The water echoed quietly as the sun disappeared behind the horizon and the waves brushed against the boat hull. The gentle rocking brought her out of her dreams and she slowly opened her eyes. Looking around the cabin, she found it dark and empty. Slowly she pushed herself up and felt her hair fall down along her back. She ran a hand through the soft locks and pushed the bedding off. A cold draft slid along her exposed skin and a chill ran up her spine. She pulled the bedding back up to her and wrapped her arms around her legs. Taking a deep breath, she looked out the window and caught the last glimpse of the setting sun. The door to the deck opened and she watched Belenus trot into sight. He walked up to the bed and she rubbed his ear. His low moans brought a smirk to her face and she ruffled his fur. He snorted and shook his head. Laughing, she watched him settle down on the rug by the sink. "Finally woke up?" Slowly she looked back at the door and found Aedan watching her. He was leaning against the door and had his arms crossed. She nodded slowly and he came to the bed. "Feeling better?" She studied his blue stare and asked "How long was I out?" "A few days." "Why didn't you wake me?" He took a seat on the bed and said "You needed the rest." She propped her head on her hand and asked "You weren't afraid that I might have died?" A low chuckle filled her ears and she felt his hand run through her hair. "I checked on you frequently and Belenus would have alerted me if something had happened." She caught his hand and asked "Where are we going?" He leaned back on the bed and sighed. That was a question he was still figuring out himself. Now that the hunt is over for good he wasn't sure where she wanted to go. Spending the past days by himself, he had come to the conclusion that she had to see her family before they considered returning to America. "Tomorrow we'll be having dinner with your brother." One eyebrow went up and she asked "Are you sure you didn't get hit on the head during that fight?" He closed his eyes and shook his head. "I'm positive." "Since when have you ever considered seeing Harm again?" He smirked and placed his arms under his head. "I figure the man will want to know what happened and those girls are going to want to see Belenus again." She smirked and he slowly opened his eyes. He met her brown gaze and sat up. She closed her eyes as his lips brushed her forehead and he got to his feet. "Are you hungry?" She looked up at him and said "Not really." His blue stare focused on Belenus and he walked over to the door. "I'm going to go turn the engine off. If you want to stretch your legs, you might want to put some warm clothes on before you come up." She smirked and said "I'm fine." He walked to the door and looked back at her. She held his gaze and wrapped her hidden arms around her legs. "I'll be back in a few." She nodded and he climbed up onto the deck. Closing the door behind him, he walked over to the controls and began shutting everything down for the night. When the engine stopped, he locked the controls and turned the light off. Quietly he crossed the deck and climbed down into the cabin. He closed the door and sealed out the cold evening air. When he turned around, he found Belenus curled up on the end of the bed and the blonde woman already asleep. Smirking, he removed his boots and walked over to the bed. Belenus lifted his head as he approached and the wolf sighed as he climbed off the bed. Chuckling, he climbed into bed and wrapped his arms around the sleeping woman. ___________________________________________________________ The sun slipped through the window and ran along her face, coming to a rest in her golden hair. She pulled her arm closer and shifted onto her side. The sun's heat bathed her face and quiet footsteps entered her ears. A frown crossed her hidden mouth and she let her eyes open. The door opened and she watched Aedan enter the cabin. He met her quizzical stare and smirked. She watched him walk over to the cabinets and dig through a drawer. Belenus sighed from the floor and she looked over at the wolf. He met her stare and climbed to his feet. Quietly he trotted over to her and nuzzled her face. She slid her hand free from the pillow and rubbed his face. He leaned into the caress and let out a content moan. "He gets a better welcome than me. How annoying." Her brown eyes looked up at him and he asked "Are you hungry now?" Slowly she stopped scratching the soft ear in her hand and sat up. The man brought over a plate and she found a small sandwich waiting for her. Quietly she took the food and he slid his hand through her hair. "We docked this morning." "Why didn't you wake me?" His eyes studied her rested form and a knowing smirk crossed his face. "Just eat the sandwich and meet me up on the deck when you're ready." She frowned and watched him disappear from the cozy cabin. Belenus nudged her hand and she smirked. Tearing a bite off the corner, she handed him the food and he curled up on the floor. She ate the rest of the sandwich and pushed the bedding off her legs. Stepping over the content wolf, she carried the