Darkness Unleashed

by McKenzie Hunter

  “What the fuck!” he growled.

  I remained calm, which settled him some but not enough. I smiled. “They’re waiting for the full moon. Dexter convinced them I’m going to change into a wolf then.”

  The room filled with Sebastian’s, Gavin’s, and Ethan’s laughter. The deep, rumbling sound mocked every person in the room. “Did he?” Ethan asked.

  Ethan’s gaze met mine. He might not have figured out my whole ploy, but Andrew’s presence gave him a good outline.

  I nodded. Ethan glanced at his watch and so did Andrew. Dexter let his eyes slip to his wrist just for a second to see how close the full moon was. His haughtiness hadn’t returned since his follower’s trust in him had waned.

  “And then what happens when she turns into a wolf?” Ethan asked. His cool incredulity made the situation seem like a worse farce than Dexter’s dupes probably thought.

  They were wavering.

  Sweat formed on Andrew’s brow, and his face flushed. It was the first time that night he actually looked as though he doubted werewolves existed. Hope drained from his face, leaving him pallid and pensive.

  Frustration coursed over Dexter’s features as his gaze raked over the people who were easing into a place of disbelief.

  “Don’t let them fool you,” Dexter said, calmer than he looked. “She’s a wolf and so are they.” Then he pointed at Sebastian and Gavin.

  Amusement feathered across Sebastian’s and Gavin’s faces, making Dexter’s assertion appear more foolish.

  “So, you’re a wolf, love? You should have told me. That’s something I would have liked to know before the engagement,” Ethan said with humor. Dexter’s frustration climbed, and Andrew looked as if he was going to be ill. Ethan kept a steady gaze on me. His grin widened, and then he turned to Dexter, fixing him with a terse look that incensed him. “Your howl, can I hear it?” Ethan was having too much fun with this. He was in his element, getting people to see the reality he wanted them to believe. They were starting to believe they’d been tricked by a man who had enough money and resources to walk away and leave them on the hook for a kidnapping.

  I made a weak attempt. “Arooooh.”

  Ethan and Sebastian laughed again.

  I was surprised when Gavin spoke. “Yes, she sounds like a dangerous werewolf. I suspect she’d rip my throat out if she wasn’t locked in that cage. Thank you all for protecting us from the likes of her.”

  Andrew’s friend shared in the frustration—she had to be wondering how they’d gotten themselves into this. The look on her face indicated this was the last time she would give him the benefit of the doubt.

  Sebastian gave her a bemused grin that fed her ever-growing cynicism.

  “She’s a werewolf. I give you my word. Trust me,” Dexter entreated.

  Andrew barely moved his head in a nod of acceptance, but his face was full of doubt and regret. He chewed on his bottom lip.

  Ethan’s eyes fixed on mine, and he hesitated before approaching me. I could feel my body’s desire for the relief that changing would offer. It longed to be distorted and manipulated into its desired form. A wolf. I resisted, keeping a placid smile on my face and my eyes on Ethan. I felt the calmness that I knew he was forcing himself into for my benefit.

  I can do this. I won’t change. I could hear Andrew’s heartbeat pounding in his chest, his respiration increasing as his agitation rose. It was just minutes before the full moon.

  “Let her go,” Ethan demanded. He moved closer, and the blonde woman’s eyes narrowed. Her stance became protective as she prepared to shoot.

  “It’s fine. They want to see what happens to me on a full moon. I’ll show them, but I doubt they’ll be impressed,” I said.

  I attempted another feeble howl as Ethan stepped closer, canting his head to the side, assessing me and the situation.

  “You are one, too, aren’t you?” accused one of the men who’d remained against the wall. He appraised Ethan with hostile curiosity.

  “I’m what?” Ethan asked coolly.

  “A dangerous monster.”

  Ire and the promise of a painful death slithered along the planes of Ethan’s face. “I am dangerous, I assure you of that, but I’m not what Dexter has convinced you I am. You have my fiancée locked in a cage like an animal. Believe me, I am the most dangerous person you will ever encounter. You can’t even imagine what I want to do to you,” he said in a strained voice. He was working hard to keep his bridled emotions from taking over.

