Twisted

by Rebecca Zanetti

  Awareness opened her eyes. Finally. “No, Terrent.” She shook her head. “We argued because you have to make a choice to not be alone any longer.” Yeah, the words felt right.

  “Your whole life, you’ve been alone. Even when you hunt, I bet.”

  A flush covered his high cheekbones.

  She nodded. “You have your friends in a compartment.

  Your enemies. Your allies. Now, you want to put your mate in one, too.” The poor guy had no clue what taking a risk meant.

  “You want me, there’s no putting me in a compartment. Somewhere safe while you go off and work.”

  He studied her with the alertness of a hunter. One in thoughtful contemplation. Not hungry right now, but with the threat that he could take a bite at any moment. “Really.”

  “Yes.” She tilted her chin. “If we’re going to be together, I want all of you.”

  His lids dropped to half-mast. “You don’t know what you’re saying.”

  “Sure, I do.” Her lungs heated. “No more scurrying me to safety . . . no more putting me in a compartment or lying to me for my own good. I want it all.”

  “Or what?” he asked softly.

  “Or hit the road, jackass.” She ignored the chills sweeping down her spine. What the hell was she doing? The man had just killed two powerful wolves. In fact, the wildness danced all over his skin as a warning. A warning a smart woman would certainly heed. “Well?”

  His eyes morphed to wolf mode.

  Oh crap.

  He nodded. “Okay.” The biceps bunched in his arms.

  “You want all of me?”

  She gulped. “Yes.”

  “All right, little wolf. I suggest you run.”

  She tripped before she made it three yards. Even worse, he didn’t jump on her, he just waited patiently for her to shove to her feet and run. Branches scraped her arms, while pine needles tangled in her hair. Breathing out, she soared over a log. Her heart beat wildly, and a thrill coursed through her veins. The wildness of the wolf inside her sprang to life.

  Yeah, he’d lied to her, and she wasn’t going to let him off the hook for a while. But he loved her, and he was a good man. One she loved right back.

  Her body on high alert, her heart full, she dodged between two trees and onto a narrow trail. A very narrow trail Terrent wouldn’t be able to take. The laugh rumbling from her chest held as much triumph as excitement. Oh, he’d catch her. But it wouldn’t be easy.

  For the first time since being rescued without any memories, she felt strong. Even if she never remembered, she had skills . . . ones she could develop. The war with the demons was killing her people, killing the vampires, and now, finally, she could help. Well, as soon as she relearned physics. For now, she had a mate to love, one who needed to see her as strong enough to be with him. One who needed to learn trust. Finally.

  Her mind was so full of light, so full of hope . . . that she missed the end of the trail.

  Suddenly, she was teetering on a bank.

  Grabbing her by the scruff of the neck, Terrent stopped her from falling in the river by throwing them both onto the trail. The rain had finally stopped, but big drops still cascaded down from high above.

  He lay on his back, eyes closed, breath panting out.

  She followed suit and swallowed. “Sorry about that.”

  He chuckled. “I’m almost looking forward to chasing down raging beasts next week. Werewolves are a vacation from the danger you create.”

  Funny. Very funny. “Anybody could’ve almost fallen in the river.”

  His chuckle turned to full-out, masculine laughter. She frowned and then joined in.

  The ground shifted, and he rolled on top of her. Balancing himself on his elbows, he brushed away the curls plastered against her face. His grin flashed sharp canines. His thick hair curled around his ears, while the bruises on his strong face only enhanced the wildness always living there. “I’m going to buy the vampires accident insurance before I take you to Realm headquarters.”

  A warmth wandered through her abdomen. The man defined sexy. “I’m not going to headquarters.”

  He frowned. “You want to stay here? That’s not a good idea—not until a new Alpha is named and things cool off.”

  “No.” She arched against him, enjoying the hot tingles that swept her nerves. “I’m going with you. To fight.”

  “No.”

  She grinned. “You can’t tell me ‘no.’ ”

  His gaze hardened enough to speed up her heart rate. “I just did.”

