Chapter 2
Danica was awake and knew right away she wasn’t alone. She waited for a little while, just lying there, hoping he would go away. Dani had never been that lucky with deception, and she knew deep down, this confrontation needed to happen. Still, like a child, she played, refusing to give him what he wanted.
Danica knew he was aware of her state of consciousness. With his shifter genes, he would have been able to pick up the slightly elevated beat of her heart and the faster cadence of her breathing. Yet she still waited, eyes firmly closed. Her nervousness of what was to come irritated her stomach, making her feel slightly ill. Moving her hand to rub away the feeling, she brushed along something silky and knew something was amiss. No longer willing to play possum, she sat up, glared at her kidnapper, and said more boldly and brazenly than she felt, “Why the hell have you taken me, and where the fuck are my clothes?”
“Good morning to you too, mate,” Atticus said with sarcasm, cocky little grin firmly in place on his gorgeous face, irritating Danica even more. He should be hideous, repulsive even, but no, just her luck, the bastard was hot. Atticus Stone—even thinking his name made her body react in ways she didn’t want to explore. He was just sitting there, looking at her like he didn’t have a single worry in the world—like a king on a throne. That thought made her laugh a little, but she covered it up with a slight cough.
“Do you need some water, mate?” Atticus questioned.
Water would be nice, but they both knew that was not why she had coughed. He was playing with her, and Dani didn’t like it. A part of her wanted to call out his arrogant ass. Another part just wanted him to leave. Her thoughts were all over the place, the most prevalent and useless the fact no one should look that good, or at least, no one so evil should look that good. He had one of those faces—chiseled, robust features with just enough pretty boy thrown in to make him irresistible… to most women.
His hair was jet black with highlights of blue that glimmered in the dim light of the room. Dani longed to see how it would glow in the light of day. Knowing that day may never come made her regret she might never get the chance because she was leaving as soon as she figured out a way to make that happen. A feeling made her shiver, like a knowing or caress, familiar but odd at the same time. Looking up, she met Atticus’ stare. It was almost as if he had sensed the direction of her thoughts which shouldn’t have been possible. But damn, his eyes took her breath away—golden brown with sparkles of ruby red around the edges, captivating and consuming her, promising things Dani knew she wasn’t ready for—not now or maybe ever.
Forcing herself, Dani tore her eyes away from his gaze, unable to deal with the thoughts shooting through her mind. Diverting her eyes, she made another critical mistake—focusing on the flawless expanse of his shirtless torso. She had to question why the man had to be sitting there in the room with her half naked. Dani had been mortified by the state of her undress, but she at least had some clothing on, covering her from collarbone to toe, not much but something. Even she had to admit, Atticus Masters was a sight to behold. His abs were cut like those of a Greek God, his pecs, so robust and delicious, sat on his chest like two perfect boulders. But the eagle tattoo that draped his shoulder, the wings flying across his chest was just perfect. Glancing up, she noticed the slight smile had never left his face. The asshole knew what she was doing and liked it.
Dani had been around Alpha males all her life, and that was one trait she did not appreciate. She wanted a nice, mellow, human mate, and from the looks of it, that wasn’t going to happen. No, the fates had paired her with an arrogant, evil, kidnapping jerk. Adopting the same smirk he had on his face, Dani said as sweetly as possible, “You still haven’t answered my questions. And I would like them answered, right now.”
“What? Don't you like your new outfit? I find it sexy as hell. That other thrift store shit you were wearing wasn’t fit for my future mate to wear,” Atticus deadpanned.
Oh, that pissed her off even more—not only arrogant but snobby. This was just getting better and better.
“Oh, so sorry you didn’t like my clothes and felt it was necessary to violate me by changing them without my permission. Then again, you did also take me without my permission so I shouldn’t be all that surprised. “
“You are my mate, I had every right to take you.”
“No, I might be your mate, but you did not have every right to take me. You just did.”
