Deadly Sins Ch. 04: Lust

Thane stood next to the front entrance in an animated conversation with Amina. Even from her vantage point two floors up, Rayn could tell the conversation was intimate, personal.

Mid-sentence he stopped talking and his eyes traveled up towards where she was standing. He knew she was there! With a silent gasp, Rayn backed away slightly to make sure all parts of her were concealed.

But after a moment he went back to his conversation and Rayn decided her fear was silly.

As she continued to watch, Katya entered her view. Like earlier, she sidled up close to Thane, a worshipful expression on her face. Something said by Amina made Thane give Katya a thorough appraisal before giving the newcomer to the conversation an obvious order.

Katya curtsied, then headed for the stairs. She only ascended to the second landing where she disappeared around the same corner as the wolf earlier. Rayn's breath was arrested as she realized the woman's destination.

Thane's bedroom. Their bedroom.

Agonized, Rayn retreated before she was forced to watch Thane follow. She had nearly reached her bedroom disguised jail cell when a hand grabbed her upper arm from behind.

"Hey," an unfamiliar male voice said, "I've been looking for you. Went to your room and everything, but you wasn't there."

"Obviously," Rayn replied, facing her assailant. The man was young, no more than eighteen with a pale baby soft freckled face and carelessly tousled fiery red curls. "And you are?"

"Here to return you these."

Rayn's heart leapt as he pressed her keys into her palm. Her assailant had just turned into her knight in shining armor. He had possibly just given her the out she needed. "T-Thank you. Is it...?"

"Parked right out front. And she's a beaut...I had fun taking her for that little spin. Hope you don't mind?"

"Mind?" Rayn threw her arms around the boy's neck. "Of course I don't mind. You are so my new best friend! What's your name?"

"Ricky," he answered sheepishly, face blooming pink.

"Thank you, Ricky. Thank you, thank you, thank you sooo much!"

"Uh...your welcome?"

Rayn planted a kiss on his cheek, unable to help herself. Knowing her offer was a little ridiculous because she didn't plan to be around long enough to deliver, she said, "Anything you ever need...just let me know, okay?"

"Okay." He started to turn away, then evidently thought better of it. "Actually, if you'll answer one question for me, that's all I really want."

"Ricky, anything for you."

His face now tomato red, he asked, "What's it like, you know, what's it like being with someone like you? I mean, please don't take offense, I've heard stories, wonderful stories, all of them I promise, but I've never actually been with one of your kind before."

Her kind? How...weird. Just like everything else around here. What the hell, Rayn figured, all white boys probably deep down wanted to know what it would be like to have sex with a black girl.

And while she had no intentions of giving him a firsthand show, Rayn knew someone who would. Grinning slyly, she told him, "My cousin Shianne likes white boys. And she would most definitely be happy to rock your world. Wanna meet-"

But Ricky was gone before the offer was fully voiced. Oh well, she had tried.

On a whim, Rayn went back to the stairs. She was ecstatic to discover down below there was no Thane, no Katya, no Amina. And no Cael either, thank God.

And good thing she already had her running shoes on. Because it was time to leave.

Rayn took off down the stairs. When she hit the bottom landing, she noticed there were a few people standing around conversing on the first floor and while they all look interested in her, none approached as she barreled out the front door.

True to Ricky's word, there her car was, shiny and resplendent, just waiting for her parked behind Thane's black Navigator. She threw herself inside her beloved Lexus, started the engine and sped off down the long drive. When she reached the gate, lo and behold, it didn't prove an obstacle, just swinging wide to provide her access to her freedom.

Halfway through, Rayn hit the brakes. Through the driver side view mirror, she could see the barest hint of the mansion. It rose up regal and tall to separate itself from the common...just like Thane.

A pang resounded through her. Although the thought hurt, she never planned to set eyes on him again.

He's married, she reminded herself, in a committed relationship. He was also a stranger, her abductor and certifiable.

Once she was far enough away, she would figure out some way to get the other woman help, but she wouldn't be lending that helping hand personally. Else Thane would surely grab hold and drag her back into his madness.

Giving the vehicle a little gas, Rayn said her goodbyes. Arrivederci, Thane Wulff.

Farewell.

*****

Son of a motherfucking goddamn fucking bitch!

Thane's boots stomped on each and every step of the grand staircase, echoing loud as bullets in the silence which had befallen the mansion. Everyone knew he was pissed, but only a select few knew why.

