by Liv Brywood
Deadly Seduction
Liv Brywood
Deadly Seduction
Gwen hasn't left the Silver Creek Pack's den since a devastating assault that scarred her body and still tortures her soul. But when Nosh, the alpha of the Dark Moon pack, is injured in a suspicious accident, she's forced to travel to his den. The healer-in-training draws on all her skills and saves the alpha, but soon he narrowly escapes another "accident." Someone in Nosh's pack is hell-bent on murdering him and everyone he cares about, and now Gwen has been targeted by a killer.
Nosh risks his life to protect her from their unknown enemy. But when the scorching hot alpha wolf hints at wanting something more, Gwen has to fight her own demons. As evil closes in, she must reclaim her ability to trust or risk losing the only man she's ever loved. She can heal the alpha's body, but can he heal her soul?
Excerpt
Gwen blinked back a sudden rush of emotion. “I’m not sure that I have any inner strength.”
Nosh reached for her hand. He gently rubbed his thumb across her palm. “You survived.”
“Did I?”
“You did. You’re here right now, fighting. You’re not hiding in your den. You’re not wallowing around like a victim. You’re a survivor.”
She sighed. “But I’m scared all the time. I still jump at shadows and if you weren’t here with me right now, there’s no way in hell I’d be out roaming the woods alone. I’m not strong.”
“I know you don’t believe me, but you’re stronger than you think.”
She couldn’t understand why he had so much faith in her. Maybe it was an act. But he seemed so sincere. And what if he was right? Was she really afraid of taking back her power? Zane had stolen so much from her. But if she continued to hide, if she continued to be afraid of every shadow, what kind of life would she live? Wouldn’t that be like letting Zane win? He could hurt her from the grave, but only if she let him.
Nosh clasped her other hand. “If I didn’t believe in you, I wouldn’t be doing this.”
“I know,” she whispered as she tilted her head up. She sensed he wanted to kiss her and she wanted it just as much.
As he leaned down, she sighed. She’d been right about a man’s intentions for once. His lips found hers in a kiss as soft as the billowing clouds which grazed the bright blue sky. In the past, she’d let him control the intensity, but not now. The urge to taste him overwhelmed her fear. She slipped the tip of her tongue out to skim the seam of his lips. When they parted, she darted between his lips to taste his sensual mouth.
Her fingers tangled in his hair as she pulled him closer. Hot and wet, her tongue melded to his in a sensual dance that made her toes curl. When she finally pulled away to catch her breath, he was staring with an intensity that hardened her nipples and moistened the soft folds between her thighs.
Nosh’s voice came out hoarse. “Gwen…”
Deadly Seduction
Liv Brywood
Deadly Seduction
Copyright© 2015 Liv Brywood
Amazon Edition
All rights reserved
No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means including information storage and retrieval systems, without permission in writing from the author. The only exception is by a reviewer, who may quote short excerpts in a review.
This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.
Table of Contents
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Epilogue
A Note from Liv
Chapter 1
As Nosh raised the bundle of smoldering sage to the sky above Howling Mountain, the hair on the back of his neck prickled. He didn’t have to turn to know that someone was watching him. As he continued the chant to honor his ancestors, he turned away from the edge of the cliff in tiny increments. If he moved too fast, the stalker would realize that Nosh was aware of his presence.
Nosh’s voice rose and fell in time with an ancient Native-American chant as he asked for protection. As the last werewolf in his pack to practice the ancient ways, he knew the other man wouldn’t recognize the difference.
Out of the corner of his eye, Nosh spotted a man on a ledge about ten feet up the cliff. The stalker huddled in the shadows. No matter how hard he tried, Nosh couldn’t make out his features. As if sensing Nosh’s gaze, the man shifted into wolf form, further concealing his identity. Evil intent coiled around the wolf. The summer sunlight turn cold as Nosh contemplated his next move.
As far as he knew, he didn’t have any enemies. But as Alpha of the Dark Moon Pack, he wouldn’t be immune to ambitious wolves seeking to overthrow his rule. If the man was another wolf from his pack, there’d be hell to pay for interrupting Nosh’s annual ancestral ceremony.
Today marked the sixth year since his parents’ sudden death from an unknown disease. He still missed them every day, but he didn’t dwell on it. Being controlled by the past wasn’t any way to live. Life was better when he looked to the future. And right now, he needed to figure out what the hell the other wolf was up to.
He glanced into the darkness where the wolf hid. A flash of fur darted away. Nosh narrowed his eyes. He’d have to abandon his ceremony to investigate why the wolf was watching him.
He squatted to smash the glowing bundle of sage into the dirt. As he rose up, the wolf leapt off the cliff. Nosh turned to one side to avoid the blow. The wolf skidded to a stop but not before his front paw slipped over the edge. As he scrambled back, rocks careened over the side and crashed down the mountain.
Nosh swung around to face the wolf. In less than a second, he recognized Mazus. Nosh bent his knees slightly and balanced his weight evenly. His hands fisted at chest level.
“What the hell are you doing?” he demanded.
