Real Men Snarl_Real Men Shift

by Celia Kyle

  She blindly reached for Kade’s hand as she remembered Brian’s groping hands on her body and the sudden jolt of fear when he ignored her protests.

  “The bottom line is he tried to rape me. He kept calling me his mate and that it was destiny we should be together and a bunch of other bullshit.”

  “Oh fuck,” Kade breathed just loud enough for her to hear, and she knew he finally understood her original suspicions of him. Kade had said the same things Brian had claimed as he was trying to rape her.

  “I managed to stick my thumbs in his eyes hard enough that he screamed and rolled off. I scrambled out of the tent and ran for my life, but not fast enough. The last thing I really remember is being tackled by a huge wolf and the pain when his fangs sank into my neck.”

  “Jesus,” Gavin breathed.

  “I don’t remember much about the next few days—at least I think that’s how long it took me to recover—except excruciating pain. I do recall flashes of someone, a female, who remained by my side through all of it, soothing me. Not that she helped much. I was so certain I was dying, I thought I heard death calling me. And I can’t deny that I wanted to go.”

  “You must be exceptionally strong not to have died,” Gavin said.

  “She is,” Lucy said, tears streaming down her face now, a younger version of Tessa. “I nearly died from a pup bite, which must be less potent than a full-grown male’s bite.”

  She shot a glance at Mason, who nodded. Not that Ally cared, not anymore. All the mattered now was finding Brian and stopping him from hurting anyone else.

  “When I finally became lucid, Brian paid me a visit. I’ll never forget the look of revulsion on his face when he stepped in the room and smelled the truth. ‘You’re not my mate!’ he shouted. Then he dragged me from my deathbed and beat me until I passed out.”

  Ally’s chest constricted. She’d never told another living soul about Brian, and though she felt disconnected from that long ago trauma, the simple act of speaking about it brought a fresh wave of pain. She would push through, but not without stirring up shit she’d spent eight years trying to forget.

  “He spent the next few months punishing me for not being his mate. It didn’t matter to him in the slightest that he’d changed me for no reason. In fact, he said another female could always be useful to the pack.”

  The scent of Kade’s outrage drifted over her. She almost pitied Brian, because her mate wouldn’t stop hunting until he tracked down her attacker and justice had been served.

  “What pack?” Mason asked.

  Ally snorted. “That’s what Brian called it, but it was really just a motley crew of scumbags who’d been banished from their own packs. From what you said, a large chunk were probably Riverson wolves. I hated every last one of them, but we had one thing in common. We were all terrified of Brian.”

  “Regardless, I can’t believe no one helped you,” Lucy said, reaching a hand over to clasp Ally’s. “I always wondered why you’d dropped out of school.”

  Ally smiled at her friend. “I didn’t so much ‘drop out’ as ‘disappear’. And I didn’t expect any of them to help me. Brian hated me for not being his fated mate, and we all knew what would happen if anyone was caught being kind to me. Except Rachel. She was the one who helped me through my change, and if my guess is right, she was an Omega. She tried to stand up for me a few times, only to suffer dearly as a result. I eventually insisted she stop. I couldn’t take the guilt.”

  Ally had often thought about Rachel over the years and wondered if she’d ever made it out of Brian’s pack alive.

  “Of course, none of that stopped me from trying to escape. I probably broke free at least a dozen times, and almost made it to safety on three different occasions before some slavering asshole hunted me down. After the last time, Brian said he knew what would tame me. I remember him saying it hadn’t worked on his rebellious mother, but his father had left a supply hidden on their lands, just in case.”

  As her words sank in, the others exchanged shocked glances. Lucy gasped and started shaking. This time it was Tessa’s turn to comfort her granddaughter.

  “So that’s why Kathy went feral,” Mason mused. “That’s always bothered me. It’s very rare for mated wolves to lose their minds like that.”

  Lucy turned a furious gaze on Ally. “Are you telling me Frank Riverson didn’t just stand by while his mate attacked us, but he was directly responsible for making her crazy in the first place?”

