by Jane Hinchey
“Won’t mar your pretty face,” he promised before bringing the tip of the stick to rest on the top of her arm. She couldn’t contain her scream as her flesh burned and sizzled. The pain was excruciating. With a smug smile, he pulled the stick away and stood.
“Learn to watch your mouth or there’ll be more of that.” He seemed satisfied at the tears pouring down her cheeks and the way her body shook. She couldn’t speak. She clenched her teeth together to try and block the pain that burned through her arm. She turned her head to look at the ugly raw wound across her upper arm. She’d be okay. She’d heal, but son of a bitch, it hurt.
Throwing the stick back into the fire, Leon turned to her, hands at his belt. She could see the bulge in his jeans.
“Time to get this done,” he muttered, pulling his belt free from its loops.
He held it in one hand while undoing his jeans with the other. He stood over her, pushing his pants down. She closed her eyes, not wanting to see, her mind in a panic. She had to get out of here, she had to stay focused. He couldn’t rape her in the position she was in, sitting up against the tree. The logistics of it simply wouldn’t work. He’d have to move her, untie her. She had to stay focused on that moment, use it to her advantage, and not let herself be derailed by the fear and panic trying to claw its way to the surface. She’d rather die than let him do what he was intending to do. If it meant throwing herself on the fire to avoid it, so be it.
As he straddled her, she felt his erection pressing into her stomach, but kept her eyes closed. She heard movement, then felt him wrap something around her throat, pulling tight. His belt. Damn it, this was how he planned to control her. He had her on a leash. It was hard to swallow, let alone breathe, but she remained motionless, waiting.
“Nice and compliant,” he murmured, his breath hot on her face. “I like that.”
She felt his lips on her cheek and almost vomited. He rocked forward, rubbing his erection against her as he reached behind and began tugging at the ropes binding her. As soon as they were free, she reacted, bucking her hips to dislodge him. Taken by surprise, he fell on his knee to one side, but she was still held captive by the leash, which he pulled tight. Fighting the need for oxygen, she brought her knee up, slamming into his groin. This time he toppled over, releasing the belt.
Scrambling to her feet, she tore the belt from her neck, wincing when she felt the burn as it whipped over her skin. Leon was curled in the fetal position on the ground, cursing, but she knew a knee to the balls wouldn’t keep him down for long. She delivered two swift kicks, one to his stomach and one to his head. The thought entered her mind that she should kill him now, but how? Bash his head in with a rock? The violence of it made her stomach heave. She couldn’t sink to their level.
Running away, that was the best bet—after all, she was very good at running.
She took off at a sprint, following the footprints Leon had left when he’d carried her here. At the end of the trail, she assumed she’d find his pickup. She only hoped the keys were in it, for she hadn’t thought to search him before running from the camp.
Her human limitations were starting to take a toll. Besides the searing pain in her arm, her head throbbed and she was dizzy. She stopped, leaning against a tree when a wave of nausea overtook her. She bent over and vomited. She couldn’t keep going at this pace, but if she didn’t keep going, Leon was going to catch her again.
Stripping off her clothes, she hid them behind the tree and shifted into her wolf. Immediately, the pain and dizziness were gone. Better, much better. She continued at a full run, following the trail. She wasn’t familiar enough with the area. She assumed they were in the woods somewhere behind Rhys’s land. Leon wouldn’t have risked anyone seeing her tied up and unconscious in the bed of his truck; he’d have stayed off the main roads.
She didn’t know how long she’d been running for, but she was tired and very, very thirsty. In the distance, she heard a howl, recognized Leon’s wolf, and pushed on. No time to rest. He was probably tracking her just as she was tracking the road he had taken. His wolf was bigger and stronger, and eventually, he’d catch up.
Knowing it was a risk, but doing it anyway, she howled. Her throat protested. She needed water so badly it hurt to howl, but if Rhys were looking for her, she had to help him find her. She listened intently for a response, but over the drumming of her paws on the dirt and her racing heartbeat, she couldn’t be sure if she heard a reply or not. She lifted her snout and sniffed the air. Nothing. Right now, she’d happily leave the trail if it meant finding water.
