Midnight Touch

by L Ann

  He felt something shift inside, knew his eyes had gone from green to yellow and lowered his head, masking their gleam. He stopped moving, forced himself to slow down, push his wolf away, then opened his eyes.

  “Cassie … look at me.” He lifted his head and waited for her eyes to open and meet his. Her hand touched his face, ran over his stubbled jawline and up, traced over his cheekbones and further into his hair.

  “Shaun,” she whispered.

  He held her gaze for a moment longer, then began to thrust again, his mouth dropping to nip, suck and lick at her breasts. He slid his hand between their bodies to stroke her slick needy flesh, driving her higher and higher until the air exploded from her lungs in a cry and he followed her down into the frenzied maelstrom of orgasm.

  When breathing and heartbeats slowed enough to speak, Cassie stirred beneath Shaun, who still lay half on top of her. Feeling her move, Shaun shifted so his weight wasn’t crushing her, rolling to the side and gathering her against him.

  “I think you killed me,” he murmured.

  Cassie laughed, the sound weak and breathless. “You killed me first.”

  “At least we’re both dying happy.”

  “Shaun! Shaun!”

  Shaun fought against the sleep trying to keep its hold on him, struggled to the surface and blinked his eyes open. Groggy and disoriented, he pushed himself upright and stumbled toward the door.

  Throwing it open, he peered out into the darkness.

  “Fuck!” Deacon barrelled past him, his eyes sweeping the room. “Where’s your girl?”

  “Girl?” His voice sounded thick to his own ears and he frowned at the strangeness.

  “Shaun, focus. Where’s Cassie?”

  Cassie? The name caught in his mind, then slipped away and his frown deepened as he tried to chase it down.

  “Deke?” He rubbed a hand across his face, trying to dislodge the fog. “What’s going on?”

  “Fucking fuck!” Deacon spun around, grabbed Shaun’s chin in one hand and wrenched his head up toward the light.

  Shaun squinted against the brightness, the light making his eyes tear up and he jerked his head out of Deacon’s grip.

  “What are you doing?”

  “Your pupils are blown. Did you take anything?”

  “What? Fuck, Deacon, no! I’ve been clean for a fucking year, why are you even asking me that?”

  “Didn’t think so. Where’s Cassie, Shaun?”

  Cassie! His body tensed at the name this time, and the fog cleared abruptly.

  “She’s in –” He swung around to point at the bed, found it empty and twisted back to face Deacon. “We fell asleep. Did she get up?”

  “No … I don’t think you did,” Deacon disagreed grimly. “Either the drink or the food was drugged. Everyone passed out. Mac and I woke up about twenty minutes ago.” His lips peeled back in a wordless snarl. “All the girls are gone.”

  “Wait! What? All the girls?” Shaun staggered into the bathroom, turned on the cold tap and splashed water on his face, hissing as the icy water hit his feverish skin.

  “Cassie, her sister, Roxie, Scarlet and Isabella. They’re all fucking gone.”

  “Deacon, calm down.” Cormac’s voice sounded from the hallway. “Jaden caught a scent. He’s tracking it now. Asher is following him in one of the cars.”

  “Whose scent?” Deacon demanded. “Whose fucking scent is he tracking?”

  Cormac appeared in the doorway, a glass in his hand. “Drink this.” He held the glass out to Shaun. “It’ll help dull the after effects.”

  Shaun took the glass and downed the contents, grimacing at the taste. “What happened?”

  “I’ve called Chase, he’ll be back in the morning. In the meantime, I think this was planned. Which means Cassie’s crash has to have been a targeted attack.” He broke off when his cell rang. “Asher?” He switched the call to loud speaker and all three men listened as Asher spoke.

  “We have Roxie and Isabella. They were wandering around about three miles from the house. They’re okay, a little spaced out but unharmed.”

  “Where’s Cassie?” Shaun demanded.

  “Roxie says they woke up by the side of the road. They don’t remember getting there and don’t recall anyone else being with them. Jaden thinks he caught a scent that may have been at Cassie’s crash scene, so he’s running that down to see where it takes him. I’m going to get the two girls settled in the pick-up, then head out to catch him up.”