Atticus stood, and for some strange reason, he didn’t scare Dani in the least. She could tell she was making him angry and tense. Usually, she wouldn’t have pushed an Alpha like this, but her brain and mouth didn’t appear to be on the same page today. When he swiped his hand through the air and said behind gritted teeth, “Pack Law states mates are to be together,” Dani wanted to laugh at him but thought better of it—for the moment.
“Yes, if you are pack, but we both know you’re not pack nor have you been for a very long time. Add that to your hybrid status, and Pack Laws don’t apply. Now, if you don’t mind, I would like my thrift store clothes back so I can get out of here. There will be no mating between the two of us,” Dani said flippantly.
“Oh, there will be a mating, Danica Valentin,” Atticus laughed. “I am claiming you as my own… very soon.” The laugh was anything but sincere, and Dani’s brain finally caught up with her mouth. She bottled the sneers and sarcasm she wanted to throw at him and went for something simple. If they got on the same page, she might be able to reason with him about mating—she hoped.
“How do you know my name?”
“I know everything about you. I know everything about every member of the Valentin pack.”
“Then you know they’ll be coming for me.” It wasn’t a threat, it was a promise–her pack would come now that Lucas was Alpha.
Atticus turned and shrugged his shoulder like that little fact didn’t bother him at all. But Dani had seen the tightening of his jaw that betrayed his confidence.
“They might try, but they won’t find you. I’ve made sure of that. Once our mating is complete, you may contact them and tell them you are with me and not being harmed.”
“Oh, how gracious of you, mate, allowing me a phone call to start my prison sentence.” Yeah, her idea of talking him out of this insane idea went right through the window. There was no dealing with this man rationally, he only wanted to hear himself talk.
“Not prison, sweetheart. Maybe a gilded cage but not prison. You will be free to move around, with my permission, of course, but only after the mating and ceremony are complete.”
“Of course, but there’s a tiny problem,” Dani said, pinching her fingers together for effect, “with your plan, Atticus. I’m not going to mate with an evil man. Sorry, just one of my rules.” This time, Dani shrugged her shoulders, cocking her head to the side like that was just the way it was going to be.
“And what makes you think that I’m evil, exactly,” Atticus asked
“Well,” Dani said bringing her finger up to her chin, “besides the fact you kidnapped me, then told me that you were going to claim me without consent. As if that wasn’t enough, I felt the dark running through you when you touched me. Since you know everything about me, you must also know about my gifts, right?”
“Everyone who has been touched by dark magic has it running through them in some way, why should I be any different?” Atticus mimicked her move, shrugging his shoulders. “You being a “healer” should already know that, or did Marcus keep you so sheltered, you only know the basics of your abilities.”
Atticus had hit a nerve for Dani—Marcus had kept her sheltered. Well, not sheltered, more like isolated. Most healers started apprenticing in their youth, but Marcus refused to let Dani out of his sight. She was forced to figure things out of her own, not a good way to learn or practice her trade. Marcus also refused to allow her to heal anyone other than pack members, and only if he deemed it necessary. If he inflicted a pack member with an injury, he often refused to allow
Dani to heal them because the sadistic bastard wanted them to suffer.
“Oh, that’s where you are wrong mate,” she snarked, not liking to be called out on what she perceived as her inadequacies. “See a taint of dark magic is just that, a small trace running through someone’s aura. But yours runs deep, so deep, my healing gifts couldn’t touch it. If that’s what you were hoping for, it won’t happen. I can’t help you rid yourself of the dark magic.”
Not feeling right staying on the bed, Dani proceeded to get up, seeing the nightgown she had been placed in entirely for the first time. It was beautiful. White lace cupped her breasts, thin spaghetti straps holding it up. Where the lace ended, just under her breasts, yards of liquid silk pooled down to her feet. Dani couldn’t resist feeling the fabric with her hand. She felt beautiful. Her eyes darted to Atticus. He was watching her with hooded eyes, a lustful look on his face, and Dani’s body started to heat. No one had ever looked at her that way before—like he genuinely wanted her, needed her. She could even see the lust burning in his eyes. She liked it.