plate over to the sink and washed it. She placed it in the strainer and walked over to the dresser. Digging out some new jeans and a black t-shirt, she walked back to the shower and started the water. The bathroom mirror began to steam up as she slid out of her current worn clothes. They rested in a heap on the floor and she stepped under the warm water. A relaxing sigh came from her throat and she closed her eyes. As her muscles relaxed under the water, she washed her hair and scrubbed her skin clean. She slowly spun around under the running water and rinsed herself off. Turning the shower off, she grabbed her waiting robe just next to the shower and wrapped it around her. Quietly she climbed out of the shower and grabbed her towel as she approached the sink. She wiped the mirror off and towel dried her hair. She grabbed her clothes off the floor and walked out of the room. The clothes landed in the hamper by the dresser and she walked over to her bed. Her clean clothes waited in a stack on the bed and she slowly loosened her robe. It pooled at her feet and she towel dried her skin. Silently she slid into her clean clothes and sat down on the bed to pull on her boots. As she laced the strings, Belenus nudged the bed and she smirked. "All right. Go ahead." He looked at the folded down bedding and she shook her head. Quietly she pulled the bedding up and tucked it in beneath the mattress. The wolf jumped onto the bed and curled up in the middle. "You really are spoiled you know that." He snorted and she rubbed his head. Quietly she returned her towel and robe to the bathroom. She grabbed a comb and ran it through her damp hair, removing all loose strands and any knots. Satisfied, she pulled her hair back and tied it to keep it out of the way. She left the bathroom without another glance in the mirror and studied the resting black lump on the bed. He watched her slowly approach and stretched his paws. She stood next to the bed and looked into his dark brown gaze. Her lip came up slightly and she caught his face in her hands. He let out a playful growl and she wrestled him onto his side. His legs kicked at her and she pinned him beneath her with a triumphant laugh. He snorted and relaxed as she ran her hand along his side. Slowly his eyes fell closed and she kissed his ear. "Did you win?" She looked at the door and smiled when she met the blue gaze. The man had an amused look on his face and she nodded. Belenus snorted in disagreement and she rubbed his head. Slowly she let him up and walked over to Aedan. His arm circled her waist and she linked her arms around his neck. "I haven't heard you laugh like that in years." She burrowed her face into his neck and sighed. His hand ran along her spine and she let his warmth surround her. This man was the reason she was able to laugh again. He had been her confidant growing up and when she was on her self-destructive mission he walked back into her life. Being held in his arms was a dream and she didn't want to lose that dream ever again. "Are you ready to go see them?" Slowly she looked up at him and said "Yeah." He brushed his lips briefly over hers and released her waist. She heard Belenus jump onto the floor and she followed the man up onto the deck. He handed her the leather jacket she wore days ago and she slid it on. They approached the side wall and he slid down onto the dock first. She attached the lead to Belenus's choker and Aedan assisted the wolf onto the dock. Silently she placed her hand in his and he pulled her onto the deck. Belenus looked up at her and raised an ear. "Yes we're going to see the girls." His tail began wagging and he tugged on his restraint. She laughed and let him pull her down the dock. Silently Aedan followed and listened to the carefree laugh he had missed so much. Everything seemed to be lifted from her shoulders and a bright flame of life was glowing in her again. He had seen it slowly returning as their time together had grown longer but since Coyle's death she had become free again. Her wild spirit was finally released from some inner cage and was enjoying every second it had in its new freedom. He smirked as Belenus came to a stop at the end of the sidewalk that ran up to her family's house. They stepped inside the gate enclosed yard and he fastened the gate as she released the excited wolf. He ran up the sidewalk and cleared the porch steps. An arm circled his and he looked down into a burning brown gaze. He captured her mouth and savored the smile he could taste against his mouth. Belenus let out a whine and she laughed as she pulled away. He held her at his side and they walked up to the anxious wolf. Quietly he let his arm return to his side and she knocked on the door. Aedan watched the wolf's tail stop wagging and he hid behind Aine's legs. Slowly the door opened and Lisa's smile greeted them. Then she took Aine into her arms and two blurs ran straight for Belenus. He jumped off the porch and the girls chased him around the yard. "I'm so glad you're back." She smiled and slowly freed herself. Lisa laughed and nodded to Aedan. "Thank you for bringing her back." He nodded