  Time ticked by, and everyone looked at their watches nervously. Some of the conspirators glanced at the camera that might be a live feed of their failure.

  I curled my fingers around the cage’s cool bars as I felt the rise of the full moon. My bones ached, and my ligaments cried for relief as my body prepared to be stretched taut and distorted to give way to my wolf. My skin prickled, anticipating fur puncturing through and sheathing it. Denying my body something that it gave in to monthly was unbearable. I swallowed the torturous pain, keeping my eyes fixed on Ethan’s, drowning myself in them. The minutes crept by, and I held his gaze to distract myself from what was going on.

  I finally spoke. “The full moon is out. Based on mythology—”

  Heavy footsteps rushed toward us. The police announced their arrival. Things became chaotic as the people in the room moved around. Andrew’s face lost all color, and his mouth dropped open in disbelief. Policemen descended the stairs, ordering everyone to freeze. Before Dexter could plead his case, shots were fired. He stumbled back against a wall. His eyes widened as blood seeped from his chest. Andrew’s hands were shaking as he held the gun. He fired off another round into Dexter before the police shot him. He collapsed to the ground, still.

  Every shot made me flinch. Blood pooled around Andrew, tears welled in his friend’s eyes, and the others looked on in shock. I doubted this was the ending any of them had imagined.

  “Put the weapons down!” an officer commanded sharply, slipping his gaze toward me. The remaining conspirators dropped their guns and raised their hands above their heads in surrender. Even Ethan, Sebastian, and Gavin displayed their hands. Anger burned on the officers’ faces upon seeing a woman locked in a cage with one of the assailants holding a gun on her. The video camera pointed at me didn’t bode well, either.

  A policeman cursed under his breath. “Open it!” he snapped.

  The youngest man, the one who’d helped abduct me, was shaking, focused on the gun pointed at him. He fumbled, pulled keys out of his pocket, and dropped them on the floor. “Leave them,” the officer barked. One of Dexter’s followers groaned as another officer moved toward him with handcuffs. Soon, there were even more police in the basement. Ethan provided his ID and spoke with the captain, who was sorting out the mess. All the scents in the room were merging, but the smells of blood, fear, and anxiety were overpowering. Sebastian and Gavin spoke to the police as well, and since they’d been unarmed during the raid, they weren’t cuffed with the rest. As officers listened to what had happened, they periodically looked over at the cage and frowned.

  Once the cage was unlocked, Ethan moved closer to me, and I rushed to him, throwing my arms around him and burying my face in his shirt. “I really need to get out of here,” I whispered for our ears only.

  They questioned me first. I tried to tell the officer everything, but keeping the strain from my voice made it hard, especially since he kept asking me to repeat the same thing because he couldn’t believe someone had abducted me because he thought I shifted into an animal. Ethan held me close to him, his heartbeat steady, which eased mine but not enough. My nails dug into his back, and he tensed and pulled me closer. I needed to change.

  “Do you need to go to the hospital?” the officer asked. I shook my head, but he continued his assessment, then directed his attention to Ethan. I knew I looked ill and panicked; perspiration glistened on my brow. I leaned into Ethan more as he hugged me to him.

  “She should get medical attention,” the officer sai
d with rigid concern, not a suggestion but a command. A growled reverberated in Ethan’s chest, and I held him tighter.

  “She hasn’t eaten anything. She was locked in a cage. Sky’s not hurt—she’s tired and ready to go. Let me take her home.” Ethan reached into his pocket, pulled out a business card, and handed it to the officer. “If you have any more questions for us, feel free to give us a call. But I’m taking her home now.”

  As soon as I was settled in his car, Ethan sped away, driving faster than most people would with the police in view. I let the seat back and closed my eyes, blocking out the streetlights. Everything about my body felt sensitive, and pain drummed through me.

  “We should be at the house in twenty minutes,” he informed me.

  I was panting, my teeth clenched together, my fingers balled into tight fists.

  He looked around the surrounding area. “Do you want to change in here?”

