by Starr, Maia
Flint couldn’t take it anymore. His body ached all over. In the back of his mind, he found it ironic, really, that when Addison spoke about how he wanted more than just her body, all he could think about was shoving her against the trunk of the nearest tree and forcing himself inside her while she thrashed against him and raked her nails down his back in a wild, erotic dance.
With that thought, Flint crashed his mouth into hers, his intentions clear from the intensity of their kiss. Addison kissed him back with a ferocity that surprised him, and once they broke apart, she squirmed from his grasp with a smoldering look in her eyes. She backed away, her body swaying seductively as she bit her lip. With one finger, she beckoned him to follow, and then she turned and darted away, her feet kicking up leaves as she vanished into the trees.
Flint bounded after her, so focused on Addison that he was completely unaware of the entirety of Wolf Den watching them go, smiling and giggling at the implication of what would happen next. Flint didn’t care, anyway; the hunt had begun.
Addison’s laughter echoed through the trees as she ran, twirling through the forest. Soon enough, the hazy glow of the Christmas lights disappeared, but Addison’s radiance lit up the trees for Flint. He tried to hold himself back so he wouldn’t catch her immediately, letting his excitement build with every whiff of Addison’s scent.
He rounded a thick cluster of thick trees to find Addison bending over, hands on her knees, her chest rising and falling. The sight of her arched back and perky ass sent a shiver of anticipation through his body. As she panted, she glanced back at Flint and gave him a teasing smile.
Flint barged forward, picked Addison up, and slammed her against a nearby tree harder than he’d meant to. She winced slightly at the impact, but she moaned as Flint nibbled on her neck and worked his way up to her perfect, soft lips. Her small hands reached up to cup his face as they kissed, then slid around and into his hair, pulling his face away and locking him in place, making him fight to taste her lips again. She giggled as he growled, but she let go, and he captured her lips again.
He clutched her thighs, supporting her against the tree. To free up his arms, Addison locked her legs around Flint’s waist, giving him the opportunity to pull his shirt over his head and toss it to the ground. Addison’s hands roamed over his chest, her touch sending his senses into overdrive. As he leaned in to kiss her again, she pushed against his chest, a sly smile on her face.
She gasped when Flint wrapped his arms around her back and spun her away from the tree, allowing himself to fall back onto the forest floor. Addison shrieked as they fell, but she grinned like a fool when they landed, huffing out a small laugh. Straddling Flint’s hips, Addison sat up and pulled her shirt off, revealing a lacy bra and her flat stomach beneath. Flint tore her bra before she could even attempt to unhook it and shoved the cups away from her breasts.
He leaned up to take one nipple in his mouth, circling it with his tongue before suckling hard. Addison inhaled sharply as Flint bit down. Smiling to himself, Flint released her nipple and kissed his way to her other breast, giving that nipple the same treatment as the first. Addison’s fingernails dug into his shoulders as she panted and trembled above him.
Rolling Addison onto her back, Flint sat back on his haunches and pulled off her shoes and jeans, kissing the newly exposed skin of her legs. Eyes dark with desire, Flint took in her gorgeous body, and Addison squirmed under the heat of his gaze. He pulled her panties off in one swift movement and threw them into the darkness, not caring if they never found them again. Now, there was a thought. Flint certainly wouldn’t mind just having her naked all the time.
Addison shivered in the cold night air, so Flint lowered himself to kiss her, warming her body with his own.
He was so focused on Addison, so intent on taking her right then and there, that as he reared back to unzip his pants and shove them down his hips, he failed to recognize the odd scent filling the air. However, when he leaned back to suck at the juncture between Addison’s neck and shoulder, she shoved at his chest.
“Flint! Wait! There’s something coming toward us!”
Frankly, Flint didn’t care, so he didn’t bother lifting his head to look. When Addison shoved at his chest again, he growled in frustration.
“Flint!” Addison hissed, and the fear in her voice made him freeze.
He looked at her face, noting that her eyes were wide with terror, and glanced behind him, immediately spying the hulking figure in the shadows just a dozen paces away from them. The darkness concealed the man’s face, but beady eyes stared back at him. Addison shook beneath him as he leveled a look at the intruder.
