by C. J. Ayers
“What kind of treasures do you hold for me today?” she asked aloud, a soft question to the mountains that stretched on forever. Her heart beat stronger. Beyond calming her and bringing her mind to focus, the mountains seemed to call to her whispering that she belonged here, truly belonged, more so than anywhere else. Unfortunately, what with needing to have some money in her bank account, she had to live close enough to the city to commute daily. Besides, the few homes that dotted the mountainside were valued in the tens of millions, a price that was vastly out of her budget.
Bracing herself against the cold wind, she started ahead. Her bright blue eyes were the only thing that could be seen above the scarf tied snugly over the lower half of her face. She had the furred hood of her coat pulled down over her brows. The first few steps were always the hardest, until her momentum got going. She forced herself forward, taking silent delight in the crunching beneath her boots.
Her foot raised and crunched down again, one after the other, setting a good pace and feeling her heart rate increase bit by bit. Mira always waited for the feeling of sore legs before she took the time to rest, that pain something of a solvent for her anger and sadness. Today was a little different because without a hiking buddy she could set her own pace. Regardless of the reason, she pushed herself harder than usual, driving herself on to her destination. The last stop had been two-miles ago. She aimed this time for the next marker, wanting for semi-exhaustion before resting.
A few miles up the trail, there was a cave that she often ducked into after first carefully making sure that there were no wild animals taking refuge. It was a perfect spot to warm herself back up and eat if necessary. That might be her resting place tonight, depending on how she felt when she got there. On second thought, no, she wouldn't stop there. This time she would see how far she could push herself.
After some time had passed, Mira heard a howl. She jerked her head up, her hand absently grasping for the ice pick at her side. Wolves were known to frequent the mountains, although they posed little threat as they tended to stay far away from humans. Of all the times that she had trekked through this trail, she hadn't had any issues with them. She did spot them a couple times in the far-off distance, though they fled as soon as their eyes had met hers. Only once before had she heard a howl, but this one was different. Pain, agony, and rage were poured into one sound, a fury unbridled. Maybe it was her imagination. How could all that be heard from a wolf howl? She almost laughed aloud at the absurdity, until she heard a second howl. The second howl sent chills down her spine and the tiny hairs at the back of her neck prickled in warning. The sound was unmistakable rage.
“Damn, what's going on?” Mira stared off in the direction of the sound.
A split second later, all she could see was red. Red along her hands, on the ice picks she pulled out to defend herself, even the snow before her was stained with red. Reeling back a step, she blinked rapidly, and the image instantly faded. Mira cursed under her breath and looked around frantically. All she could hear was the deafening throbbing of her pulse in her ears. No, no, she couldn’t have a panic attack. Not here. Not now. But, as hard as she tried to fight it, the image returned, crimson everywhere as if the only thing she could see was blood.
Mira leaned over, taking a scoop of snow and lowering her scarf. She put some in her mouth, hoping the sharp cold would bring her focus back again. Moving her scarf back into place, she raised her head, and froze. Before her a handful of wolves stood, ears laid flat along their skulls and fangs bared in a warning.
“Get out of here! Go!” Her words were sharp, and she brandished her ice picks swinging them threateningly towards the wolves. The movements, however, did little to intimidate them. The wolves snarled, their hackles raised and skulked forward. Mira's heart dropped to her feet, her grip tightening on her picks.
How could this be? How could she find herself in such danger here, in her special place? A strangled sound left her lips as she felt a sharp pain penetrate her thigh. Her reflexes were quick, and she smashed the blunt end of her pick into the wolf's head. It released her leg as it let loose a yelp and backed away a few feet. Mira's eyes teared but not from the physical pain of the bite. She had dealt with blows from Jeremy, but this pain, this pain was an extreme betrayal. Here was the one place she could go to lose herself, the one place that allowed her to paste bits of her shattered soul back together piece by piece. And now her only sanctuary was being stripped from her. Tears of anger fell from her eyes clouding her vision.