  “I think so,” Ally said.

  “Hmph.” Lucy glared out the window at nothing in particular. “Now I don’t feel so bad about bashing his skull in with the business end of a hoe.”

  “What did he do, Ally?” Kade asked, his voice carefully controlled, but she could hear the quaver of rage behind it.

  “He chained me to a tree, just like he did to Charlie. Then he forced a vial of nasty liquid down my throat. I can almost taste its bitterness now.”

  “It acted on you the same as it did on Charlie?” Mason asked.

  Ally nodded. “The mania almost took me. I remember him saying he was going to give me half a dose because he didn’t want to repeat his father’s mistake. I guess it wasn’t enough.”

  “Maybe your uncommon strength is what helped you survive,” Gavin said with a hint of admiration in his voice.

  “Whatever the reason, my mind cleared enough to understand what happened. They’d left me out there all alone, waiting for me to either become docile or die. Once I was able to use reason and my new strength, I broke free and never looked back.”

  She laughed bitterly, lips curled in a sneer while she shook her head. “That’s not true. Since that night eight years ago, I’ve constantly looked over my shoulder, waiting for him to find me. I knew I could never see my family again. Rachel had told me my ‘death’ had been widely reported in the news. A search party had discovered my shredded clothes and my blood, and that was enough for the authorities to declare I’d been the victim of an animal attack. If I returned from the dead, it would definitely make the news and he’d find me. I had to stay away from my parents and sister, for their own safety.”

  “So where did you go?” Lucy asked.

  “Underground. I moved around a lot, took commitment-free jobs, kept my wolf in submission, and kept a go bag in my trunk at all times. I didn’t understand the wolf inside me or how to handle it, so I rarely released it.”

  “That might have helped save your sanity,” Gavin said. “Any other wolf in that situation would have gone feral. No pack? No Alpha? No mate?” He let out a low whistle.

  A whiff of Kade’s jealousy caught her attention. He didn’t like her getting attention from another male, so she squeezed his hand to calm him again before continuing.

  “Every time I even thought Brian might be closing in, I ran. Then I landed in Pepper and found Tessa and Lucy…” She sniffled. “I’m not sure I can express in words the pain I suffered in leaving my family behind, especially my sister. I would have gone through the change and the poison a thousand times just to see them once more. So, when I bumped into Lucy and she remembered me… I knew I’d found my new sister. You two were my foster family. After so long on my own, I couldn’t leave you.”

  Lucy and Tessa were full-on sobbing, right along with Ally.

  “I’m so sorry for bringing Brian into your lives, for putting you both in jeopardy. Putting you all in jeopardy. When I realized he’d found me in Pepper, I went with Kade in the hopes that I’d finally be safe—at least long enough to make another escape. I never expected him to find me again so soon. He must have kidnapped Charlie to prove his point. To show me I’ll never be safe.”

  She brushed away her tears, then turned to Kade. “Deep down, my wolf knew the truth of our bond, but it took my brain longer to accept it. I would never have knowingly put you in danger and I’m so sorry.” With one final shaky breath, she turned to Mason. Bracing herself, she said, “This is all my fault, and I’m going to fix it.”

  Chapter
Nineteen

  Kade had sat next to Ally, silently supporting her through her story, but now that she was done, he couldn’t sit still for one more second. Jumping to his feet, he balled up his fists and stalked into the kitchen. He needed to think, away from the intoxicating scent of his mate and the rage he’d been suppressing.

  She’d dropped enough clues over the previous few days for him to catch on that she’d been hurt, maybe abused, but suspecting was one thing. Knowing every evil detail of what that bastard had done…

  His wolf snarled, and white-hot anger flashed before his eyes. He wanted to punch a wall—or better yet, find that sonofabitch and rip out his motherfucking throat. No, that was too quick, too easy.

  When he found Brian Riverson, Kade would cut him into tiny pieces. Slowly. Carefully. Inflicting as much pain as possible, which would still be less than the coward deserved. He would start with Brian’s toes, so his captive had a ringside view of the action. By the time Kade was done with him, the asshole would understand pain like no one else in the history of the universe.