  “What the fuck is going on?” Deacon exploded into movement when the call ended, spinning and hitting the wall with his fist. “I thought this was supposed to be a quiet fucking town in the middle of nowhere. We’ve been here less than a fucking month and we’ve lost three fucking women.”

  “Deacon, you’re no good to anyone like this. Calm yourself. Get your wolf under control.”

  “How can you be so fucking calm?” he snarled at Cormac.

  “Because if I lose it, no one will be able to hold it together, will they?” Unreadable silver eyes met gold. “How are you holding together, Shaun?” Cormac’s gaze swung to Shaun.

  Shaun didn’t speak, he was looking down at his right hand with a frown. Silently he lifted it palm flat, and all three men watched as it shook.

  “It’s Cassie,” he murmured. “She’s awake. She’s scared.”

  “Your mate-link is that strong already?” Cormac asked.

  “I think it’s fairly one-sided, maybe because we were …” he glanced toward the rumpled sheets on the bed. “I’m not sure I can connect to her, but she’s on the verge of panic, so it’s easy to pick up on her emotions. Can’t you do the same with Isabella?”

  A smile ghosted across Cormac’s face before disappearing. “A mate-link isn’t part of our negotiations. She wants very little to do with me, other than the protection our pack will give her family.”

  “Sounds like a lot of hassle for very little benefit. Is she at least sharing your bed?” Deacon queried.

  “Not every partnership has to involve sex, Deacon.”

  “All the best ones do.”

  Something unreadable passed across Cormac’s face, gone before it was really there. His phone burst into life again, and he hit connect – once again, putting the call on loudspeaker.

  “Is Shaun with you?” Asher’s voice sounded out?

  “I’m here.”

  “Well, you need to get over here.”

  “Cassie –”

  “She’s here, Shaun. But …” There was a muffled sound and a shout. “Christ, Shaun get your fucking ass over here. She’s fucking running. Jaden is wolf, there’s blood – I can’t tell how much … Jaden, wait!” There were more muffled shouts and then … “I’m not a fucking Alpha, I won’t be able to stop him if he gives chase. Get your asses over here before this all goes to hell.”

  “Fifteen minutes, Asher,” Cormac said, and cut the call. “Let’s move out.” He waved his two brothers out of the door and headed down the stairs.

  “It’ll be quicker to go wolf instead of driving,” Deacon said, and stopped on the landing to pull off his t-shirt. His two brothers followed suit, and before long, three large wolves stood in their place – one dark brown, with yellow eyes; the second a dark gold colour with golden eyes to match; and the third and largest, a silver-grey wolf with quicksilver eyes rimmed in ice-blue. With a low growl, the silver wolf took lead and all three took off out of the door and into the forest.

  Shaun and Deacon followed Cormac, trusting their pack Alpha to know where they were going, and they ran through the forest on silent paws. Fifteen minutes later, Cormac slowed and lifted his muzzle to sniff the air.

  “Wake up … wake up!”

  “Shaun?” Cassie tried to lift her head. She felt thick-headed, groggy, and there was a funny taste in her mouth. Something was covering her face and she lifted her hand up to push it away. Before her fingers made contact, the material was ripped away, and she was left blinking in the moonlight.


  “No, guess again.” A male voice, strange, one she’d never heard before.

  She felt a hand touch her shoulder and jerked backwards. “Where am I? Who are you?”

  “It doesn’t matter who I am. It only matters that you do as I tell you.”

  Cassie heard a moan behind her and tried to turn around. The man grabbed her hand and dragged her forward

  “You don’t need to worry about them. Just yourself.” As he spoke, his grip on her hand tightened and he pulled her out of the back of the van.

  “You see … you and your sister in there have your roles to play. If you follow my instructions, you’ll live the night. If you don’t … well, you’re a smart girl.”

  “My sister?” She tried to turn again.

  “She has her own role in the game. Now listen carefully …”

  ~ Deacon, take the left. Asher is over the next hill. Shaun, Jaden is ahead. Take point, track your mate. ~

  Deacon swerved off silently, racing across the ground, while Shaun moved ahead of Cormac, ears peaked on alert, listening for Cassie. He scented Jaden before he saw the pale white wolf standing stiffly ahead of him. Jaden’s head swung around to greet him before facing forward again.

