putters around and does what she wants. When my parents moved into another house, it was Aunt Delia who suggested that I stay here with her and Carolina."
"What a lucky man. This place is amazing. It must have been hard when your parents decided to leave. I would have probably moved in with family to stay here as well."
There was a brief silence and Kyla wished she could take back her words. He obviously didn’t want to talk about his parents. She couldn’t help being curious, but maybe he’d share more after he’d gotten to know and trust her better.
The sky had darkened, and their picnic was lit by stars above and candles below. She hated to look too eager, but Kyla was desperate to take away the lonely look on Landon’s face.
"So what do you do for fun out here?" Kyla asked.
"Fishing. Crocodile watching and hunting. When I need to clear my head, I like to take the boat out on the water."
“Really?” she said. “That sounds like fun.”
“I’m glad you said so.” He winked at her in the candlelight. “Because now that we’re all done eating, I have the next surprise for you.”
She loved that he’d come around again. She’d just have to avoid asking him too many personal questions until he was ready to share more.
Maybe if she shared more of herself, he’d trust her. But no…something wouldn’t let her tell him about how she’d been hurt. While he felt more special than any guy she’d dated since Dirk, she couldn’t put herself out there and declare her intentions so recklessly. Caution was the way to go.
“So what’s the next surprise?” she asked.
He pointed toward the docks. "How would you like to go for a ride along the river?"
He cleared his throat. “Woman, I don’t think anything is ever one hundred percent safe. Sometimes you have to take a risk.”
"I guess we’re both taking a chance here."
He nodded. "Let's go."
They quickly packed up the remains of their picnic. Then he held out his hand for Kyla to help her up off the blanket.
He helped her step down onto the boat, then showed her the cushioned seat he’d readied for her. There was another bottle of wine, chilling in a bucket, with two glasses nearby. He flipped on a radio, and soft oldies music played.
The river banks were expansive, with other houses on the far side. In order to get to his next neighbor, he would have to take the boat to their dock. She loved how private his residence was. Wouldn't it be so nice to live on the river? Kyla thought. She envisioned herself lying on the dock, sunbathing before she took her own boat for a spin.
“You ready?” Landon asked.
“I’ve never been more ready for anything in my life,” Kyla said, settling into her seat.
"Well then, let's hit the water."
Landon released the boat from the docks and they were off.
*
Being in the open air and at one with the water and nature was just what Kyla needed. She watched as Landon steered expertly. His confidence reminded her of how her uncle and her father used to take her on their small fishing boat and they would go up to the lake and fish for hours on end.
"You’re smiling."
It wasn’t until Landon pointed it out, that Kyla noticed that she was grinning so hard her cheeks hurt. "Yes,” she said dreamily, “I am. I was just thinking about how I used to go out on the lake and go fishing with my father and my uncle. I was my father's only child and when I didn’t turn out to be a boy, he still promised himself that I would learn all that he would have taught his son.”
Landon laughed. “Maybe you could teach me a thing or two. I was raised by my aunt, for the most part. What are your special ‘boy’ skills?” “Well, I can fish,” Kyla said. “I throw a mean curveball, and I could probably skip a rock farther than any boy I know."
Landon smiled. "That’s what family is all about." He seemed to be answering her, but his thoughts were elsewhere. She wondered if he was thinking about his own mom and dad.
“Landon,” she said, “I have to know. Why’d your parents leave, and why’d they let you stay?”
He took a deep breath. “I don’t like talking about it.”
“That, I can tell,” she said. “But I feel like every conversation we have keeps circling around to it, and now it’s turned into a…a thing. So why don’t you tell me, and we can move around it without worrying we’ll bump into it by accident?”
With his foot holding the tiller in place, Landon scooted back to sit next to Kyla. “It’s a long story,” he said. “If I tell you the short version, will that be enough for now?”
“For now,” she said. “I have trust issues, and I’ll want the whole story eventually.”
“Fair enough.” He took a deep breath. “Basically, when I was six, a bunch of locals didn’t like my parents. Worse than ‘didn’t like.’ They hated my parents. So much that they boycotted their construction business and essentially ran them out of town.”
“Whoa,” Kyla said. “Your parents couldn’t have deserved that.”
“No, they didn’t deserve it. And out of pride, or maybe fear, I don’t know, they haven’t wanted to come back. They started a new construction company, with a new name, and it’s done pretty well up north. Now I run the extension of that business down here, and the locals are none the wiser. But it’s still pretty painful to talk about. My family was very scared, for a very long time.”
“Why didn’t you all move?” Kyla asked. “Why stay here around people who don’t like you?”
“Who’s to say people would like us better anywhere else?” he asked, his eyes flashing. “And why should we have to move? We’ve had this place for generations. We love it. The land is as much a part of us as our blood.”
"I understand," Kyla said.