  She stilled, her smile faltering. “You’re not kidding.”

  “No.” Heat cascaded off the wolf. “You will not fight, and you will stay safe.”

  Pine needles scattered as she shook her head. Plops of water falling off leaves dropped all around them. “That’s not how this works. I’m going to do my part.”

  His eyes darkened, and he pressed his groin against hers.

  Fire licked from her clit to her breasts. She shivered.

  “I’m not a vampire or feline shifter, little wolf,” he said softly.

  “No kidding, Terrent. I’ve seen you shift.” Irritation mixed with a rapidly growing desire in her blood. Actual steam rose from the wolf ’s wet clothing. How hot was that?

  “I know. We’re wolves, we mated, and you’ll damn well do what I tell you to do.”

  She grinned. She couldn’t help it. “You are so outdated.”

  The poor guy hadn’t a clue—always on the outside of matings looking in. “That’s not how matings work.”

  “It’s how ours works.” The Alpha inside him, the wolf he’d honed to a finely trained killer, flashed hot and bright.

  “We live in war. As my mate, you will obey me.”

  He had not fucking used the o word. It hadn’t happened.

  The man must have a death wish. “Or what?” she murmured, allowing challenge to scream across her face. No way would she obey anybody. Ever.

  His fangs dropped. “There is no ‘ or what.’ ” He tugged her shirt away from her neck and scraped those sharp points on her marking.

  An electrical current zapped through her body, bowing her back. “I’m perfectly—able—to fight—werewolves.” Though she wasn’t able to keep her breath, with his heated mouth wandering between her breasts, taking time to lick and nip along the way.

  “You can’t even walk on a trail without almost falling in a river,” he murmured, sucking on a nipple.

  How rude to bring that up. She tangled her fingers in his hair and jerked up.

  The displeased growl from his chest matched the expression on his face. “Let go.”

  “No. We need to get this settled now.” Before she ripped off his clothes and forgot all about her position. Her very strong, modern position.

  “Get what settled?” he asked, an eyebrow rising.

  Goodness, he was serious. The man had no clue. Maybe he’d hit his head when he’d thrown them on the trail. “About my going with you and working on my new abilities.”

  “We did settle that.” His gaze searched hers. “Did you hit your head when we landed?”

  “No.” She breathed out, fighting for patience, tightening her hold.

  “Maggie, I don’t travel in style. If there’s an outbreak, we hurry to the locale, sleeping in the forest, wherever. Once we find the werewolf, we hunt, fight, and kill. The fun starts all over the next day.” He tugged his head away, and her hands dropped. “There’s no room service, few plane rides, and no luxuries. Sometimes we don’t even shower for weeks.”

  Well, now the whole situation sounded horrible. Truly horrible. She wrinkled her nose, not willing to back down.

  “So?”

  He dropped his forehead to hers. “It’s all right to want showers. To want warmth and safety and peace.” He pressed a kiss against her lips. “You’ll find your place, little one . . .

  and I’m sure you’ll help our allies. You need to be who you want, and not who you think you should be.”

>   Logic. The damn man was using logic and kindness to get what he wanted. “You don’t want me with you.”

  “Not true.” Leaning back, he spread her shirt apart. “I love having you with me. But I do need to concentrate absolutely when fighting werewolves. I can’t fight and protect you.”

  So he wanted to dump her at Realm headquarters. Even if the war ended, he was a werewolf hunter. There would always be werewolves. “I’m not as strong as you think.”

  He grinned, sliding his thumbs over her clavicle to her breasts. “You’re stronger than even you imagine.” Then he pinched.

  She gasped.

  He pinched harder. “Let me show you.”

  Chapter Twelve

  Maggie licked her lips, her breasts on fire, her clit throbbing with a need so demanding she wanted to beg. Maggie Malone didn’t beg. “If you think you have something to show me, go ahead.”

  With a growl, he flipped her over and onto her stomach, yanking off her shirt on the way. A startled gasp whooshed out with her breath. She landed on the soft grass, her arms cushioning her face. “Um—”

  Her wet jeans and socks flew over her head.