  “What are you doing in here?”

  Kade jumped and spun around to find Mason standing in the doorway. He’d been so engrossed in his thoughts of revenge, his senses had failed him. Some protector he’d turned out to be.

  “I just needed a minute,” he said through gritted teeth.

  “I get it bro.” Mason moved forward and threw an arm over Kade’s tense shoulders.

  “I’m going to kill him, Mason. I’m going to do worse than kill him.”

  “He needs to be put down,” Mason agreed, “but not right now.”

  Kade balked and opened his mouth to object, but Mason cut him off.

  “Brian’s time will come, trust me. Right now, you have a mate to soothe and protect. Why don’t you take her up to one of the guest rooms and get some sleep? She’s going to be wrecked after all of this.”

  Kade’s cock thought being alone with Ally was an excellent idea, while his brain thought his cock was a total asshole. His mate had just revealed a dark and violent past and his first thought was getting inside of her.

  Pathetic.

  With a deep breath, Kade finally nodded. “Thanks, Mason.”

  “Hey, what are brothers for if not to tell you when you're being an idiot?”

  Kade cracked a smile. “I may never know.”

  Back in the great room, Tessa and Lucy flanked Ally on the couch, holding each other for comfort. One look told him Mason had been right. She looked drained. Even so, when she met his gaze and gave him a weary smile, his heart beat double-time.

  Striding to her, he held out a hand. “Come on, let’s go get some rest.”

  “Okay,” she sighed, as if the mere thought of moving exhausted her. “Although I’m warning you right now that you’ll have to carry me at least half the way back to your place.”

  Helping her up, he led her to the main staircase. “Let’s just grab a guest room upstairs.”

  “That sounds perfect.”

  Kade led her to the guest room at the end of the hall. This one featured an attached bathroom where they could wash off the sweat and dirt of the night before. Kade bustled around the room, preparing the bathroom with a fluffy robe, towel and washcloth while he turned on the shower.

  Ally flopped back on the bed with a soft sigh. “God, this bed feels like heaven.”

  Kade chuckled. “You rest while I grab a shower.”

  “God, a shower sounds like heaven!”

  This time he laughed outright. “Ladies first. I’ll go back downstairs—”

  “No.” Her voice was soft, but firm. “Stay.”

  Kade refused to let his mind wander into dangerous territory again. Ally was exhausted and needed rest, not recreation.

  “Whatever you want.” He slumped into a comfy chair in the corner.

  Sitting up, she reached for the buttons of her shirt, fingers shaking as she unfastened each one slowly. Kade averted his gaze to give her some privacy, but even the sound of her clothes falling away set his pulse racing.

  “You can watch, if you want,” she almost whispered.

  Kade met her gaze just as her shorts slipped to the floor, leaving her in nothing but her white lace panties and matching bra. She stood boldly, but her hands twitched, and he knew she wanted to cover her tummy.

  “Kade?”

  “Hmm?” He could barely focus on her words with her standing in front of him almost naked.

  “Now that you know the truth about me, about my past,” she started, a tremor in her voice that brought his gaze back to hers. “Now that you know how weak I am, do you still want me as your mate?”

  She’d barely spoken the words and Kade was out of his seat, standing in front of her. “Of course, I do. Gavin’s right. It takes a strong person—hell, a strong wolf—to survive all you’ve been through. You’re not weak, Ally. You’re supremely powerful and I’m so amazed and proud of you. Proud to call you my mate.”

  Kade sniffed away the tingles that pricked the backs of his eyes. It wouldn’t do for his mate to see him crying like a baby.

  A delicate smile lit her face. “Do you really mean that?”

  “Every word.”

  In response, she looped her hand behind her back and twisted the clasp of her bra, letting it fall to the floor in front of her as she shimmied out of her panties — all the while keeping her eyes locked on his. Once again, she laid herself bare to him. He swallowed hard, his mind struggling to understand how so much strength and beauty could live inside one person.