Landon was quiet, focusing on the tiller or on the past, Kyla couldn’t be sure. She was coming to expect the short lulls in their conversation. She was also beginning to understand that those lulls were not because they were getting to know one another. It was because they were somehow picking up a certain rhythm with each other.
She watched as they came out of a spillway into a stretch that opened wider before leading off into several canals.
The stars shone down through the arching treetops. Landon cut the engine.
"This is one of my favorite places to be. The solitude out here is amazing." He turned those hazel eyes toward her, his gaze soft.
"I can see why. It's very peaceful out here." Kyla slid her sandals off and sat on the bench near the railing. "Thank you for bringing me out here, Landon."
She could tell that he was trying to share a piece of him with her and she appreciated it.
"Sure. It's a lovely night and I happen to have such lovely company."
He sat next to her, and Kyla was sure that her heart was going to leap out of her chest. Was this the part where he’d kiss her? It felt like he would, and oh, she wanted him to. But a part of her wanted to hold back. If he kissed her, she was afraid she’d be well on her way to falling in love with him. She didn’t know if her heart could afford the risk.
"I think that the two of us may have something here, Kyla. What do you think?"
Her chest was heaving, she was unable to speak.
When Landon tilted her chin up so their eyes met, she knew what was next. His lips touched hers, first an introduction, brushing hers, then more passion as the sparks ignited.
Kyla kissed him with more intensity, moving her lips against his, and Landon matched her fervor. His lips were soft and she enjoyed every moment of his sweet kiss.
When he pulled back, she wanted to tell him to come back over and keep going, but she still couldn’t give all of herself to him. It wouldn’t be right—she couldn’t look like she wanted him more than he wanted her.
"I have been waiting to do that all evening," Landon confessed.
For the first time that evening, Kyla felt shy herself. "I have been waiting for you to do that."
They both smiled, but the moment was interrupted by the sound of howling. Landon turned, suddenly jumping from his seat. Kyla was almost sure he wanted to dive out of the boat and rush off to the sound of the howl.
"Are you okay?" she asked.
Landon stopped leaning over the side of the boat, but he didn’t sit down. His whole body looked tense. "I'm so sorry. Yes. Everything’s all right. I hope I didn't scare you."
Kyla crossed both of her arms over her chest, trying to still the goosebumps.
"You were the one who seemed startled. But those werewolves will do that to you. I mean, everyone is talking about them. How they’re here to take over the city. I've heard all kinds of stories about how they have ripped off people's heads and left their decapitated bodies in the woods. And you live out here in such a rural area. How do you do that without protection? Doesn't it scare you that you may come upon one of the creatures?"
While she was talking, she hadn’t noticed any change in Landon, but now that she’d stopped, she gaped at him in surprise. His normally easy-going demeanor had transformed into something predatory and full of rage.
“Did I—did I say something wrong?” Kyla asked, her voice meek.
Landon practically growled, "I'm not scared. That's the problem. People are always so scared of what they don't know, and then they don't take the time to get to know anything different. Play devil's advocate. What if those creatures are defending themselves against attacks from humans?"
"Did I offend you somehow?" she asked. “I don’t know much about the werewolves, just this recent article my friend sent me.”
"Don’t worry about it,” he said, shaking his head, as if he was trying to shake off his anger. “I'm just an animal lover. Any animal gets my vote over a human. Sometimes humans are just so careless about how they treat animals, and the earth in general."
Kyla nodded. "I hear you. But this whole werewolf thing can quickly get out of hand. There are so many legends going around, I don't know what to believe."
"Well, I understand that there are two sides to everything,” he said shortly. “There is the aggressor and the victim and depending on who is telling the story, you would have to decide who is who. Are you ready to get back?"
Although he didn’t seem so furious anymore, the air had changed between them. The romance of their kiss seemed to have drowned in the bayou, and now there was a tension that had nothing to do with sex, and everything to do with politics.
"Yes, I’m ready," she said, trying not to sound too miserable. After all, if it didn’t work out after tonight, all the better. She wouldn’t have to risk falling in love or really caring about him, or anyone else, ever again.
But as Landon started the boat back up, Kyla tried to figure out where everything had gone so wrong.
"I hope this conversation didn’t turn you off,” he said. “I have had the pleasure of having such a stunning woman in my presence and I don't want you to think I’m a bad host."
"No. I don't think you’re a bad host. I enjoyed our time together." Except for everything to do with the werewolf conflict. She didn’t need to say that, though; she could tell he already knew it.
He came over and took her in his arms. Kissing her gently, he said, “I’m sorry if I came across as a brute. I really did enjoy tonight.” The tip of his nose touched hers. "What if I asked you out again? Would you say yes?"
Kyla didn’t want to jump at his proposal. She still didn’t want to seem too into him, and a game of cat and mouse never hurt anyone. "You'll just have to ask me to see."
*