Mazus whipped his head to the left to stare into the abyss. Ridges of jet-black fur flashed in the sunlight. He bared his canines and growled.
Nosh didn’t flinch. No one would intimidate him, not even the conniving wolf he’d passed over when he’d appointed Lucian to be the pack’s new beta. Although Mazus had pretended to embrace Nosh’s choice, he suspected the other wolf resented not being selected. But Nosh never imagined he’d be angry enough to attack him.
Mazus stepped away from the precipice and shifted. While he transformed into his human shape, Nosh took advantage of the few seconds of vulnerability to tackle Mazus’s thrashing body.
Nosh straddled him and pinned him to the ground until he stopped moving. The pure hatred in Mazus’s eyes sent a ripple of anger down Nosh’s spine. A wolf who attacked his alpha could be banished from the pack. Nosh would be well within his right to finally get rid of the spiteful wolf.
Mazus’s deceptively soft voice underscored the hostility in his tone. “I should have been chosen to be the new alpha years ago, but Stryde stole that from me. When he left the pack, I should have been chosen. But no, he chose you. Never mind that I’d been waiting years to take my rightful position as leader of the Dark Moon Pack.”
“No one stole anything from you. As alpha, it was Stryde’s right to choose the wolf t
o take his place. I was beta, so I was the logical choice.”
“Then you should have chosen me to be the new beta.”
As Mazus tried to sit up, Nosh pushed his back into the dirt. “You don’t have what it takes, Lucian did.”
Mazus sneered. “We’ll see about that.”
He bucked and rolled, throwing Nosh off balance. Mazus kneed him in the gut, knocking the air from his lungs.
As Nosh gasped for breath, Mazus rolled to his feet. “Fight like an alpha. Prove that you deserve the title.”
“I don’t need to prove anything to you.”
Nosh scrambled to stand. Mazus circled him, putting Nosh between him and the edge of the ledge. As Nosh took a step back, he calculated that he only had two feet before he’d fall to his death.
He lunged at the other man. They locked arms in an epic battle of strength. Neither man gave into the other. Nosh’s muscles burned. Sweat gathered on his chest and arms. His tenuous hold slipped. He fell forward. He quickly corrected himself and rushed Mazus. He slammed into Mazus’s chest with his shoulder.
Temporarily knocked off balance, Mazus cursed. “To hell with you.”
A spark of madness glimmered in his eye a second before he hurled himself at Nosh’s knees. Nosh yelped as his back thumped against the ground. When his head didn’t hit anything, he snapped his gaze toward the right. To his horror, he stared into the abyss.
Jutting rocks and ledges ran down the side of the mountain. Frantic to escape a horrific death, he kneed Mazus between the legs. That bought him the three seconds that he needed to crawl toward safety.
Behind him, Mazus roared. “You’re not getting off this ledge alive.”
Nosh panted as he rose to full height.
His eyes narrowed. “Try it.”
In a lightning-fast move, Mazus tossed a handful of dirt at Nosh’s face. As he choked on the dirt, he stumbled backward. The grit in his eyes prevented him from seeing his attacker. Involuntary tears further blurred his vision.
He swung his arms in an attempt to find Mazus. In the distance, an eagle cried. Wind curled up the side of the mountain and with it came the scent of a fresh kill.
Nosh tried to keep his feet in the same position. He sensed that Mazus danced just out of reach.
“Come on wolf,” Mazus taunted. “Who’s the alpha now?”
Nosh snarled and lunged toward the sound. Time slowed so that each second split into a thousand frames of panic. His foot should have hit the ground by now. He couldn’t be—
His stomach dropped as he flew through vacant space. As he pitched over the edge of the cliff, he couldn’t breathe. Adrenaline electrified every muscle fiber, but he was at the mercy of gravity. Completely helpless, he sent a quick prayer up to the Great Spirit. Not now, not like this. I’m not ready to die.
He slammed into the rough mountain side. Jagged rocks sliced the flesh from his arms and legs. A thousand pine needles of pain ratcheted up his thighs. He careened down the mountain, his velocity increasing with every passing moment. The sky and earth blurred into a tumbling haze.
His head crack against a boulder. The blue sky tossed and battled with the mountain as his vision failed. He clawed at the air, desperate to stop the deadly fall.
When he struck something hard enough to shatter his leg, he knew his life was over. Mazus’s hideous laughter followed him into the dark void of death.
***
The smile on Gwen’s face vanished as shouts ricocheted along the cavernous walls of the Silver Creek Pack’s den. In an instant, the tranquil morning she’d enjoyed had vaporized. She froze. An all too familiar cloak of terror descended to wrap her in a shroud of fear.
Her gaze snapped to Akila. “What was that?”
The older healer raised her forest-green eyes. In a soothing tone she said, “I don’t know. Why don’t you practice your breathing exercises while I’ll find out what’s going on.”
Gwen grabbed her hand. “What if we’re under attack?”
Akila brushed a braid of silvery-gray hair over her shoulder. “We haven’t been attacked in the den, ever. Let’s try not to assume the worst, okay?”