She howled again, part desperation, part frustration. Wait. Was that a howl in response? She skidded to a stop, panting, cocking her head to listen. She thought she’d heard a faint howl in the distance. Could by Rhys, could be someone else, but it wasn’t Leon, for he was behind her and this howl had come from in front.
Buoyed by the idea that safety was close by, she resumed her run, stopping to howl every now and then, wagging her tail with joy when the responding howl drew closer and closer. Then another howl joined the fray, this one from behind and way too close for comfort. All the times she’d stopped to howl and signal for help had allowed Leon to gain on her.
Pushing herself harder, she squinted into the distance, thought she could make out the shape of a wolf running toward her, but the sound of Leon close behind her was distracting. He was almost upon her. Could she outrun him for just a little bit longer? Her question was answered when she felt the bite of his jaws around her back leg.
Her howl of pain was cut off as they tumbled and rolled together, her leg caught in the vice-like grip of his jaws. Her yelps were involuntary as she tried to break free, and as she tugged, she felt her flesh tear and a bone snap. But still he held firm.
It’s just your leg, she told herself, even if he chews the damn thing off, it’s not likely to kill you. He’ll have to release you to go for your throat. Remember that.
Her inner dialogue was interrupted when a huge wolf leaped over her and landed on Leon. Those powerful jaws released her leg, and she dragged herself away, lying panting as she watched the two wolves fight.
She recognized Rhys’s wolf. His chocolate-colored fur with black tips was stunningly beautiful. Leon’s wolf was a motley gray, black, and white—no match for Rhys’s coloring. The fight was over quickly. It ended with Leon lying motionless on the ground, his throat torn open.
Rhys padded toward her, muzzle dripping blood. He lay by her side, noses touching, and whined. She whined back and closed her eyes. She was tired. She hurt all over.
“Babe, change back.” She felt Rhys’s hand on her fur, stroking her, knew he’d shifted back to human form, but somehow she couldn’t convince her wolf to let go.
“Shhhh, it’s okay. You’re safe now. I promise.” Still, her heart thundered in her chest, way too fast, and she was panting, her tongue lolling out. She felt her body quiver and shake.
“I got Mack’s agreement to release you. His pack no longer has a claim. You’re free. And Leon has been dealt with. Permanently. I’m sorry you had to see that. Change back for me, sweetheart, we need to attend to your leg.”
She lifted her head and whined, looking into his eyes. She wanted to, she really did, but she was stuck. The trauma had been too much and now she was trapped in wolf form.
“I know you’re scared and hurting,” he whispered, rubbing the fur beneath her ear, “but believe me, it's safe now. I swear to you. Come back.”
Minutes passed, but each time she tried, the more exhausted she became. Her human body and her wolf body were injured. They’d been pushed beyond endurance.
“Come on, then.” She couldn’t rouse herself to open her eyes, but she felt Rhys lift her in his arms. She yelped when the movement jarred her broken leg, and he cursed for hurting her further. Being cradled against his chest was soothing and the rocking as he walked lulled her into a light doze. At some point, she felt him shift his grip, thought she heard him say, “There you are,” but co
uldn’t rouse herself enough to open her eyes, let alone respond.
She didn’t know how long they walked. It felt like a long time, but then there were other voices, and she felt herself being wrapped in a blanket. She cracked open an eye, could see Rhys’s house a few hundred meters away, saw Billy, Levi, Ana, and Naomi.
“Oh, sweetheart.” Ana was beside her, stroking her face. “Look what he’s done to you.” There were tears in her eyes.
“Doc inside?” Rhys asked, refusing to hand her over when Billy and Levi offered to carry her.
“Yeah. SIA is here, too. They’ve already taken Mack and his men into custody, but want a word with you before they leave.”
“I’ll speak with them after I know Kasie is alright. How are you doing there, babe?”
