“Are you okay, Miss?” someone asked her as she turned toward the inquisitive facial expressions from a kitchen filled with cooks and waiters. The sweet smell of Italian sauce with fresh herbs filled her nostrils. Clattering pots and pans continued to bang around her as she gathered herself.
“Oh, yes. I’m fine now. I’ll get out of your way. Sorry,” she added then hurried through the kitchen. The enticing aroma seemed to follow her as she vacated the area. She took a moment to look around the restaurant and bar to make sure the men hadn’t shown up ahead of her. Taking a quick glance around her she noticed no one of interest until her eyes met with Simon’s. Oh crap! She abruptly turned away, trying to hide her face from him. Raising her fingers to her hair, she pushed the thick strands over her shoulders and against her cheeks to hide. He would surely know what she looked like. A panic attack was looming near. She felt her breathing grow rapid and her palms begin to sweat. She was suddenly too warm, the restaurant too crowded for her to breathe. Was Fenly here? The thought sent her into a frenzy. He couldn’t find her. She couldn’t let him catch her. Not now. Quickly she turned and headed toward the back bar area. It had a great view of the only two exits besides the kitchen. She knew she couldn’t escape through the kitchen. She would have to pass Simon and perhaps one of the sexy cops was going through the kitchen right now. As soon as she had the opportunity to run, she would take it.
Then suddenly the front door opened, and there stood two of the five men. Her eyes widened in shock. Her chest heaved up and down at the sight of the most handsome men she had seen in tuxedos all night. They looked intimidating and focused and maybe even hungry. The thought had her swallowing hard and trying to figure out why her pussy felt swollen and her panties damp. Was she losing her mind? In the middle of being chased by strange men, she was sexually attracted to two of them so far. A quick glance toward Simon and then at the men, and she knew Simon had noticed her. Quickly Ava headed toward the side exit door. She shoved it open, initiating the alarm as she headed toward the next alleyway. Damn it! So much for living in hiding.
* * * *
She ran as quickly as she could as she looked over her shoulder to make certain that they weren’t catching up.
“Are we going to do this all night?”
She screamed as she heard the voice and practically ran into Kyle. His arms were crossed in front of his chest until she began to do an about-face and run away from him. Her senses were in overdrive. She was scared, her heart was pounding inside of her chest, yet when she felt his arms clamp around her waist, she felt as if she stood before a blazing fire.
His thick, solid arm wrapped around her midsection, forcing her to collide against him. Her legs flailed, and she fought his restraint until he applied a little pressure. The man was huge, and his arm felt muscular and solid, and she knew she was trapped. There was no way she could fight his strength.
A warm breath caressed her neck and shoulder, momentarily stunning her.
“Don’t run. I would never hurt you,” he told her, and her damn insides went haywire. A deep, seductive voice laced with heat crashed against her neck, causing tiny sparks of awareness to envelop her body inch by inch. Was that moisture dripping between her legs? Again? She read about sensations like this in her sexy novels, but she thought it was a load of bullshit.
Instinctively she struggled to get free, only for him to lift her up and move her toward the brick wall. He turned her around so she was forced to face him. Well, more like face his ribs. The coolness of the brick against her bare back couldn’t make the heat subside. She was on fire as her chest rose and fell and her eyes absorbed her captor. The man was a giant and built like a damn tank. She swallowed hard.
“Please don’t hurt me. I don’t know what you want,” she whispered, her voice cracking as she tilted her head up toward him, trying to lock gazes with him. He was breathing deeply, more deeply than what would be perceived as normal, and it gave her a funny feeling. Despite his caveman tactics and now the fact that he was sniffing her, she found herself softening in his embrace.
“You’re beautiful,” he whispered then stared into her eyes. It was an intense moment. He looked so sincere and sexy that her heart pounded inside of her chest and her palms became sweaty with anticipation. Kiss me.
Then came the burst of activity around them.
“Release her now!” someone yelled.
They both turned to see a man standing in the darkness. He was just as tall as Kyle but not as muscular. His face was hidden. Was it Simon?
“I don’t think so.” Another deep voice followed, and it came from the entranceway to the alley. She turned to see other men. She swallowed hard, they were a sight to see, and she was relieved that Kyle exclaimed he didn’t want to hurt her. Looking up, she noticed the smirk on Kyle’s face, and then his eyes began to glow.
Panicking, she pulled away from him, but he grabbed her by her thigh and pressed her against the wall with his back toward her. She shook with aftereffects of his touch to her thigh. An imaginary line of heat and arousal penetrated her skin and somehow wound up against her pussy lips. She attempted to reposition herself but there was no room to move. His body was armor and as solid as steel.
She grabbed at his body, his shoulders then waist, under the jacket of his tux, trying to push away from him, but it was useless. He was thick and totally in control of her movements.
“Let me go!” she demanded.
“Not a chance. Stay put. We’re here to protect you,” Sean stated, taking position next to her. She was now encaged by large, muscular backs covered in black tuxedos.
What did they mean by protecting her? Who were these men? She fidgeted with the purse to open it, then reached inside and grabbed one of the syringes. She couldn’t hit them both unless she took both syringes out and dropped her purse. She waited a moment as concern for their safety again filtered through her brain. What the fuck?