Her picks caught only air as she swung wildly at the advancing wolves. A choked, strangled sound left her lips, a loss of hope. She could just make out the form of the wolf as it jumped into the air and lunged at her. Then, through her blurred vision, she saw it batted aside as if it were a weightless pup. A mass of black fur was in front of her then, and her nostrils were filled with a warm scent of fur and sage with an odd coppery tinge. Mira felt her legs give out from under her, and she could sense herself falling as her eyes locked with the huge black wolf that had just protected her. It was clearly larger and stronger than the other wolves, and its eyes had a vivid golden-hue.
A second later her vision went black, she felt the cold of the snow and wind seep into her bones, and with her consciousness fading fast, she said a small prayer to let her die a painless death.
Chapter 4
They dared to attack a human in his territory? No, there was no excuse for it. Cade smashed aside a wolf with a backhanded swipe, his clawed paw flexing in annoyance as he glared at the wolves that had congregated around the woman. He was already pissed at seeing humans poaching game for sport on his land, now this.
The wolves were certainly shocked to see him appear, and they instantly became submissive pups before him. Pack mentality dictated the strongest lead, and the wisest council. Cade was both. Cade commanded the utmost respect. However, they were all very hungry and the wolf who had been cast aside had gotten a taste of human blood. Its spirit wasn't quite broken so easily. A gruff snarl was heard, the group of dark gray wolves reluctantly surrounded Cade and formed a barrier. One wrong movement and they would launch forward, attempting to shred him to pieces. They weren't afraid to work for their meal.
But, Cade expected as much. An infuriated roar of a challenge left his muzzle. Cade swiped those crude, strong claws of his against the face of an advancing wolf, then turned quickly to knock another wolf away that lunged for the back of his neck. The next, the one that had a taste for human flesh, dove for the woman lying unconscious at Cade's feet, a backhanded swipe sent it sprawling away yet again.
The group froze again around the werewolf, unable to find an opening and certainly not ready for his counterattacks. Cade launched forward, his sharp teeth closing with a snap onto the alpha wolf's neck, a quick jerk and the creature went limp. Nostrils flaring, Cade turned back and glared at the rest of the wolves, but the fight in their eyes was gone.
By pack right, Cade was the new alpha. A sharp snort escaped and Cade growled once, his wide chest swelling with intense warning. Leave. Just that one deep, guttural growl was all it took before the rest of the pack tucked their tails between their legs and scattered. The wolf that had previously bitten Mira hesitated a moment, longing for another taste of her blood, but flinching at the guttural sound from Cade's throat. Taking pity on the wolf, Cade growled quietly. The wolf's ears perked up. Other humans to feed on? Just that murmur of encouragement and the wolf turned tail and ran, leaving the werewolf with the human.
Cade’s gaze scanned the woman’s body, seeing the crimson snow around her leg. Cade's eyes narrowed in annoyance. He would have to take care of her. There was no way that he could just drop her off at the nearest hospital, which was 40 miles away. Besides, his clothes had been shredded in the unexpected change, so he would either be travelling as a large black male wolf, or a large naked male human. No, he would have to take her to his home and allow her to stay, but only for as long as it took her injury to heal sufficiently. Once she c
ould walk, he would see her on her way.
Cade carefully scooped the woman up, feeling her weight and appreciating how her soft curves pressed into his body. A small shudder coursed through him. Instead of annoyance, he felt an instant calm. Inhaling her scent through her clothing, he smelled fresh berries, maybe her soap or shampoo? He also smelled a coppery sweetness of blood that had begun to dry along her thigh. He moved over to his felled doe, and with a makeshift hammock of a couple tree branches, tugged it behind him as he walked carefully back to his home.
The woman in his arms did not even budge on the way back to the house. Cade looked down every now and then to ensure that she was still deeply asleep in the crook of his arm. Her face was so pale. He would have to close that wound up quickly.