She turned her head and met his gaze, realized she was in human form at last.
“To be honest, I have felt better.” She grinned, felt her lip split with the effort. “But I’m so glad to see you guys. All of you.”
“Sophie gone?” Rhys’s voice changed from warm and caring to cold and hard.
“Yup. Revoked all access to the workshop, too, as requested.”
“You fired her?” Kasie asked in surprise.
“Not only fired her, kicked her out of the pack. She went behind my back, deliberately tried to hurt you. That’s not how this pack works. We’re family.”
Kasie was stunned. She’d never thought Rhys would kick Sophie out of the pack and felt a twinge of remorse for the other woman.
“Don’t you dare feel sorry for her!” Naomi piped up. “She had it coming.”
“I guess,” Kasie muttered, letting her head fall back against Rhys’s shoulder again. Just that brief amount of conversation had exhausted her, and she closed her eyes, just for a second.
“We keep meeting under these circumstances,” Doc McKinney drawled.
Opening her eyes, Kasie realized she was tucked up in Rhys’s bed, a drip in her arm. Doc sat on the edge of the bed, looking at her.
“What’s the damage, Doc?” she asked.
“Severely dehydrated. We’ll let that drip run, but try and drink some water, too. The burn on your arm is going to scar, but not too badly. Transforming to your wolf so soon after the injury helped reduce the severity. Your ankle is sprained, you’ve broken two bones in your foot, and I’ve sutured the bite wounds. You’ll be in a moon boot for a while. The bruising on your neck will clear up in a few days.”
“Not too bad, then?” She grinned, and he smiled in return.
“How’s the patient?” Rhys appeared in the doorway, hair still damp from the shower.
“She’ll be fine. I’m hoping this is the last time I have to patch you up.” With a nod at Rhys, Doc left the room.
“Thank you.” Kasie smiled softly, knowing she owed this man her life.
“For what? You were doing fine on your own.” Rhys took Doc’s place sitting on the side of the bed, only Rhys held her hand in a way Doc never would have.
“Pfft. He was about to kill me.”
“Not by chewing on your foot. You got away. You almost made it home.”
“Almost.”
“Don’t discredit what you did, Kasie. You were brave and strong, and I couldn’t be more proud.” While her heart sang at his words, exhaustion pulled at her and her eyes drooped.
“Get some rest. I’m not going anywhere.” She felt the dip as he slid under the covers next to her, careful not to jostle her injuries as he tucked her against his side.
10
She was wearing the dress she’d had on the day they met. Only this time, she’d thrown a denim jacket over the top. Balancing on her crutches, her foot encased in a moon boot and a bandage around her arm, she’d never looked more beautiful to him.
“Ready?” he asked.
She looked up and the smile she gave him took his breath away. Her eyes were the same stormy gray they’d been the first time he’d seen them, so wide and turbulent. She’d plucked a flower from the vase on the kitchen bench and threaded it into the loose bun she’d piled on top of her head.
“I’m ready.” Her voice was soft, and just the sound of it stirred him, touched his heart and soul in ways he couldn’t explain. He walked with her to the front door, held it open while she passed through, then swept her up in his arms and carried her down the porch stairs, depositing her gently at the bottom. Her laughter warmed him to the bone, but he could hear the hint of sadness she was trying desperately to hide from him.
“Any excuse to sweep you off your feet,” he joked, wanting to thread his fingers with hers, but she needed to keep her grip on her crutches. He settled for resting his palm against her lower back.
The rest of the pack was waiting for them, and slowly they made their way to the massive oak tree. Beneath it stood a priest. And a coffin.
“Thank you for doing this,” she whispered, keeping her gaze straight ahead.
“It’s the right thing to do,” he replied.
For it was. He’d worked with the SIA to have her brother's body returned to her for a proper burial. Mack had confessed everything to the SIA, including the location of the shallow grave he’d buried Todd in. Now, in the small cemetery where Alison and Hayden Donovan were buried, was a new grave. Todd would always be with them, as much a part of the pack as Kasie was.