“What do you want, man?” Flint said, an edge to his voice. “If you hadn’t noticed, we’re kind of in the middle of something here.”
The man said nothing. Annoyed, Flint turned back to Addison, planning to cover her body from the prying eyes of the strange man, but she was still focused on the space over his shoulder, an expression of pure dread on her face.
As Addison opened her mouth to scream bloody murder, a huge, meaty hand gripped Flint’s shoulder.
Chapter Twelve
Dance in the Woods
For a split second, Flint didn’t know what was happening, but then, the strange man pulled him off Addison and threw him backward, where he crashed into a tree trunk so hard that it cracked under the pressure. The wood splintered, and a hundred sharp slivers pierced his body, making him wince.
Shaking his head to regain his composure and swiping at the bark bits in his hair, Flint snarled at the stranger as he dislodged himself from the tree.
The intruder stood over Addison, grinning down at her like a madman. He was much taller than Flint, with short brown hair and a scraggly beard. It was no wonder Addison cowered on the ground beneath him, her arms wrapped around herself.
Something about the man seemed familiar to Flint although he knew he’d never laid eyes on the guy before in his life. And then, Flint realized what it was: he smelled like a bear shifter, that awful smell like rotting meat.
The intruder guffawed, the sound sinister in the silence of the forest. Removing his hands from his coat pockets, he flexed his fists. “I’ve been looking for you, Addison. I didn’t expect to find you this quickly.”
To Flint’s surprise, Addison’s delicate features hardened. “How did you find me?”
The intruder let out another evil laugh. “What do you mean? You left such an easy trail to follow it was pathetic. It was child’s play to track you to Silverwood Island. Did you think you were being sneaky or something?”
Addison shook her head, clearly not wanting to egg the man on, and the way she trembled made Flint see red. He stalked forward, drawing himself up to his full height and trying to look as intimidating as possible. “You’re not welcome here,” Flint growled. “And if you’re thinking about harming Addison, then you’d better be prepared to suffer for that choice.”
The man scoffed and shook his head. “Come off it, little man. This doesn’t concern you. Go shag a skunk or something if you need to satisfy your needs.”
Snarling, Flint lunged at the man, aiming for his neck, but the man ducked. Flint flew past him, bouncing off a tree and slamming to the ground. Addison gasped.
The man laughed and spit at him as Flint rose to his feet. “Stupid dog.”
“Who the hell are you?” Flint shouted.
The man remained unintimidated and turned away, disregarding Flint completely. Flint’s inner wolf lost it, and he raced forward, tackling the man and using all his strength to push him away from Addison. The man stumbled but remained upright, shock written all over his face. Growling, he slammed his elbow into Flint’s back, over and over until Flint’s grip weakened just enough for the man to place a foot to his chest and send him sprawling to the ground beside Addison.
Addison scrambled over to Flint, helping him sit up.
The man let out a long breath and shrugged off his overcoat, laying it gently on the ground. �
��I told you to this was none of your business, you stupid mutt, but now you’ve gone and pissed me off. All I wanted was the woman, but I think I’ll take your head, as well.”
Suddenly, as Flint looked at the lumbering man before him, the pieces fell together in his mind, and he realized the man’s identity.
“Maric!” Addison shouted. “Stop this! Please, I’m begging you!”
Maric Devoy… Flint cursed himself for not realizing who he was sooner. He’d just been so wrapped up in Addison… Addison. Well, this proved that Maric was after her. It also explained why she’d left behind her life in Seattle to come to Silverwood Island. Flint supposed that was a long discussion for another time.
As Maric stomped forward, his every step rumbling the ground, Flint jumped to his feet, standing protectively in front of Addison. She stood up behind him and grabbed his wrist.
“Flint,” she pleaded. “We have to run! You can’t stop him!”
Flint shook off her hand. “Just watch me!”