  He turned down a two-lane street, taking a back road to his house. The car’s tinted windows and the limited streetlights would make it easy for us to change unnoticed. However, the car was too small. I looked at what should’ve been a backseat, but it was too tight even for a small child. “I can’t change in this Matchbox car!” I snapped.

  “Sky,” he said gently, resting his hand on my thigh, “I know you’re upset and are having a hard time, but you don’t need to insult my car.”

  I laughed and then punched the side of the door. He growled; I growled back louder. He gave my thigh a gentle squeeze. When we got to the house, I removed my ring and placed it in the console, spilled out of the car, and relaxed into my animal form the moment he pulled into the garage. My nails scratched against concrete. Ethan opened the door to the house, and I jogged into his living room and splayed out in the middle of the floor. I’d been in throbbing, uncontrollable pain and relaxing into my animal half was a relief. Ethan’s fingers sank into my fur and rubbed my back and legs. “Are you okay?”

  I nodded. Moments later, he shifted, laying his body over mine. I would have loved to go into the woods to run, hear the crunch of the grass underneath my feet, feel the night breeze, and truly appreciate being a wolf with Ethan. But I was so exhausted that it wasn’t an option. Instead, I lay there, reliving the events of the night. The sheer look of disappointment and horror on Andrew’s face when I hadn’t changed and the betrayal when he’d looked at Dexter. Dexter’s blank face washed of his smugness. That moment of fear when the bullet had entered his body. The realization this act wouldn’t go unpunished.

  A shiver ran through me. Ethan moved closer, nuzzling his face into the curve of my neck. It didn’t relieve me of the memories. It didn’t stop the sound of gunshots from playing a violent soundtrack in my head.

  Would this end things? They’d tried and failed to show the world the existence of something that went bump in the night. Would they continue to hunt were-animals, driven by suspicion, by a cause, by the inexplicable need to prove supernaturals existed despite all evidence against it?

  After several hours of lying together, we both melted into our human shells. We stretched out, becoming acclimated to the bodies that housed our other halves. Ethan rolled on top of me and softly kissed along my jawline and cheek, allowing his hands to languidly glide over my body, and then he tasted me at the pulse in my neck.

  “You delayed a change?” he mused, as his warm breath brushed against my skin.

  I nodded.

  Pulling back, he smiled, and it held pride and deference. He kissed me again, hungrier. His tongue explored my mouth, tangling with mine. Warmth sparked against my skin as his nails grazed along it. He pressed his supple lips against my body, laving the delicate parts of it, teasing. It was slow, sensual, and gentle. He teased me, making me yearn for more. For him. I tugged at him, urging him. He grinned and settled between my legs. I wrapped them around him as he slid into me and moved in a slow, gentle rhythm. He quickened his pace, and his kisses became harder, fervid and commanding. I gave in to him on a level that was more than just physical.

  I tangled my fingers in his hair, pulling him closer to me, breathing in his scent. I inhaled again and ran my tongue along the corded muscles of his neck. The beat of his pulse hummed at my lips. I moved my face deeper into the curve of his neck.

  I couldn’t fight a growing desire to nibble at his neck. He tensed before relaxing into my touch. I tightened my arms around him and dug my nails into his skin, thrusting my body closer to him. With him still sheathed in me, I nudged him onto his back.

  I hovered over him, panting against his lips. I kissed him again, harder, insatiably. I inhaled his oaky spice, and my body ached with a need that couldn’t be quenched with feeling, touching, or kissing him. I wanted more. Needed more. I turned his head, exposing the veins in the side of his neck, and buried my face there. Licking at the pulse of his neck, I grazed my teeth against the skin. He whispered my name. The hunger intensified. Need, so strong it overtook my very existence. His fingers curled into my back as he bared more of his neck to me. I inhaled his scent again. My gums ached as if they were waiting for fangs to descend. I bit into Ethan; he hissed. I pressed harder. The uncontrollable craving rushed through me. I sucked in, allowing blood to fill my mouth. Drawing in the warm berry and metallic liquid, I sated the lust that had overtaken me.