with a small smirk on his face and the woman pulled Aine into the house. They walked into the library and Harm looked up from his desk. He let out a sigh and a smile crossed his face as he stood up. Quietly the man came around the desk and wrapped his arms around his sister. She slowly wrapped her arms around him and listened to his second sigh. "I was afraid we lost you." "It wasn't me." He looked down at her and then glanced at the silent blonde man in the doorway. Blue eyes met his brown gaze and he nodded. "Thank you." Aedan leaned against the door frame and crossed his arms. Harm rolled his eyes and looked back at his sister. "You look so good." She smiled and asked "How is everyone?" He chuckled and said "We're good. The girls I'm afraid have already been distracted with Belenus." She nodded and said "Sooner or later they'll find me." Lisa slid past Aedan and caught her arm. "Come help me in the kitchen." She let the woman lead her away and met the blue gaze as she was pulled out of the room. Quietly Lisa left her at the counter in the kitchen and laid out the food for dinner. She picked up the food and Lisa shook her head with a smile. "Take a seat." "I thought you wanted my help." The woman laughed and said "I said that so I could steal you from my husband." She smirked and watched the woman use her skills. Lisa always amazed her with her cooking abilities and she leaned her head against her hand. "How are you holding up?" "I'm fine." The woman met her gaze as she put the food into a cast iron skillet. "You don't have to keep a mask on when it's just us." "I'm not." The woman studied her and her smile broadened. "Good. I had hoped that man would do you some good and I am glad to say that I was right." She smirked and asked "How worried has Harm been?" "Horribly worried. He hasn't gotten much sleep, no matter what I tried to use against him." An eyebrow went up and Lisa laughed. "Not that." "Now who's lying?" The woman continued to laugh and began peeling potatoes and dicing them. "Okay, I did try that a few times and I swear it almost worked." "What happened?" She sighed and said "He looked at me and I saw the worry return to his eyes." Aine sat up straight and stared at her. Lisa dropped the last piece of potato into the strainer and carried them over to the sink. "Looking at his family made him worry about you. You are his only sister you know." "I know." Lisa washed the potatoes off and carried them over to the stove. Quietly she dropped the pieces into a pan of boiling water and put a lid on the top. She wiped her hands off and turned back around. "I know how it feels to lose a sibling that means the world to me. I don't want Harm to ever go through that." She felt Lisa capture her hand and said "Promise me this hunting, this mission, is over." Slowly Aine nodded and the woman let out a sigh. "Good." Quietly the woman resumed the cooking and Aine watched her. She perched her head back on her hand and thought about Harm. The man was her brother and they were fairly close, like Lisa said. It was so strange to have the man worrying about her when he hadn't before. Maybe it was because he knew how she was linked to Coyle. That name sounded empty in her thoughts and she let a smirk cross her mouth briefly. Being able to think about him and not feel some part of her grow cold was a blessing. She knew she was finally over him and free from his hold. The first time she realized she was truly was when she had returned to the boat that night. When Aedan's hands had taken hers and he had pulled her up onto the boat she knew. She had felt something warm flash through her as his fingers laced with hers and that warm feeling hasn't left. Lying in his arms confirmed that feeling and now when that man entered her thoughts she had to fight off a smile. "Thinking about that sexy man in the library?" Her brown eyes narrowed in on Lisa and the woman laughed. "You are, aren't you?" She dropped her hand to the counter and said "Guilty." Lisa laughed and asked "Are you happy with him?" She slowly nodded and watched the woman pour the potatoes out of the boiling water. "Have you told him that you love him?" "What?" Lisa strained the potatoes and put them back in the pot. She placed it on the stove and added butter before mashing them. "Have you told him how much you love him?" "Where did you get that idea?" The woman laughed and placed the finished mashed potatoes on the counter. "The glow in your eyes and that brief connection you two shared when I pulled you in here. I didn't miss that." She smirked and said "I tried." The woman shook her head with a smile and said "Go put these on the table while I put the meat on a platter." Aine grabbed the potatoes and carried them over to the table. She fixed the place settings and watched Lisa turn off the stove. The woman carried the chicken over to the table and placed it in the center of the table. "Now we need to round them up." She smirked and asked "Kids or the boys?" Lisa laughed and said "I think the girls would be easier." She watched the woman go outside and walked back to the library. "So are you going to ask her to marry