It took about ten minutes for Cade to arrive back at his home, a huge sprawling chalet-style mansion, three levels total. He left the kill outside to be butchered later. He froze as Mira suddenly shifted in his hold. His golden eyes looked down at her cautiously, and she winced briefly before going limp again. He hurried to his bedroom and placed her gently on the bed. As he examined the bite, he gritted his teeth at the severity. Careful to not wake her, he gently unbuckled her pants, slid the zipper down swiftly and carefully worked them off of her hips, a quiet moan of discomfort from Mira giving him pause and making him go stock-still for a moment. Seconds later, he worked the pants all the way off and inspected her leg more thoroughly.
Luckily, it didn’t appear she’d need stitches, but the wound certainly needed to be disinfected. He collected the necessary first aid materials along with a robe for her to wear. When he removed the rest of her clothing, he was surprised to feel his own body reacting with excitement to her supple, curved form lying nearly bare on his bed. It had been a very long time since he’d had that type of reaction to any woman and it caught him a bit off-guard. He felt heat course through his veins. He was enough of a gentleman to leave her undergarments on.
Cade shook his head quickly to clear his thoughts and return them to the task at hand. He noticed a locket on her chest. Curiosity about his houseguest got the better of him and he carefully opened it half expecting to find the face of a husband or a lover. Instead, he saw an older version of the woman lying in his bed. Even for a human, she looked so very regal. He guessed her to be the woman’s mother or grandmother. A brief thought flickered through his mind. What must it be like having a woman like the one now laying on the bed, wrapped in his embrace, or resting her head on his chest, or lying underneath him as he made her cry out in pleasure...? He felt a tightening in his groin at the thought.
“Get a hold of yourself, idiot,” he mumbled aloud in frustration. But, in the back of his mind he was fully aware that somehow, for some reason, this woman had just felt right in his arms, and now right on his bed. A moan of discomfort came again in her sleep. He panicked a moment, not sure how he was going to explain this situation to her, but in a second or two, her breathing rhythm returned to normal. He took advantage of the fact that she was in a deeper state of unconsciousness to cleanse the wound.
Cade gingerly poured hydrogen peroxide on the bite marks, watching it fizz, but keeping his focus on her body movements. She was still out cold, thank goodness. He spread antibiotic numbing ointment along the marks next, and gently wrapped the wound in gauze.
For someone that was as repelled by humans as he was, Cade couldn’t understand his attraction to this woman. He couldn't help but stare at her body as she lay resting. He watched her sleep. She was certainly beautiful. Her previously furrowed brows were smoothing out now, her lips parted lightly as she breathed. She was still pale, but Cade was confident that she would be able to heal from the damage quickly.
He was reminded of another reason that he liked women with thicker bodies. Besides the softness of their curves, they were far tougher and more resilient. He didn't have to worry about being extra gentle lest they snap like a twig. Cade imagined his hands grasping the softness of her hips as he ground his erect cock into her until he saw the look of ecstasy on her face. His body flooded with heat again, and he stifled a growl that tried to escape from his chest. He shouldn't be thinking like this; she was human. He should have felt disgusted, but that was the last thing from his mind as his eyes were drawn to her form. He watched how her chest rose with every breath; he inhaled the scent of the warm juices at the junction of her thighs. He was acting like a damn pervert.
He forcibly pushed aside those feelings and tenderly dressed the woman in one of his warm terry cotton robes. He carefully tied the belt and made sure that she was as well covered as possible, for her security mainly. He resisted all temptation except one. He allowed himself to lean his head down slightly and inhale the scent of her neck. He nearly brushed his tongue along her flesh before he stopped himself.
Once he moved her gently towards the top of the bed so that her head rested on the pillow and tugged the covers over her body, a wry laugh escaped his lips. He was so used to living alone, he hadn’t even realized that he was still stark naked. It would probably not be a good idea for her to awaken to a bare stranger staring at her in her sleep, especially since his shaft had been rock-hard since he had undressed her. That would most certainly not make a good first impression, and Cade was a little surprised to realize that he definitely wanted to make a good impression. In fact, he found himself hoping that the two of them could at least get to know one another bit before she left.