Maric growled low in his throat, his mouth curling into a wicked grin. “Well, I’d love to take my time and play with you, little pup, but I really want to move this thing along. You know, grab the girl, haul her off to my lair, and make sure she pays for what she did to me.” He looked Addison’s naked body up and down with a sick grin, and Flint’s blood boiled with anger.
Maric fell down to all fours, grunting and growling, his voice growing deeper as his body shifted, thick, dark brown fur sprouting all over his skin. Where Maric was a moment before, there stood a huge, furry bear. Grumbling, the bear padded forward and roared in their faces.
He had hoped to keep the sight of him shifting into his wolf form from Addison until he’d explained things to her, but Flint didn’t see another option. He pushed Addison back behind him as he shifted, not bothering to take off the jeans he still wore, letting them fall to shreds on the ground. Flint howled into the night sky, and Addison gasped behind him, but he didn’t have time to comfort her.
The hulking bear before him roared once more, shaking the trees around them, before charging forward. Addison scurried out of the way as Maric collided with Flint, the sheer force of the impact lifting Flint off the ground and allowing Maric to slam him against the tree behind him. This time, the tree snapped in half and began to collapse, the tell-tale cracking sounds of the impending fall echoing through the forest.
Flint jumped away as the tree crashed to the forest floor, and Maric lifted a paw to swipe at him. Flint ducked, just barely sneaking under, and darted forward, snapping at Maric’s stomach. The bear cried out and tried to shake Flint off; and when shaking didn’t work, Maric pawed at Flint, smacking the top of his head. Flint yelped at the hit, his head pounding with the pain, but Maric didn’t allow him to regain his bearings. As Flint stumbled backward, Maric charged forward again, rose onto his hind legs, and let his body fall onto Flint, flattening him into the ground.
He heard Addison scream, but he struggled to breathe as Maric climbed off him, his lungs burning. Coughing, Flint seized up on the ground, struggling his hardest to get his second wind. With a wheezing sound akin to a laugh, Maric clomped away, and Flint heard Addison scream louder.
Forcing himself to stand, Flint spotted Maric looming over Addison and raising a giant paw, ready to swipe. Before Maric could bring his paw down, Flint yowled and rushed forward, leaping onto Maric’s back and digging into the bear’s skin with his claws. Maric roared with pain. Trying to throw Flint off his back, Maric spun around, Flint hanging on for dear life. When Flint realized Maric was aiming to slam him into a tree once again, Flint let go and jumped away to safety. Maric slammed into the tree and came away pawing at his head.
At that moment, howls filled the night air. Flint howled in response, hoping to draw his wolves to their location. He felt relief flow through him. Soon enough, his pack would arrive.
Maric must have heard them coming, too, as his head snapped in their direction. He glared at Addison, who hid behind a thin tree, and then set his sights on Flint. Turning in frustration, Maric bounded away, vanishing into the forest. He knew full well what an entire pack of wolves could do to him. Flint knew he would be back soon enough, but, for the time being, Flint could relax.
His body aching, Flint shifted back into his human form and fell to his knees. He breathed hard, trying to process the pain of the myriad of bruises and small wounds covering his body. With a wince, he glanced in Addison’s direction. To his relief, she was unharmed, and they both just stared at each, naked and cold and shivering.
Addison’s wide eyes wouldn’t leave Flint. Was that fear he saw in them? He didn’t blame her, but he hoped she’d understand after he explained everything.
Just then, two wolves burst from behind a line of trees, circling the area as they flicked their gazes this way and that. Flint immediately recognized them as Ash and Callie. When they spied him, they rushed over, and Ash shifted back to his human form, while Callie stood guard in her wolf form.
“Flint!” Ash knelt and gripped his brother’s shoulder, but he recoiled as Flint winced. “Sorry. What happened? We heard screaming.” Ash sniffed the air. “Ugh. I smell bear.”
“Maric Devoy happened,” Flint said, groaning as he struggled to get to his feet. “He came out of nowhere. For Addison.” Ash wrapped an arm around Flint to help him stand. “I fought him off, and he ran when he heard you coming. She saw everything…”
Both Flint and Ash glanced at Addison. She flinched, dropping to sit on the ground, leaves sticking to her skin. Her wide eyes never left Flint except for the occasional glance at Callie. Feeling the need to comfort her, Flint took a step forward, but as he did, Addison leaped to her feet and sprinted away.