  Then, he was over her, providing warmth. A rough hand smacked her ass and then slid down between her legs to cup her. All of her.

  She blinked twice, her body igniting.

  “I own you, little wolf. Never forget it,” he rasped, his breath heating her ear.

  The dominant tone blasted through her like a shot of pure whiskey. He’d held back. All of a sudden, the truth pinpointed into clarity. The man had been gentle with her before. As she healed.

  He wasn’t holding back any longer.

  She ground against him, protesting when he removed his hand. The second smack to her rear echoed around the forest. Fire vibrated across her hips.

  “Hey—”

  “Hold still.” He rubbed the abused area with a rough palm.

  She stilled, her butt suddenly feeling very vulnerable.

  “Better.” His mouth dropped to where her neck met her shoulder, while his hand wandered south again to press against her sex, his index finger on her clit. “Now show me how strong you are. You move, you get spanked. You hold still . . . you get something else.” Those fangs sank into his marking like they belonged there.

  She cried out, the sensation more intense than painful.

  His tongue rasped along her jugular.

  Her entire body shuddered.

  A bird squawked high above, and she thought quickly about calling for help. Except she didn’t want help. Not even a little. She wanted more . . . and she wanted the orgasm just lurking out of reach. So she cleared her throat. “I can handle anything you’ve got, wolf boy.”

  “Can you, now?” he whispered, pinching her clit.

  She jumped and rose to her elbows, her knees sliding forward. Her mind cleared. Uh, oh.

  “You moved.” He moved his hand free, rubbing her butt.

  She clenched. “Wait—I—”

  Smack. “I thought the rules were clear.” Smack. Smack.

  Smack. “Let’s try again.”

  Her eyes fluttered closed. Her butt pounded, and she was more turned on than she would’ve thought possible. “You’re terrible.”

  “Actually, I’m pretty good.” He inserted a finger in her.

  “And you’re wet.” A hum of appreciation echoed against her skin as he removed his hand. “Don’t move, or it’ll be more than four smacks. I’m raring to go, darlin’.”

  The dark anticipation in his tone froze her in place. He levered himself up behind her, where she couldn’t see him.

  On all fours, straining to hear, she tried to concentrate. A zipper released. Thank God. He was finally getting naked.

  His clothing soon piled up beside her.

  Her heartbeat thundered in her ears.

  “One for good measure.” A heavy hand descended on her buttocks.

  Erotic pain spiraled through her skin. She cried out, arching her back. “You like that too much.”

  He chuckled, grasping her hips. “I like seeing my handprint on your ass just enough. No doubt I’ll see that a lot in the future.” Tightening his hold, he thrust inside her with one powerful shove.

  The orgasm roared down on her with the power of a storm. She whimpered his name, riding the waves, unable to do anything but feel. Pleasure rippled along her skin, inside her sex, until her head fuzzed. Finally, she came down with a soft sigh.

  “We’re not done.” He reached under her to cup her breasts, his cock hard and pulsing inside her.

  Hunger clawed through her, too strong to be safe. She flipped her hair out of her face. “Who said I was done?”

  The hoarse breathiness of her response may have weak-ened the flippant words.

  “Good point.” He rolled her nipples between his fingers, sending coils of pleasure through her nerves. With a tug, he released her.

  One strong hand flattened against her upper back, forcing her face down on her arms. Then his thighs widened hers, immobilizing her. She couldn’t move if she wanted to. The thought sent fire through her veins.

  He rubbed her smarting butt. “Jesus. My handprint may never go away.”

  The bastard sounded pleased. She couldn’t help but arch into his rough hold. “That was a one-shot deal.”

  An instantly hard slap negated the statement. Fire cascaded out from his hand. “Somehow, I don’t think so.” He leaned over to nip her ear. “Remember when you asked earlier what happens if you don’t obey?”

  “You’re an ass.”

  “I think we’ve stumbled upon an answer.” He grabbed her hips, sliding out and slamming back in.