The service was brief and emotional, and although they’d never met Todd, they felt his loss. As his coffin was lowered into the ground and Kasie threw in a handful of soil, a howl echoed across the land. They all looked up, and there on the hill stood a magnificent silver wolf, the exact image of Kasie, only bigger.
“Todd,” she breathed, eyes shining. “Do you see him?” she asked the others.
“Yes,” they all answered in unison, awed by the sight. Never before had Rhys seen the spirit of a wolf. He hadn’t known such a thing was possible. Of course, there were always rumors, but he’d put them down to fanciful fairy tales. Yet here, before his very eyes, stood Todd in wolf form.
“Rest in peace, my brother,” Kasie whispered, raising her hand and blowing him a kiss. Todd howled again, then turned and ran, disappearing into the woods. “He’s home,” Kasie choked out, her voice thick with tears.
“You’re both home. At last.” As he wrapped Kasie in his arms, Rhys’s own wolf answered Todd’s call. He would protect her with his dying breath. She would forever be safe with him and his pack. Never would she live in fear, never would she face torture and abuse. From now on, all she had to look forward to was happiness and love.
THE END
Under a Darkened Moon is book three in the Hearts on Fire series but also a spin-off from the Awakening Series. Learn more about Georgia and Zak here
The Awakening Series
About the Author
Aussie Author, Jane Hinchey writes sexy, snarky, badass, paranormal romance and suspense.
Living in the City of Churches (aka Adelaide, South Australia) with her man, two cats, and turtle, she spends her days writing fantastical stories full of dark sexy vampires, hot shifters, sexy aliens, jaw-dropping demons, sinful angels, and magical witches – and while they can be snarky and swear a lot, they mean well and you’ll grow to love them. Honestly.
When she’s not in her writing cave she’s usually playing the Sims, Civilizations or something similar, binge watching Netflix or upping the ante in the crazy cat lady stakes.
Explore Jane’s worlds, get writing tips, and join her FREE mailing list for book news, book sales and laughter!
Back of book stuff
I started writing Under a Darkened Moon after I’d written First Blade – because I really felt that Rhys deserved his own story. Of course, it then got pushed to the back burner and I didn’t get to finish it until the Awakening Series was complete. Better late than never!
Rhys’s story came to me when I was painting some joists for the deck we were building at the time. I had the country tunes cranking (as you do) and it was a Luke Bryan song that started Rhys�
��s adventure by the ocean. And a little bit of daydreaming on my behalf lol.
Because I originally wrote this book as part of a boxed set, it is a novella rather than a full-length novel. I know many of my readers wish I’d make these novellas into novels but the thing is, once I’ve written a book, I’m done with it. My mind has moved on, so I find it extremely difficult to go back and flesh out the story even further. I do have a motto of “never say never” but at this stage I have no further plans for Rhys – he was a joy to write and it was fun writing such sizzling scenes right at the start of a book, rather than building up to it.
I still have a story left for Skye, but time wise I’m not sure when I can fit her into my writing schedule. Her story is percolating in the back of my mind though, and I know when it’s ready she’ll make herself known and the writing will begin, weather I’m ready or not!
Please, if you enjoyed this book give it a rating on the retailer where you purchased. Your kind words and encouragement help. Word-of-mouth is crucial for any author to succeed, so even if it’s only a line or two your review will make all the difference and is hugely appreciated.
You are the reason I write these stories and I sincerely appreciate each of you!
Thank you.
~ Jane Hinchey
Also by Jane Hinchey
Awakening Series
#1 First Blade
#2 First Witch
#3 First Blood
Hell’s Gate Series
#1 Straight to Hell
#2 The Devil Inside
#3 Hotter than Hell
Hearts on Fire Series
#1 Shadow Shifter
#2 Secret Fates
#3 Under a Darkened Moon
#4 Immortal Ties
Lick of Fire Series
#1 Shadows and Secrets