  “Come on,” she said, stepping past him and heading for the bathroom.

  Kade stayed put and closed his eyes, counting to ten. He wanted to be a good guy, let her do her thing without any pressure for physical intimacy, even though every nerve was ablaze. Then she poked her head around the corner and smiled.

  “You coming?”

  He shook his head, despite his cock and wolf both protesting the injustice of it all. “You've been through so much. Right now, you need—”

  “I know what I need right now,” she cut in, then walked toward him, her breasts bouncing as she moved. She gripped the hem of his shirt and slowly dragged it over his head.

  “Ally,” he whispered, but she silenced him with a soft kiss.

  “After everything you've seen and heard, you still want me. Kade, I'm never letting you get away. If I'm yours, then you’re mine.”

  Her mouth dropped to the base of his neck and he wondered if she could feel the hard thrum of his heart against her lips. His cock ached as it strained against his jeans, but he repressed his urge to growl.

  “You should take it easy.”

  She growled against his skin in frustration, sending tremors of need through his body, then stepped back and cocked her head in a challenge.

  “Get in the shower, Kade.” She spun around, giving him a perfect view of her perfect ass. Pausing at the bathroom doorway, she flipped her long hair and glanced over her shoulder at him. She looked every bit a pinup girl. “I’ve got a mate to claim, but that can’t happen if he doesn’t do his part.”

  Chapter Twenty

  The bathroom was almost as big as the bedroom, the design a mixture of the rustic charm throughout the house but tempered with a softer edge. It beckoned her onward, encouraging her to rest, relax, and enjoy herself… Maybe it was the early morning sun casting the glass shower in an ethereal glow. Or the bronze chandelier that hung from the ceiling over the double-slipper clawfoot tub, its bulbs giving the nook a subtle radiance.

  Perhaps it was sensual simply because she was in a safe place, moments from being claimed by her mate.

  Kade’s steps were silent as he crossed the bedroom and joined her, the bathroom door closing with a soft snick. Then his heat was there, body close enough to warm her back, yet he didn’t touch her.

  “Ally,” he murmured, his breath fanning her shoulder.

  He pressed a kiss to her skin, just a chaste brushing of his lips on her, but it felt
so much more intimate. As if he explored the most sensual parts of her instead of merely her shoulder. She shuddered, a jolt of desire slithering through her veins, and her pussy clenched with need.

  “You don’t have to be nervous.” Kade nuzzled her neck, a rough scrape of his shadowy beard over her sensitive skin. “I’d never do anything to hurt you and the water won’t allow anyone to hear us.”

  Ally shook her head. “I’m not nervous and I don’t care if anyone hears us.”

  Steam drifted over the glass-enclosed shower and she breathed deep, loving the mix of soothing warm mist and the scents of their combined desire. Her nipples strained, hardening to firm points despite the heat. Ally turned, her breasts nearly brushing Kade’s bare chest, and she couldn’t keep her hands to herself. She reached for him, pulling him closer until there was no space between their bodies.

  “I want this to be exactly how you want it to be—everything you’ve ever dreamed.” Kade’s gaze met hers, his stare intent and searching.

  “I never dreamed of something like this. I never dreamed…” She swallowed hard, the pain of the past fighting to ruin this moment. “If I’m with you, then this is how it’s meant to be.”

  Ally pressed to her tiptoes and gave Kade a teasing, chaste kiss, but pulled back before he could take over and deepen the connection. She eased away and slowly, ever so slowly, she lowered to her knees. Her wolf rumbled, happy with the series of events. Even happier when she flicked the snap of his jeans and lowered the fly. The zipper parted to reveal the dark blue boxer briefs he wore beneath the rough fabric.

  Her hands shook with anticipation… need… lust. She grasped the waist of his pants and tugged, pulling until they slumped to the floor. Kade’s thick fingers slipped into her hair, large palm cupping her skull. His boxers remained in place, the only thing keeping him hidden from view.