Jodi_ByTheLight

by JenniferLitteken

  Damon grimaced and snatched the girl’s hand away.

  He heard it, a growl so low only another wolf would perceive it. He knew who it belonged to. Only this time it wasn’t male. It was female.

  It was Ava.

  ***

  Standing in front of the stripper pole, Ava held Damon’s gaze across the crowded room. How could he let a skanky stripper paw all over him?

  The look of shock that crossed his face when she removed her hood was priceless. At first she thought his scent of arousal was because of her. Then Ava saw the stripper was practically humping his leg.

  Keeping her eyes on his, Ava pulled the tie at her neck, letting the cape slip from her shoulders like rain and puddle at her feet. Hollers and catcalls rang out over the song she’d been dancing to. She’d been scared when she had first stepped on stage, but after watching Damon and that damn stripper, anger replaced any fear she’d felt about taking her clothes off.

  She slowly slid her hands down across her breasts and between her thighs as she danced to the seductive music. Turning, she faced the pole and bent over, making sure she showed every inch of her ass. She knew the thong wasn’t doing anything to hide anything.

  Ava heard Damon’s growl over the noise of the crowd. She smiled in satisfaction. Good. Let’s see how he liked it.

  Standing up, Ava faced the crowd. Reaching high on the pole she jumped and wrapped her legs around it. Leaning back until she was upside down, she caressed her breasts and slowly slid down the pole in a controlled slide.

  When she reached the bottom, she rolled over until she was on all fours, crawling to the edge of the stage toward a group of young college boys. She didn’t look at Damon. She didn’t have to. She heard his violent growl above the music, making the hair on her neck stand up.

  “Hello, boys.” Sitting back on her knees, Ava smiled at the guys as she pulled her thong aside with her thumb for them to slip money inside. “I don’t bite. Hard.”

  The guy swallowed, his eyes glued to her breasts. Ava fought the impulse to punch him in the throat.

  He slid his fingers along with a couple of dollar bills in the waist of her thong. “Baby, you’re the best-looking thing I’ve seen on the stage tonight.”

  “Thanks.” Ava bit her cheek, trying to refrain from telling him to fuck off.

  “How about you let me and my buddies buy you a drink?”

  “No, thanks. No drinking on the job, you know.”

  “Maybe this will sweeten the deal.” He held up a hundred-dollar bill, slipping it in the top of her edible panties.

  Ava reared back to knock him on his ass when the unmistakable roar of a wolf, splintering wood, and the grinding wail of bending metal hit her ears.

  She pulled her leg back just in time as a beer bottle shattered on the stage and fights broke out throughout the club. Two burly men scrambled to grab her, instead knocking her backward toward the center of the stage. Then all hell broke loose.

  Security guards rushed to all areas of the club trying to separate and contain the different fights, only to have three more break out. Women screamed and strippers dropped to the ground, picking up money that scattered to the floor.

  Ava stood and then ducked, missing a chair flying through the air. Crouching, she glanced around to the group of college guys. Damon was in the middle of them, fists flying, while something pink and silver dangled from one of his wrists as he pummeled them.

  Guilt and regret washed over her. The second they put their hands on her, Damon had gone after them. Her stomach tugged with remorse. She had baited Damon into fighting. Now, he might get hurt.

  Damon knocked out two of the guys and was working on the other three. Ava frowned when she saw another guy coming up behind him with a knife glinting in his hand.

  Taking off her platform heel, Ava scooted closer and hurled the shoe at the asshole’s head. It hit him square in the face before bouncing off. A confused look crossed his face before he dropped to his knees and collapsed.

  Glancing over at Damon, she froze. He laid the group of guys out like a fan around him and was staring hard at her, anger radiating out of his eyes.

  “Ava, what the hell do you think you’re doing?” His voice carried over the fighting in the club.

  Jealously and anger flashed in her veins like electricity. “Me? What about you, Spartacus, and that fucking stripper?”

  He jumped, gracefully landing on the stage like a lethal animal. Bending, he swiped her cloak off the stage and wrapped it around her until nothing but her head and feet were sticking out.

  “What the hell were you thinking coming here tonight?” His eyes were like blue fire, hot and angry.

  “I came to help get Jayden out.” Ava smirked, cocking her head to the side. “And I did.”

  His glare slipped. “You did what?”

  “Granny and I already got Jayden out. Through the back door.”

  “Is he okay?”

  She nodded. “He’s beat up pretty good, but he’s going to be okay.”

  “So you stayed behind because you felt the need to shake your little ass on stage and get groped?” Damon’s glare was back.