Gwen splayed her fingers across her trembling belly. “Okay.”
As Akila left the small room, Gwen tried to remember the healer’s instructions. Although the man who’d brutally attacked her had died nine months ago, she couldn’t seem to get over the fear. It controlled every aspect of her life and she was sick of it. She wanted to be normal again. But would that ever be possible? She didn’t know. But she held onto the thin thread of hope that one day she could live without a constant cloud of fear hanging over her head.
She took a shaky breath and released it. Any time a panic attack threatened to overwhelm her, she was supposed to stop and acknowledge the fear. Loud noises scared her, this wasn’t anything new. She already accepted this, but she didn’t know how to avoid the instinctive reaction.
The next step involved waiting. Akila had told her to count to ten because it would slow down her frantic thoughts and would allow her to concentrate. She finished the count, but her heart still thundered in her chest.
It wasn’t working. The sensation of being strangled constricted her throat. It was as if Zane’s hands were still wrapped around her throat, squeezing.
She backed into the nearest wall and slid to the floor. She wrapped her arms around her knees and buried her head between her thighs. After sucking in several deep breaths, the tremors wracking her body slowly subsided.
When Akila returned, Gwen looked up. A wolf she vaguely recognized followed her into the room.
Akila said, “Do you remember Lucian? He became the new beta of Dark Moon Pack after Stryde left.”
“Yes, he was at Diana and Ryker’s life-mate ceremony a few months ago.”
Lucian stepped forward. Standing six feet tall, his physique was long and lean. Toned by not intimidating. Sweat matted his sandy-brown hair to his scalp.
He regarded her with olive-green eyes. “I’m sorry to be back under these circumstances.”
“What’s going on?” Gwen asked.
“Nosh was in an accident. On the way back from a hunting trip, I found him on a ledge. He’s close to death and we need Akila to travel to Dark Moon Pack immediately. We need her help. I’m not even sure he’ll live out the day.”
Gwen’s stomach dropped. She’d just seen Nosh a few months ago. He’d always been so sweet to her during the few interactions they’d had.
“What happened?”
“It looks like he accidentally fell off a cliff. We’re not really sure how or where it happened. His entire body is bruised. His leg’s broken. He’s a mess.”
Akila addressed Gwen. “We need to leave right away. Gather the healing herbs and I’ll get the other medical supplies.”
With the panic attack completely forgotten, Gwen scurried to put the necessary items in a basket. She couldn’t imagine anything happening to Nosh. On her better days, she’d spend hours daydreaming about what it would feel like to kiss him. She knew it would never happen, after all, what man would want her now? She was far too damaged to ever have a relationship. But for a few minutes, it felt good to get lost in the fantasy.
Akila finished stuffing another basket with a variety of healing implements. She turned to Gwen. “Are you ready?”
“For what?”
“Well you’re coming with us, of course.”
Gwen’s gaze darted from Akila to Lucian. “No.”
Lucian arched a brow but stayed silent.
Akila’s tight features softened. “This will be good for you. You never wander further than the stream anymore. You need to get used to going into the forest again.”
“But, it’s not safe out there.”
Akila turned to Lucian. “Would you mind waiting outside for a moment?”
“Sure, but we have to hurry. Nosh doesn’t have much time.”
After Lucian left the room, Akila clasped Gwen’s hands in hers. “This will be g
ood practice. Going on this trip will do more to help you than anything we’ve been working on.”
Gwen’s bottom lip trembled. “I can’t.”
“Lucian’s traveling with three other wolves. We’ll be well protected.”
Gwen scrambled for an excuse. “But… what about Diana? She’s due any day and someone needs to be here to help deliver the baby.”
“She’s not due for another two weeks. We’ll be back by then.”
“What if I have another panic attack?”
“You know what to do.”
“It’s not working.”
Akila sighed. “It will.”
“But I just tried the breathing exercises and—”
Akila’s tone changed from motherly to scolding. “I know the last nine months have been hard on you, but Nosh is depending on us to save his life. I’m counting on you to take over as the pack’s healer when I pass. If you don’t want the responsibility, I understand, but I need to know so I can train someone else.”
Gwen bit her lip. She didn’t want to disappoint Akila who was like a second mother to her. Akila was right, she couldn’t hide forever. Somehow, she had to overcome the panic attacks and move forward. She couldn’t live the rest of her life in a state of fear. But it was easier said than done.
Gwen picked up a basket. “I want to do this. I want to learn everything I can so I can take over as the pack’s healer. I know I can’t stay afraid forever… but I am.”
“I know that going back into the woods is unnerving, but it’s a huge step forward. You can do it. You’re stronger than you think.”
“Thank you.”
Gwen smiled slightly. To know that Akila had confidence in her abilities helped to give her the strength she needed to go into the forest. But as she followed her mentor toward the front of the cave, the tension in her muscles increased. Every nerve ending screamed—turn and run.
She forced herself to put one foot in front of the other. Nosh didn’t have much time. If her hesitation led to his death, she’d never be able to forgive herself. She only had seconds to decide whether or not she was ready to face her fear.