  ~ Where is she? ~ Shaun demanded.

  ~ Down in that valley. ~ Jaden’s eyes dipped downwards. ~ I daren’t go down. I can smell her fear from here and, without Cormac here, I wouldn’t be able to control myself. Not with whatever drugged us. ~ His head turned to meet Shaun’s eyes, again. ~Will you? ~

  ~ She’s my mate. I won’t hurt her. ~

  ~ Be sure. Before you go down there, be sure you have control. ~

  Shaun huffed and set off cautiously into the small valley ahead of them. The scent of her fear grew stronger and he could hear her laboured breathing as she ran through the trees.

  Did she even know what she was running from or was it just fight-or-flight instinct? He wondered.

  An unfamiliar scent crossed his path and his lip peeled back from his teeth in a silent growl.

  Who else is out here?

  He padded forward stealthily, and then he spotted her. She had stopped, doubled over, gasping for breath, one hand pressed against her side. Shaun studied her from the shadows, the wolf aspect of him noting her weaknesses – her lack of awareness of her surroundings, the blood dripping from a noticeable gash on her leg. The male aspect of him noted her nakedness, the bruising on her ribs, the teeth marks he’d left in her breast.

  A growl escaped him, and Cassie’s head shot up. He eased forward out of the shadows, one slow step at a time.

  ~ Cassie ~

  “Sh-Shaun?” Her head came up.

  ~ Cass, I need you to listen to me. Can you do that? ~

  “Where are you? I can hear you, but I can’t see you.” Her eyes darted around wildly

  ~ I’m right here, sweetheart. I need you to do something for me. Stay very still, okay? No matter what, stay still. Do not run. ~

  Another step forward brought him into her line of sight and she froze.

  ~ Trust me, baby. ~

  Her eyes widened, and he saw her stance shift.

  ~ Dude, she’s going to run. ~ Deacon’s voice whispered across his mind.

  Shaun ignored him. ~ Cassie … Goldilocks, listen to me. Focus on my voice. ~

  “Where are you?”

  ~ I’m right here. I promise, I’m right here. ~

  He chanced another step forward, and Cassie’s hands lifted in a warding-off gesture.

  ~ Please, baby, don’t run. ~

  He wasn’t sure he’d be able to control the impulse to chase after her.

  Cassie didn’t listen. She turned on her heel and bolted.

  ~ Fuck, she ran, brother. ~ Deacon appeared beside Shaun and the two wolves traded glances before taking off after her.

  Breath rasping in her throat, leg muscles burning, Cassie pushed herself to keep running – one foot in front of the other. Where were they? Man or beast – both were in the forest. Was it her own breath she could hear or theirs? A movement to her left, a fleeting glimpse of golden fur made her turn to her right. Yellow eyes flashing between the trees sent her back to the left.

  ~ Only prey runs, little female. ~ The unknown voice whispered across her mind and she whimpered. The distraction caused her to trip and she fell to her knees.

  The two wolves appeared immediately – one on each side, circling inwards toward her, eyes locked onto her panting frame.

  “Dogs smell fear,” she whispered. “Don’t make eye contact.”

  Cassie pushed herself to her feet, backed away slowly and heard a low growl coming from the darker wolf. His lips peeled back in a snarl and her only hint of movement was his back legs tensing. Then he was flying through the air toward her. The expected impact didn’t happen, however. There was a blur of colour and she felt two arms wrap around her waist and she was falling to the ground.

  Somehow her fall was cushioned by something … something that grunted upon impact between her and the ground. The moment she landed, she tried to flee.

  “Cassie, stop.”

  The grip on her waist didn’t loosen, no matter how much she twisted, bucked, tried to free herself.

  “Let me go!” She shrieked and twisted her head to sink her teeth into the bicep closest to her face.

  “Fuck!” The world spun as she was thrown onto her back and a heavy weight settled on top of her, pinning her arms above her head. “Stop fucking struggling.”

  Cassie arched her back, straining again to reach the arm holding her.