Excruciatingly aware of what he would find when he got to the top, Thane couldn't stop himself from going to look anyways. He needed to verify with his own eyes the truth.

Rayn was gone.

The planets had apparently decided to favor the little minx, forming the perfect alignment to provide her with conditions conducive for escape. And she had taken full advantage of what in the end came down to being his own fault.

Against his own better judgment, Thane hadn't ordered Amina to lock Rayn in her room because he'd wanted Rayn to trust him. She already thought of him as her captor and it had been important to him to dissuade her from that notion.

But, fuck, goddamn if he shouldn't have known she would try to escape again. And he should've been there to stop her!

Not busy with Katya trying to take some relief with her a second time at Amina's insistence after nearly beheading one of his pack member's for asking with too interested a glint in his eye when he would get to meet the succubus. Especially considering the results with Katya were even more disastrous than the first time, Thane not being able to get hard for her at all. It was only the thought of Rayn which eventually breathed some life into his cock, but the actuality of Katya sucked it clean away. And not in a manner which was pleasurable for either of them.

Cullen and Cael had been off in the east branch on the second floor continuing their earlier quarrel, which Thane now knew to be over the still unnamed woman. When Cael had stopped by Amina's house to request assistance with addressing the girl's numerous wounds, Cullen had been there. And taken an interest in her, apparently much to Cael's chagrin.

And Amun...who knew where the fuck Amun had been. Thane didn't plan to ask whenever the male resurfaced for fear he might actually get an answer. Which was sure to be truly unforgettable.

Roark had been the only brother to witness Rayn's Flo-Jo act. The werewolf had been sitting in the great room just off the foyer when he'd seen her rush past like she had a fire lit under her ass.

Thane didn't bothering asking the male why he hadn't prevented her escape. He knew.

Random pack members had been present. And they probably wouldn't have taken lightly to seeing Thane's so called "guest" being tackled by Roark. Would raise a lot of questions Thane wasn't yet prepared to face.

Because he didn't have the answers.

Hand on the handle of the door which would take him into the room Rayn was supposed to be in, Thane paused. Jesus but he had thought she was experiencing some of same feelings which plagued him so strongly.

He had wanted her to stay. Why hadn't she wanted to?

Probably because he had been an ass. He'd known Rayn had been spying from the top of the stairs when he'd sent Katya to his room. But that hadn't stopped him from following. By the time he'd gotten to the foot of the stairs, Rayn was gone. And he'd thought it safe to continue on with his plan, Rayn none the wiser.

Apparently, he'd been wrong. Very fucking wrong.

But so the fuck what she'd seen him with Kat? He hadn't done anything with her. It had been impossible and he would make sure Rayn understood that when he found her. And he absolutely, positively would not try again. Not with Katya or any other female. If he couldn't have Rayn, then he would have no one.

Regardless of it all, Rayn shouldn't have run. He'd already warned her not to. Besides, didn't she know she could bed another man and flaunt it in his face ten ways past Sunday and he would still want her. Would still need to be near her. Be with her.

After he killed the asshole.

And that was where the fundamental differences between werewolves and humans started. The bond he felt was strong, indestructible. The bond she felt was...not.

And Thane didn't give a shit.

Rayn. Was. His.

Thane pushed into the room, the faint smell of lilacs assailing him, the anguish of her absence assaulting him. He knew she was hurting. And it killed him to know he was the cause, but he was going to set it all to rights.

Well, maybe not all of it, but at least this lapse in judgment was going to be laid to rest.

"I'm thinking she must've run track when she was in high school," Roark said quietly, trying to lighten the mood as he entered the room behind him. "You should've seen her, T, she was fast."

If her first attempt to escape was any indication of her speed, he already knew. "What did the boy say?"

"Said he came in through the back, saw you following Kat and figured you were going to be busy for a minute. He really wanted to meet the succubus and the keys proved to be the perfect reason."

"Goddamn it! Didn't I tell him..." Thane inhaled raggedly, thinking about the instructions he'd imparted. "I didn't tell him to bring them back to me."

Roark thought about it. "Naw, T, I don't think you did, my man."

"God...damn." It was his fault, all his motherfucking fault. He'd not only given Rayn the motive to leave, he'd also hand delivered her the means.

"We'll find her, T. Cullen is already out tracking."

Thinking of the demon that had been in her bedroom and the sinister presence he'd felt behind the store, he just hoped someone, or something, didn't beat them to her.