Damn it, I shouldn’t be acting this way with this man. She needed to keep her defenses up and figure a way out of this, not appreciating his handsomeness, dominance, and sultry promises. But he was right about one thing, they were mates. She could feel the bond forming a tighter hold on her as each second went by. The longer they were together, the stronger it would be. She needed to figure out a way to break it before there wasn’t any turning back for either of them.
“I may be dark, and you might not be able to heal that part of me, but you will save me,” he said as if he read her mind. “Our mating will undo my past mistakes.”
Dani shook her head and turned her back on him.
“Only to bring on a new one, a mate who doesn’t want you, is that what you have in mind?” She couldn’t very well look him in the face and say that lie. She did want him.
“You want me, little wolf—I can smell your arousal from here—you just don’t want to. That will all change soon. Your heat is coming, within the next moonphase if I’m right. All your objections will change when that happens.”
Dani knew he was right. She had been through heats since puberty. The former Alpha of the Valentin pack hadn’t wanted her which Dani was grateful for, and the other male members honored her wish to wait for her true mate. It was unheard of in packs for a woman of her age to still be a virgin, but that was precisely what Dani was—untouched by any man or beast. Although this man called to her, she was determined not to allow him to have her either.
The bigger problem was her heat. If she didn’t figure out a way out of this mess before it hit, she was screwed—literally. If she wasn’t in a safe place by herself when it happened, her hormones and Atticus’ wishes would supersede anything she wanted. The beast within her would take over and do what came naturally.
“I will fight you even in my heat. There will be no mating between the two of us,” Dani said in a lame attempt at some type of control. “Mark my words.” Even she knew the threat was hollow.
“No, you mark my words, little wolf, there will be a mating and everything else I have planned,” Atticus growled and stomped out of the room. A part of her was happy he was gone, but another part of her wanted him to come back. Shit, was it possible to get Stockholm Syndrome in less than an hour?
Chapter 3
Atticus walked across the hall to the room he would be staying in until the mating, hating it. He wanted nothing more than to be in his room with Danica, completing the bond and ritual, tearing that flimsy nightgown from her body, revealing her to him entirely. He was pissed, frustrated, and regretful—the latter two feelings something he wasn’t familiar with and didn’t like.
His anger made him want to tear something apart with his bare hands, lash out and get some relief. The predator in him wanted to take and conquer. He imagined Danica bare to him, spread across his enormous four-poster bed, her lips reddened and swollen from his kiss, arms held firmly above her head as he showed her his true nature.
He smiled slightly at the vision. His mate wouldn’t be docile as he once imagined. Danica wasn’t exactly the sweet little angel he had thought, she had some bite in her. Usually, he would have liked that in a mate, but he needed her compliant. That thought wiped the smile from his face. Atticus could feel the muscles in his neck tense along with the tight clamp on his teeth. He hated the idea, but it looked like the hormones from her heat were the only thing that was going to work to his advantage now.
It sickened him in a way to even consider taking her that way—her body craving his domination, but her mind unwilling. It needed to happen for both of them, she just didn’t know it yet. Once the bond entirely formed, she would forgive him, accept what fate had designed. They didn’t have any other choice, or did they? Slamming his fist against the door jam, Atticus relished the brief sting of pain. Pain somehow centered him, brought him back to himself and allowed him to think more clearly. That was when he noticed something was off.
Immediately going into defensive mode, Atticus braced and prepared for what was behind the door. His teeth erupted from his gums, and his claws lengthen at the ends of his fingers. He could feel the urge to shift vibrate through his body. Pushing out his senses, Atticus only detected Danica’s and Sage’s presences in the house. Pushing further, he became confused—there wasn’t another predator within the house or on the grounds.