  “If you stop being an asshole for five minutes, I can explain what happened.” She clenched her jaw so tight her cheek ached.

  “Asshole is my nature, sweetheart.” He tossed her across his shoulder.

  From her upside-down position she saw three large men run up to Damon. She knew from their size they had to be werewolves.

  “What the fuck are you guys doing here, Zane?”

  “Barrett called us in. We’ve got Guardians surrounding the perimeter and some inside as well. Jayden is out. We’ll clear a path for you so you can get the female out,” the one called Zane answered.

  “Put me down, I can walk.” Ava pounded on his muscled back as he ignored her and ran for the exit, dodging fists and beer bottles as the crowd continued to fight over the blare of the Black Eyed Peas song “My Humps.”

  Shouldering open the front door, Damon headed out into the night. Ava waited for him to slow down and return her to her feet.

  He didn’t. Instead, he ran toward a Hummer.

  Heaving her off his shoulder, Damon propped her against the vehicle.

  “Get in the backseat, lock the door, and lie down. I’m going back in for Barrett.”

  Ava frowned. “Barrett’s inside? I never saw him.”

  “You wouldn’t recognize him in his costume.”

  Climbing onto the leather seats, Ava shivered, the October night soaked into her bones. She wrapped her cloak tighter around her. “What costume did he have on?”

  “A beaver.”

  Ava froze. “That was him?”

  He jerked his head toward her. “You saw him? Where?”

  “In the back, where I saw two of my kidnappers.”

  Damon reached under the front seat, pulling out a very large handgun, and tucked it in the waistband of his Spartacus costume. “Stay here, I’ll be back.”

  Ava didn’t have time to stop him. Damon ran across the parking lot, heading around the back of the building, back into danger.

  Her gut twisted, her muscles momentarily frozen at what might happen. Swallowing the knot in the back of her throat, Ava forced her fingers to hit the lock button and then curled into a ball on the back seat.

  ***

  Damon turned the corner of the building. A stream of screaming strippers poured out of the back door, stepping over something very large lying on the ground. As he pushed his way to the exit door, he paused. A bouncer lay sprawled on the ground, completely motionless.

  Damon kicked the bouncer with the toe of his boot, expecting him to jump up. The bouncer didn’t move. Leaning closer, he noticed a large red welt on the side of his neck. Just about the size of a stun gun.

  Damon stepped over him. Entering the building, he glanced down the hallway. A headless beaver was kicking some serious ass.

  Barrett dodged a hit and returned it with one of his own.
He sent the guy flying into the wall. Two more bouncers ran into the hallway, knives in hand.

  Damon jumped into the fray. He kicked the knife out of one guy’s hand and turned, rushing the other guy. Grabbing the guy’s hand, he twisted. The guy screamed and dropped the knife. Damon released his hold at the nauseating sound of snapping bone. The guy crumbled to the ground, cradled his arm and cried like a pussy.

  Barrett stood in the middle of a pile of security guards sprawled out on the floor.

  “Did you get Ava out?” Barrett glanced over his shoulder as he headed to what appeared to be a door to the office.

  “I did. I take it that’s the reason you had Braxton handcuff me to the bar,” Damon snarled just as Barrett threw open the door. Tied to a chair and gagged was none other than David Jenkins.

  “I didn’t need you causing a scene and drawing attention to yourself until I could get Jenkins secured.” Barrett put his oversized beaver foot between Jenkins’s legs and pushed, sending the chair flying backward into a wall. The shelf above Jenkins’s head trembled. A glass vase tumbled off, thunking him on the head.

  Jenkins groaned. His eyes turned up in his head as his lids slid closed.

  Barrett pulled out a flash drive and plugged it into the computer, his fingers tapping across the keys.

  “Ava caused a scene, herself, prancing around practically naked.”

  “She wasn’t naked. She had those pasties on, and a thong.” Barrett pulled the flash drive out of the computer and went to tuck it into his pocket. He frowned as he realized the beaver suit had no pockets.

  Damon grabbed Jenkins by his shirt collar, dragging him down the hall toward the exit, Barrett at his side. “You sure as hell better not be looking at Ava.”

  Jenkins moaned. Rousing, he began thrashing around like a cat in a wool sack.

  Keeping his eyes on Barrett, Damon stopped and punched Jenkins in the face. Jenkins went still again.

  “How could I not look? She was standing in front of me before she went on stage.” Barrett opened the exit door, grabbed Jenkins by the legs while Damon grabbed under his arms. They headed for the Hummer.