She opted to wait this little scene out to see if they would handle Simon. With Simon off her back, at least she had a chance to escape.
* * * *
Willy instantly knew that Ava was their mate. He smelled her scent the moment he hit the hallway she escaped through. His wolf was in protective mode as he and his brothers surrounded her. He would deal with who she really was later. Right now he wanted to know why Simon wanted her so badly.
“She’s with me,” Simon stated, and Willy smirked as a light snort escaped from him.
“I don’t think so,” Willy replied.
“Absolutely not!” Ava’s voice, barely audible from behind his brothers, emerged, but he ignored her. “Keep her quiet,” Willy stated to his brothers through their link.
“We’ve been looking for you, Simon. It was nice of you to turn yourself in right now,” Mick stated, taking position a few feet behind Willy. Their brother Pat was moving in behind Simon as they conversed.
Simon chuckled. “You got nothing on me, Declan. I’m not looking for any trouble. I’m just claiming what’s mine,” Simon said, glancing toward where Ava remained hidden.
The fact that Simon said “claim” pissed off Willy’s wolf and his brothers’.
“She’s with us and doesn’t seem to want to go with you,” Mick countered.
“She does. She’s just scared right now,” Simon replied.
“She’s not going anywhere with you. She’s coming with us,” Sean stated angrily. Willy gave his brother a look, but then he inhaled the other scents coming from Pat’s direction.
“Watch your backs. We’ve got company,” Pat stated through their link just as numerous growls filled the alleyway. In an instant they were surrounded and a full-fledged fight began. When Simon shifted, so did the others except for Kyle.
* * * *
Ava pushed away from Sean and Kyle just as the other men turned into wolves before her eyes. Her first inclination was to sink into the fetal position and pray that no one ate her, but then she saw the numerous men attack Sean, and thank goodness that K
yle remained next to her to protect her. One guy hit Kyle with something metallic, and he roared. She released her hands on the syringes and closed up her purse. She looked around her, shocked at what she was seeing. Some of the men remained in human form, fist fighting, while others fought as large, ferocious wolves. It was crazy.
“Stay back, Ava. We’ll protect you,” Kyle told her in a semidistorted voice, and she noticed his elongated teeth despite his human form. He was a wolf just like Fenly. They were all wolves. What the hell did they want with her?
“Come with me now!” Some guy grabbed her arm, trying to pull her toward the back entrance to the restaurant. She slammed her elbow into his side then punched him in the nose. The man was obviously surprised by her ability to fight. She didn’t take a second to celebrate, but instead pulled out the syringe and stuck the guy with it. He fell to the ground immediately.
The second she had a chance, Ava ran to escape only to be hit by one of Simon’s men. At least she thought that was who they were. More roars filled the alleyway, and a large black wolf appeared, striking the wolf that hit her out of the way. The black wolf looked at her, and she covered her mouth to stifle the scream and waited for its attack. It never came. The wolf just watched her closely. She crab walked backward as some brown wolf jumped on the black wolf’s back.
Rolling to her knees, she pushed herself up and began to run from the alleyway. She stopped a moment at the corner, turning back to the outrageous scene, more surreal than anything she could have ever conjured up or read about in any fantasy book.
It appeared that the Declan crew, as Simon had called them, was in control as numerous bodies lay still on the ground and wolves began to shift back into naked men. Turning abruptly, she ran into a brick wall. The man grabbed her by the arms and held her firmly.
“Ava, are you all right?”
She was shocked to see Walt, dressed in a tuxedo and looking concerned.
“Walt! Oh my god, what are you doing here? Wait, don’t answer me. We need to hurry,” she told him, and he looked over her shoulder.
“Declan? Let’s go!” he exclaimed, sounding like he knew who the Declan brothers were while pulling her toward the sidewalk and an awaiting limo.
“Wait!”
They turned toward the voice just as Walt closed the door. She could see through the tinted windows that it was Kyle, Sean, and the others.
“Step on it,” Walt told the driver and off they went.
* * * *
“What in the world is going on?” Sean asked Willy as he stood by the sidewalk watching the limo pull away with their mate inside. Mick, Pat, and Kyle began to clean up the mess in the alley and arrest Simon and his men.
“Fuck if I know, but I recognize that guy she just left with. He’s a government operative,” Willy told Sean.
“I’m not liking this one bit, Willy,” Sean replied.
“We’ll get to our mate, Sean. Even if we have to die trying,” Willy stated then turned around and headed back toward the alley.
Chapter 5
“No! Absolutely not, Walt. I don’t believe this!” Ava yelled as she paced back and forth across Walt’s living room. This could not be happening to her. When was she going to wake up from this nightmare? She explained about the police chasing her and about Pat and Kyle from the other night. This new information was not anything she expected, never mind trying to comprehend it. She was stuck in a nightmare that just kept getting worse.
Walt kept his lips firmly together. She wasn’t certain if he was trying to stifle a laugh or was truly feeling her pain. She halted in front of him and placed her hands on her hips.