As he pulled some clothes out of his drawers, his eyes darted to the window. Those clouds in the sky, that was a bad sign. They were still off in the distance, but with the wind direction and speed, those blackened clouds could easily cause a severe storm in the area. He wouldn’t be able to let her leave until he was certain the storm wouldn’t strand her out on the mountain somewhere in the cold. Wonderful. Along with dealing with her wrath once she found he had stripped her, he would have to explain that she couldn't leave yet, either. Cade let out a heavy sigh, glaring at the sky.
Tonight just wasn't going to be his night, was it?
Or, was it?
Chapter 5
Mira did not want to wake from her dream. It was so soothing; the feeling of resting atop a cloud but wrapped securely in someone's arms. It was a safe, secure sensation that she had longed for, but hadn’t felt in quite some time. This dream seemed to stretch on with subtle sensations like fingers brushing along her thighs, tickling at the backs of her knees, a sensual experience that left her feeling highly aroused.
Mmmm… those feather-soft touches soothing her body, that slow ache building in her belly, her breathing was slow and deep, body quivering slightly with those gentle caresses along her frame, like a tender promise. A quiet little moan slipped past her lips, her head rolled to the side and a light sheen of sweat was visible along her skin. Rolling over, she crushed the wound on her leg, sending a sharp, shooting pain through her and causing her eyes to blink open. She uttered a curse before sitting straight up. Looking around the room quickly and blinking in alarm, a tremor of fear coursed through her. This wasn't home. Where was she?
She winced and gripped her head, a flash of images racing through her consciousness, the foremost being the reason her leg hurt. Wolves. But, there were no wolves in sight here. It took another moment to figure out that she was out of her clothing. A sudden panic shook her body. Her heart lurched into overdrive and she felt nauseous. Of course, this wasn’t the first time since “the incident” that she had woken to a feeling like this. She was quite terrified at the moment, and felt a strain at her thigh. Mira looked around quickly, trying to find something to use as a weapon. She noticed her clothes neatly folded on the side of the bed. A curious thing to do if someone had brought her here to have their way with her. She also felt her bikini style underwear still on, her bra as well.
But where was she? Mira looked out the window and her heart sank. The house seemed to be hidden away in the woods. What if she were being held captive? She felt the blood drain from her face, and
her body began trembling. Her head seemed to be wobbling unsteadily atop her neck.
Mira felt as though her blood sugar was low. She had possibly lost a lot of blood from the wolf bite. It took her several minutes, but using a breathing technique her therapist had taught her, she was able to stop the dizzy spell. Suddenly, she heard movement in the other room. Footsteps, to be precise. She hastily looked around, grasping an ice pick that had been placed next to her pack. She still wasn’t convinced that she wouldn’t need to physically defend herself.
A man walked into the room. No, not just a man, the hands-down most gorgeous man Mira had ever seen. He was tall and wide with ebony hair, thick bulging muscles, and broad shoulders that any football coach would be proud to see on one of his players. The man’s hazel eyes stirred something in her. There was something about him, something beyond his physical appearance, that drew her in. Mira was astonished when she realized that for the first time in a long, long time, she felt a strong attraction- to a man. Actually, it was more than attraction, he felt safe. The same way she had felt in her dream. Why did the fact that she momentarily felt safe in the presence of a male stranger all of a sudden unnerve her? Because, she shouldn’t logically feel safe. Right? She reminded herself of how she was clothed, or unclothed as it were, and she raised her pick into the air threateningly.
The man instantly held up his hands, as if a gun were pointed at him, and he kept himself at a distance from her. Clad in a tight-fitting black t-shirt and jeans, he looked like someone that should be on a magazine cover, not at all like a perverted-kidnapper-sex-trafficker on the lamb and hiding away deep in the wilderness.