“Addison, wait!” Flint called, planning to chase after her. He faltered as he moved forward, wincing in pain and stumbling. Catching his older brother’s arm, Ash held Flint back, and Flint turned to snarl at him. “Let go, Ash!”
“Calm down,” Ash said. “You need to give her some space, Flint. She needs time to process what she saw. I’d say her reaction was pretty normal. It would be weird if she wasn’t scared of us.”
“But Maric is still out there! I need to make sure she’s safe!”
Flint’s wolf keened inside him as Addison disappeared from sight. Her scent still lingered, and it made Flint’s heart ache. He needed to be by her side now, to comfort her; and watching her flee hit harder than any pain Maric Devoy had caused him.
Clenching his fists, Flint sank to the ground in anger. “Dammit!”
All Flint had wanted to do tonight was show Addison a good time, to spend time with the woman with whom he could see himself falling in love. So why? Why did this have to happen tonight of all nights? Things were going so well between them. Just as he was realizing how much Addison meant to him, she had run from him in terror. May’s advice echoed in his mind as he looked into the woods where she’d disappeared; how, if he rushed things, he would only push Addison away.
Ash clicked his tongue at Callie, jerking his head in Addison’s direction. Callie blinked and then took off, following Addison’s scent.
Pulling Flint back to his feet, Ash led Flint away, back toward Wolf Den. “Come on, Flint. Let’s go back and set a plan in motion, alright?”
Flint nodded, realizing his brother was right. No matter how much he wanted to rush after Addison and wrap her in his arms, he couldn’t. She wouldn’t let him. Not while she remained afraid of him.
So, he allowed Ash to lead him through the forest, Flint’s mind filling with worry for the woman he so desperately wanted.
* * *
What the hell had just happened?
Addison’s mind raced as she ran, the trees blurring together as she passed. She tripped over large tree roots and stumbled over slight indents in the ground, looking over her shoulder to make sure no one had followed her. More than once, she thought she caught a glowing pair of eyes stalking her, watching from the shadows.
Was it Flint? Wa
s he chasing her now? Had her fear of him angered him? Would he hunt her down like Maric had? What would she do if he did? How could she ever escape?
Her mind still grappled with the night’s events. Everything had started so great; she hadn’t had a care in the world while she and Flint had danced at Wolf Den, and then, she had led Flint into the forest, hungry for his embrace.
But then, Maric had shown up. At first, she’d thought he was just another hallucination, a trick of the darkness, but no. It had been him, looming over her with that maniacal grin on his face. By the time he had thrown Flint off her, Addison had gone into shock. She’d realized Maric had been right on her heels the entire time, and she’d thought she was so smart…
And then, he’d turned into that… that beast. That bear. And Flint…
Flint. She should have known. Flint was so amazing! A hunk of a man. So sexy and smart and charming and perfect, and she should have known he was too good to be true. He’d turned into a freaking wolf.
What was he? A werewolf? But then, what was Maric? A werebear? No, that sounded stupid. In any case, how could they transform like that? Were those animals their true forms?
Addison stumbled again as a chorus of angry howls reached her ears. Picking up the pace, she flew through the forest, trying her best to remember the way to town. Wolf Den was closer, but that wasn’t an option. Flint could easily find her there, or Ash or Callie… Addison’s heart skipped a beat at the thought, tears stinging her eyes.
Minutes later, Addison burst from the trees and onto the road. She stopped to look in either direction, unsure of where she was. Seeing dim a light to her right, she took off toward it.
The town was deserted and eerily silent. Aware that she’d probably look like a crazy person to anyone who saw her, Addison tried to keep out of sight as she raced around corners, under street lamps, and across streets. Eventually, she reached the wooden steps leading to the Silver Inn and bounded up the hill, panting for breath as she reached the entrance, a sheen of sweat on her skin.