Opening the door cautiously, he turned the knob, pushing after the mechanism holding it closed disengaged, not allowing his body to go through. Nothing happened, and from his vantage point in the hall, he couldn’t see anything amiss. He pushed his senses further, trying to discern what had placed him on alert in the first place. It was just a feeling with no real backing. Deciding just to get whatever it was over with, he stepped into the room.
Startled for just a second by what he saw, Atticus took a step back. Standing in the middle of his room, like it was completely natural, was Kaylee Valentin. The questions flew through his mind. How was he not sensing her? How had she even gotten in past his barriers, wards of protection, and Sage? None of it made sense. Again, using his senses, he tried to find his brother—with Kaylee so close, the man would be there—but he found nothing except Danica and Sage.
That was when he saw it, the slight shimmer on the edges of her form like a wavy phantasm of her body. Atticus had never seen this phenomenon in person before. He’d read about it even dreamed of having the capability, but had always dismissed it as folly. But Kaylee was fucking doing it, astral projecting herself right into his home—an area guarded with so much black magic, it should be impossible. He was pleased he had the foresight to pay Micah the exorbitant price to spell his room independently. Atticus would bet his last dollar, Kaylee had already tried and failed to reach his mate. Served the little witch good for messing with him.
He had one small note of gratification due to the frown and deep wrinkles between her brow and the slightly reddened area of her cheeks. This wasn’t something easy or natural for her, she actually had to work at it. The clouded red color on the outside of her aura indicated she was angry. There were others as well, but he didn’t care to examine them. He wasn’t exactly happy about her being their phantom.
Atticus usually didn’t pay much attention to other people’s auras, but it was a skill he had studied. In the past, it had helped him win many a prize. His Danica, for instance, was a brilliant turquoise closest to her body, indicating her powerful healing ability, the next ring pink, indicating her loving nature, and the outer edges showed a plethora of colors, ranging from deep red, blues, and purples, each indicating passion, sincerity, and vision. He much preferred Danica’s aura to Kaylee’s.
Atticus turned to shut and lock the door. It wouldn’t do him any good to let his future bride see Kaylee or possibility overhear what this presumptuous woman had to say if she could even speak in this form. Atticus walked right through her form, causing it to ripple and splinter, getting a slight bit of sat
isfaction from destroying something she worked so hard creating.
The night had been long, and Atticus only wanted one thing right now—a shower. Ignoring Kaylee’s sort of presence, he started to take off his clothes and headed for the bathroom. Kaylee could either wait or fade away, he really didn’t care at this point. Plus, if Lucas was sitting by his bride, he knew damn well it would piss his brother off—a bonus as far as Atticus was concerned.
“Atticus Stone, don’t you dare take off another piece of clothing,” Kaylee’s apparition said in a loud, shrill voice, making Atticus smile, his back still turned toward her apparition. Atticus stopped moving before he made it to the bathroom but didn’t turn around.
“What’s the matter, Kaylee, afraid you’ll see something your mate is lacking? I assure you, I am a sight to behold.”
“Shut up, you ass, I’m having a hard enough time doing this astral stuff without Lucas throwing a hissy fit,” Kaylee grumbled, her voice muffled. He knew if he turned around, he would see her teeth tightly clenched.
Atticus did laugh that time. Like Danica, Kaylee wasn’t what he expected. Turning around, he faced her, leaving his pants unbuttoned and open, smiling when her eyes drifted that way. This game was boring him, he didn’t care what Kaylee thought of him.
“To what do I owe the honor of your ghostly visit tonight, Kaylee?” He already knew, but this was a first for him too. Plus, if he made her work harder, he hoped the visit would end sooner.
“I want to know why you took my friend.”
“Is that all? I expected so much more from you, Kaylee,” Atticus said, tsking her like one would a child. Letting out a breath, Atticus was suddenly very tired. “I’m sure your mate has already informed you I took Danica because she is my mate and meant to be with me,” Atticus said as he made himself comfortable on the edge of his tub.
Dirt Road Redemption (Dirt Road Series Book 2) Page 2