you?" She stopped just down the hall from the library and stared at Aedan's tense shoulders. "This isn't an interrogation. I just want to know how much you really care about her." "I don't want to hold her back." Harm's laugh echoed down the hall and she heard him approach Aedan. "No one can hold that woman back. Besides, as much as you love her I'd think marriage would be the best solution for the both of you." "You've let your wife influence your thinking too much." Harm chuckled and said "Maybe but being a man happily in love, I can read it in your eyes whenever you look at her." She covered her mouth as a soft laugh slipped and his blue eyes snapped back at her. They softened when she lowered her hand and quietly approached. "Lisa is getting the girls. I'm suppose to bring you two into the kitchen for dinner." Harm studied the silent look the two exchanged and shook his head. "If you two are going to eat each other up with that look, please save it for later." She shot him a look and he caught her shoulder. "I'll see myself to the kitchen. Don't take too long." They watched the man disappear into the kitchen and arms circled her waist. She looked up into the burning blue gaze and wrapped her arms around his neck. "Everyone has this crazy idea that I love you." He smirked and said "So I've heard." She studied the amused look in his eyes and asked "Do you think they're right?" "Depends." "On?" He captured her mouth slowly and she relished in the passion he stirred inside her. Her fingers slid through his hair and she met his demanding kisses. Running feet and barking surrounded them and he slowly looked down into her brown eyes. "I thought so." She smiled and felt Belenus slip past her legs. Looking down at the wolf, he ran behind a couch and hid as the girls came into view. They ran up to Aine and threw their arms around her. "Where's Belenus?" "Yeah, he ran away again." She slowly glanced at the couch and the girls giggled before slipping into the library. They watched the girls quietly approach the couch and she rested her head on his shoulder. "Think they'll find him?" She smirked and said "They already did." He watched her as she studied the girls and watched the light in her eyes grow as the girls chased Belenus out from hiding. The three ran out of the room and down the hall to the kitchen. Slowly she looked back at him and he captured her mouth once more. "We better go before they send their parents after us." She laughed and asked "Are you scared of my brother?" He snorted and said "I whipped him once, I can do it again." She laughed and said "Shhh. He doesn't know that." Smirking, he wrapped his arm around her waist and pulled her down the hall. They stepped into the kitchen and found the girls still chasing Belenus. "Belenus." The wolf slid to a halt and looked at her. His tail slowly came to a stop and he walked up to her. She rubbed his head and looked at the girls. "You can continue your game after we eat." The girls sighed and climbed into their seats. Harm raised an eyebrow and watched his daughters quietly settle down for dinner. "Very impressive, Aine." She took a seat across from the girls and Aedan sat beside her. Lisa sat down at the end and Belenus curled up on the floor between Aine and Aedan. The atmosphere was calm and relaxing and dinner became filled with laughter and stories. Aedan sat back and watched the woman next to him as she interacted with her family. After dinner the girls hugged Belenus goodnight and quietly went upstairs with their mother. Harm escorted them to the door and Belenus stood still as his lead was attached to the choker once more. He took Aine in his arms and hugged her. "Come back soon." She nodded and said "I will." Quietly they walked down the sidewalk and headed back to the docks. As they walked down the street, Aedan studied the look in her eyes and remained silent. Belenus stopped when they reached the boat and he helped the wolf up onto the deck. Silently he pulled her on board and wrapped his arms around her. She released the wolf and let the lead drop to the deck as she curled her arms around his neck. His mouth took hers captive and she closed her eyes. The kiss made her blood quicken and she curled her fingers through his hair. He lifted his head and she listened to his steady pulse. "Do you want to stay?" She smiled and said "I have one place I have to go before we can think about that." He looked down at her and she explained. "I have to visit Breck." He smirked and guided her down into the cabin. His arms released her and she walked over to the bed as he pulled the door shut. Belenus slid inside just before the door shut and Aedan shook his head as he locked the door. Quietly he looked back at her and found her sitting on the bed unlacing her boots. Silently he moved to the bed and sat down beside her. He unlaced his boots and asked "Tired?" She set her boots aside and looked up at him. He met her gaze and his boots were dropped onto the floor as she slid onto his lap. Her arms wrapped around his neck and her lips slid along his. His arms circled her taunt waist and he lost himself in her taste.