  “Cassie!”

  She attempted to bring a knee up and her assailant surged upwards, avoiding the blow that would have incapacitated him. The action cost him his grip on her wrists and she pulled one free, grabbed a handful of his hair and pulled.

  “Jesus fucking Christ, you fight dirty,” he growled as his head was wrenched backwards. “Cassie, baby, come on. It’s me. Goldilocks open your eyes. Look at me.”

  The nickname broke through her panic and she froze beneath him. “Sh-Shaun?”

  “Yeah.” Tense, ready to make a grab for her if she tried to fight again, Shaun eased back, allowing her to scramble up into a seated position. “Do you know –” he started to ask, then broke off when Cassie threw herself forward and wrapped her arms around his shoulders. She buried her face into his chest.

  “I’m sorry … I’m sorry,” she whispered over and over.

  He stroked a hand down through her hair. “Baby, it’s okay. What are you sorry for? It’s not every day you wake up naked and alone in the middle of nowhere.”

  She shook her head, sniffed, then lifted a hand to dash away the tears. “I – I didn’t wake up here,” she said, sucking in a shuddering breath. “I woke up in the back of a van, something over my head … a cloth bag, maybe? Is … is that why you’re out here, too? Were you in the van? Gemma was … I thought I could … could hear someone else moving.”

  A crunch of leaves followed by a rough curse brought both of their heads round. Cassie shrank back against Shaun, the fear in her scent spiking.

  “It’s Deacon,” he murmured, a second before the man pushed through the trees. His dark eyes swept over Shaun, landed on Cassie and stayed there.

  “Fuck … I’ll go back for clothes,” he muttered.

  “Deke.” Shaun started to speak as the air around Deacon shimmered, but not quickly enough to stop his brother from shifting.

  “What did … where did he go? How?” Cassie’s voice rose with each word.

  “Cassie, look at me.” Shaun tried to keep his voice calm, even as the scent of her fear wrapped around him, teased him. “Cass, please. I need you to calm down.” He took a deep breath through his nose.

  A mistake, he conceded when his nostrils filled with the smell of terror … of prey.

  A growl rumbled at the back of his throat and he felt his eyes shift.

  “Cassie …” he forced her name out.

  She pulled away from him and stood up, eyes wide as
they flicked back toward the dark gold wolf that stood frozen to the spot and back to Shaun where he kneeled behind her. The expression on his face scared her. Lips curled, nostrils flared as if he was scenting the air … his eyes were no longer green, but yellow and slitted as they stared at her.

  “Don’t move.” His voice came out rougher than she had heard from him before. He rose fluidly to his feet and took a step toward her.

  Cassie stepped back, her hands lifting to ward him away. He stopped, his head tilting to one side and his tongue came out to wet his lips.

  “I can smell your fear, the blood on your thigh,” he told her. “Do not run, Cassie. I can feel the urge building, but I’m begging you please, do not run.” His eyes swung to where Deacon, in wolf form, watched them both intently. “If you run, I will chase you. He will chase you. Whatever we were dosed with is fucking with our control. If you run, I can’t promise I can control my wolf.”

  Cassie took another step backwards, keeping both Shaun and the wolf in her line of sight.

  “Your wolf? What are you?” she whispered.

  “Cassie, please. Baby, hear what I’m saying.” He kept pace with her, step for step. “Only prey runs.”

  “P-prey? Is this some kind of game?” Her back came up against the rough bark of a tree.

  “No game.” He shook his head, eyes never wavering from hers.

  The smell of her blood, of her fear, was intoxicating, and the drug they’d ingested, while not strong, was having some effect on the connection he had with his wolf half. He could feel his wolf’s instinct to hunt, it was slowly overtaking his humanity.

  Shaun could sense his brother at his back, his eyes locked onto him, waiting for a single indication that the chase was on.

  “If you run, my brother and I will hunt. It’s instinct. Please don’t be the prey we chase.”

  “What are you?” she whispered again, a slight quiver to her voice, and her hand swept out behind her, feeling around the tree trunk she was pressed against

  “Cassie …” he growled her name again, both a warning to her and a reminder to himself when her fear spiked.