  “I don’t think so.” God, please don’t stop moving. She bit down on her lip.

  His thighs widened hers even more, opening her for whatever he wanted. Fast, strong, he started to pound, not holding anything back. All of his power shimmered around them as he took her, as he claimed her. The authority of an Alpha, the determination of a mate, and the finely honed skills of a hunter all lent strength to his thrusts, to the hold he kept on her.

  Pleasure washed over her, through her, with such intensity the forest disappeared. The world disappeared. The only thing in existence was Terrent Vilks and his pounding. He reached down and pinched her clit.

  The universe exploded. She cried out, arching her back, the orgasm springing through her so sharply it cut. Pleasure burst so powerfully it bordered on pain. She rode the waves, gasping, entrusting him to keep her safe. To keep her forever.

  His fangs dropped into his mark, the claiming so strong it threw her into another orgasm just as powerful. She screamed his name.

  Coming down, her ears ringing, she sobbed in relief. He ground against her, his fingers bruising, as he came. His fangs remained embedded in her flesh for an extra moment.

  Just so she knew. Just so there was no confusion, no question.

  She belonged to him.

  Terrent held out his hand, not liking the look of longing on Maggie’s face as she glanced at the sturdy cabin one more time. It would’ve been a nice place to call home.

  Steeling her shoulders, she turned and slipped her small hand into his. “I liked being here.”

  “So did I.” He led her to the truck and tossed their things in the back. “We’ll be back to visit.”

  She jumped inside and nodded. “I know, but it won’t be the same.”

  “No.” He crossed the truck and hurried into the driver’s seat, quickly turning the key and backing out of the drive. “I received an e-mail from the new Vaile Alpha, asking for you to visit your old pack. After checking with Dage, I think the new Alpha might be a decent guy.”

  She gave a small sound of interest. “Maybe we’ll visit sometime. I need to think about it for a little bit.”

  His woman was a planner. He liked that about her. “We need to say good-bye to Gerald.” The old guy had a lot on his plate.

  “Will he continue as Alpha of the Raze pack, you know, sinc
e you, ah—”

  “Killed Roger?” Terrent rubbed his neck, increasing the speed of the truck. He should probably feel bad about killing the Alpha. But Roger had made the colossal mistake of threatening Maggie, and there was no looking back. Besides, as a fighter, he really hadn’t been that good, now had he? “Yeah. I think Gerald will stay in place until somebody else steps up. He needs to increase pack security, though.”

  “Do you think the Ausgel pack will attack again?” Maggie asked, her gaze out the window.

  “Yes. Maybe not right away, but they’re not done.” He’d need to leave some instructions with Nash for training the younger members of the pack.

  She cleared her throat, clenching her hands together.

  “Roger said he contacted the demons . . . before you killed him.”

  “Yes.” Damn insecure Alpha. Terrent shook his head. “I already sent a coded message to the king that Roger was wrong and you have no new ability. The demons should in-tercept it and be able to figure it out within a week or so.”

  “Do you think the message will work?” she asked, her voice rising.

  “Sure.” Hell if he knew. It was worth a shot. “The demons are egomaniacs. I doubt they ever truly believed you could mimic their gifts.”

  “Yeah, that’s true.”

  The truck rolled to a stop behind the wide lodge. The parking lot was full. The pack probably wanted to say good-bye to Maggie—they’d really come to love her. Terrent grabbed Maggie to haul her across the seat. He rubbed his cheek along her neck, cradling her. “If you want, I could ask that you live here.”

  She sighed. “No. I don’t want to stay here without you.

  I’ll figure out a place to live . . . somehow.” She cuddled closer. “I never thought I’d be one of those women who waited at home for a soldier—I’m not that strong. Their sac-rifices always humbled me.”

  “You’re strong enough for anything, little wolf.” The woman didn’t want to live at Realm headquarters, either. He had to find her a safe place where she could be happy.

  Enough of this. They needed to get the good-byes out of the way before his woman broke down. He opened the door and jumped out, setting her on her feet. “Let’s do this.”