  Ethan continued running his hands along my body as we pounded into each other. His pants became a calming white noise as his blood spilled into my mouth. Our movements became more frenetic and erratic, trying to find the same pleasure. My fingers entwined in his hair. We thrashed against each other, uncontrolled and wild, until we both shuddered into our climaxes. I collapsed on his chest. He ran his fingers through my hair, kissed me on the head, and then lifted my chin until my eyes met his. Cradling my face in his hands, he said, “That was different. You want to explain?”

  I shook my head. Not because I didn’t want to, but because my suspicions scared me.

  “Okay.”

  I rested my head on his chest. I knew it wasn’t the end of the conversation, but for now, he let it go.

  The next morning, I awoke on the floor alone. Ethan’s scent commanded the room. I was used to it and didn’t wake up until the smell of food permeated the air. I inhaled again: fruit and pastries. I went to the car to retrieve my ring, slipped it on my finger, ran upstairs to his—our bedroom, and took a shower. Rummaging through one of my drawers, I found the necklace I was looking for. Removing the stone from it, I took the ring off my finger and slipped the chain through it. The day before, I’d nearly forgotten to remove my ring before changing; it probably would have been destroyed if I hadn’t taken it off. I wouldn’t have to worry about it when I changed. Worst-case scenario, the ring would fall off, and I could find it later. I hoped the length of the chain was enough to accommodate a change without breaking. I didn’t mind being the odd wolf running around the city with a ring dangling from a necklace. Still exhausted from holding off my transition to wolf, I couldn’t do another so soon. I’d have to test how it held up during a change later.

  Ethan was drinking a cup of coffee and held out a red velvet cake as soon as I walked in. I wasn’t sure where he’d found one this early in the morning, but I was happy he had. He always found a place. My sympathies went to whoever he’d bothered in the middle of the night, inquiring about a cake. Some unsuspecting baker or restaurateur had been inconvenienced. I didn’t bother cutting a slice when I knew I would probably eat the whole thing. I grabbed a fork and started on the cake.

  After several large forkfuls, I looked up, and Ethan’s attention fell to the necklace. He moved close enough to trace his fingers along the tiny links until he reached the ring. Several beats of silence passed before he raised a brow in inquiry.

  “I’m afraid I’ll forget to take it off and destroy the band during a change or, worse, lose the ring.”

  Slipping his hand behind my neck in one graceful sweeping move, he unclasped the necklace and let the ring drop into his hand. He placed the
ring back on my finger. “I’ll get another band or replace the ring,” he said quietly.

  Holding my hand in his, he looked at the ring on my finger, his tone firm as he said, “I want you to wear the ring.”

  Nodding, I knew it wasn’t something he wanted to discuss further. Smiling, he clasped the necklace, took several steps back, and picked up his coffee cup. “Last night was different,” he observed and took a drink. My attention was devoted to the cake because I didn’t want to see the concern on his face that I’d heard in his voice.

  “Yeah.” Warmth inched up my cheeks. I really hoped we wouldn’t discuss it. That intense desire and lust were hard to explain. I found my gaze shifting and lingering on his neck.

  “It wasn’t just a want; it was a craving, wasn’t it?” With renewed interest in my abnormalities, his gaze lingered on me.

  I nodded. “It was as if I had to have it. Had to have you,” I said, finally looking up and putting the fork down. I’d lost my appetite.

  “I called Dr. Jeremy this morning. He’s going to have blood delivered every two weeks for you. If you do it that way, you shouldn’t have cravings.”

  I frowned. “I’m not a vampire. I don’t need blood.”

  “No, you’re not one. You don’t need blood to survive, but obviously, the cravings are getting stronger. And you’ll need a way to quench them.” He looked at the bare wall as he considered the situation. He sighed. “Your terait is showing more often, too.” Ethan was always sensitive to that little orange ring around my eyes. Mine was often just flecks that most people missed, but not Ethan. I wondered if it was concerning or irritating because it was a constant reminder that the person he was with was connected to vampires on a physiological level. Ethan hated vampires, as did most of the pack members.