“Are you laughing about this? You, of all people. You’ve lived your life exactly the way you’ve wanted to. Mine has been dictated for me since birth for crying out loud! I am not the mate to a bunch of oversized fur balls.”
“Now now, Ava, there’s no need for insults. The Declan brothers are quite a sought-after bunch of Alpha males. Many women would find them irresistibly attractive.”
She felt her nostrils flare and her blood pressure rise as she fisted her hands by her side.
“I am not accepting this, Walt. Call whomever you have to in that Circle of Elders and tell them I said no!” Ava crossed her arms in front of her chest and glared at Walt. His eyebrows scrunched up as he rose from his sitting position. Now that he stood in front of her at over six feet three inches tall, she swallowed the intimidation the best she could.
“It makes sense that the gods have chosen such strong and superior wolves for you to mate with.”
“Why is that? I am not of the wolf, as you and Brennan call it. Others in my family would be more suitable than I. For god’s sake, Walt, did you get a load of the size of them and all those muscles? They would crush me if they even hugged me, never mind…”
“Never mind what, Ava?” he asked as he held her gaze.
She ignored his question, but he wasn’t going to allow that. Walt knew her almost as well as his cousin Brennan. God, she wished Brennan was here. She wished her father was.
“You’re worried about the sex aren’t you?” he asked, and she turned toward him, shocked at his question. She felt herself blush, and then she thought about the men. Each of them was a sight. All five men sinfully good looking, but still. They weren’t human. Those men were animals, and she hadn’t chosen them herself. If she wanted to accept a fate like that then she would have stayed in Ireland with Fenly. She wasn’t stupid. She learned a lot about wolves and what they expected from their women or mates. That was why she carried the syringes.
“Your silence tells me I’m right on the money.”
She looked at him, giving the evil eye best she could.
“My sex life is none of your business, Walt.”
“What sex life? You’re a virgin and that is exactly what a woman of your age and bloodline should be.”
She gasped then gave him a shove to his chest. She was fuming.
“What I should be? What kind of old-fashioned bullshit is that? And bloodline? That’s your damn wolf speaking. I am not going to be some breeding machine destined to give birth to more hair balls while chauvinistic males drag me around by my hair as they growl and drool on me.”
Ava stared at Walt. She couldn’t believe what was coming from his mouth. She remembered when she first met him. How handsome and sophisticated he appeared with his slicked-back black hair and deep-brown eyes. Even the small scar by his neck made him appear sexy and mysterious. She took a deep breath and tried to focus on how angry she was getting with Walt instead of how most wolves appeared to be eye candy.
“Watch your tongue, Ava. Brennan didn’t send me to keep an eye on you for the past two years to allow you to ruin yourself.”
“Oh, you just better stop talking right now, Walt, or I swear I’m going to lose it.”
“Sit down, Ava, and let’s talk about this. I can answer any questions you have about the mating process and about…the other stuff,” he added shyly.
Ava threw her hands up in the air and headed toward the door.
“Ava, don’t be so quick to dismiss your fate. They could be exactly what you need now.”
“Five animals to do as they please with me and toss me to the side when they’re done? No thanks, Walt. If I wanted that life then I would have stayed with Fenly.”
“The Declan brothers can protect you. They are not like Fenly. Plus, they are special.”
She held the doorknob and took a deep breath before she replied.
“I am finished allowing other people to make choices for me. I’m in control of my fate. I’m tired of hearing about all these special wolves and forces yet no specifics. I’m tired of running and hiding. I want to go home. I want my life back. I want Fenly to pay for what he has done. I don’t care who these Declan brothers are.” She stated the last syllable broken halfway with emotion.
Walt was immediately by her side as Ava laid her forehead against the door.
“I won’t li
e to you, Ava. I won’t make promises of happy ever after or even for your hope of returning to your homeland. What I can tell you with great certainty is that when a wolf, or in this case wolves, finds their mate, they will do anything in their power to protect, to possess, and keep her in close proximity to them at all times. They will be your personal bodyguards. They will care for you and provide for you and fulfill your every need.”
Ava looked up at Walt with tears in her eyes and uncertainty in her heart. Everything he said sounded farfetched and like such a load of bullshit, yet she found herself asking one question, with her entire heart and soul, with every word she stated.
“And what about love?”
The tear escaped from her eye and rolled down her cheek. Walt began to console her by placing his finger underneath her chin to turn her face toward him, but as he tried she blocked him by wiping the tear away before she reached for the doorknob.
“I’ve got a job to do. Nothing else matters right now.”
* * * *
Duggy Doolin tried to maintain his composure as he stood in front of the painting while the police commander and his wife spoke. He knew the castle in the painting. He had visited it just recently when in Ireland on business with Fenly. It was the O’Brian castle. The estate was currently being taken over by Fenly with hopes to gain control over the entire country of Ireland.
“What seems to have your utter and complete attention, Duggy?”
Duggy turned around, looking way up to see Fenly himself staring over his shoulder. He didn’t need to answer the monstrosity of a man, for as Fenly caught sight of the painting his eyes grew wide and began to glow.
Task Force Three and the Irish Jewel [The Men of Five-O #3] (Siren Publishing LoveXtreme Forever) Page 6