  Damon gritted his teeth so hard, his jaw cracked. Dropping their heavy package on the ground, Damon unlocked and opened the back of the vehicle.

  “Ava, it’s us.” Damon and Barrett tossed Jenkins into the back like a rug.

  Ava’s head popped over the seat. “Who’s that?”

  “Jenkins. He jumped in the fight when I was going after those two red wolves.” Barrett slid into the driver’s seat. Damon climbed into the passenger’s side.

  “Red wolves?” Damon eyed Barrett and clenched his fists.

  “My kidnappers.” Ava sat back, buckling her seatbelt.

  “They ran away, leaving Jenkins behind.” Barrett snorted. “I tied him up so I could go after them, but security showed up.”

  “We don’t have Ava’s kidnappers.”

  “We have the ringleader who orchestrated the kidnapping. I’m sure the others are in hiding.” Barrett nodded over his shoulder. “More importantly, with Jayden’s help we found Haley.”

  “Is she okay?” Ava asked.

  “She’s fine.” Barrett pulled out of the parking lot.

  “Jenkins will face Tribunal for what he’s done.” Damon growled the words hot in his throat.

  “What’s Tribunal? Where are we headed? Back to Granny’s?” Damon watched in the rear-view mirror as Ava leaned forward in her seat.

  “You two are stopping for the night at a hotel, while I get this asshole back to Little Rock. You can come home in the morning,” Barrett said.

  “What about Jayden and Granny?” Ava frowned.

  “I’ve sent some Guardians to take care of Jayden. After they check him out they are going to transport him and Granny to Arkansas for the Tribunal.”

  “I’m not used to being a wolf, remember?” She arched her eyebrow at Barrett. “What’s Tribunal?”

  “It’s like a trial. David Jenkins will be presented before the wolf Pack and will have to answer for his crimes.” Barrett glanced at Ava.

  “And he will pay for them with his blood.” Damon hissed, hoping he would be the one to mete out justice.

  ***

  Barrett dropped them off at a motel on the outskirts of Shreveport. Though it was old with dark paneling and shag carpet, it was clean. It reminded Ava of the first hotel they’d stayed in together, the night he rescued her.

  Clutching her red cape in front of her, Ava looked at Damon. “You haven’t spoken three words since we left the club. You can’t still be mad.”

  Damon turned, his eyes furious and narrowed. “Braxton is coming to pick me up so I can go get my bike.”

  Ava’s heart slammed in her chest as she straightened. “Are you coming back?”

  He said nothing, his fury palpable, filling the room until she shivered.

  “Damon?” Her voice sounded small in her own ears. When she reached out to touch him, he stepped back, away from her touch.

  Ava let her hand fall to her side, her heart crushed into a thousand brittle shards. She had only been trying to help. But in doing so she had broken her promise to him. He didn’t trust her anymore.

  Soundlessly, his footsteps tread across the puke green carpet. Damon shut the door behind him. Just like that he was gone.

  Ava melted onto the floor, unable to move, afraid her bones might shatter like her heart. Blinking, she tried to dam up the sharp tears that threatened to spill. It was too late. She couldn’t hold it in any longer.

  Intense pain shot through her chest, her aching heart ripped into strips, bringing her to her knees. Tears streamed down her face as the searing pain of heartbreak intensified. Cradling her stomach, Ava pushed herself up off the nauseatingly green carpet. Pain gripped her again and she screamed. Nausea rolled over her like a wave as sweat beaded her body. Something was terribly wrong. She felt as if she were dying.

  God, she’d never been this sick before in her entire life.

  Gritting her teeth, she forced herself to stand. She would not get sick right here on the floor. She had to make it to the bathroom. Each step was an effort of concentrated will.

  On her fourth step, her legs buckled, sending her crashing to the floor.

  Chapter Fourteen

  Damon parked his bike in front of the motel room, killed the engine and slid off the Harley. Usually a ride on his bike calmed him whenever he was in a bad mood, but not tonight. Nothing would help tonight. Anger boiled beneath his skin.

  He wasn’t going to let Ava off the hook and it didn’t matter that it was 3:00 a.m. Damon stepped inside and locked the door. They were going to have a conversation that involved her being stupid enough to put herself in danger.

  The inside of the dated motel room was dark. He squinted at the bed, but didn’t see Ava. The orange bedspread was untouched.

  “Ava?” His head snapped toward the closed bathroom door. She was in there—he could smell her scent.

  He took a step and froze, his muscles tensing. Light spilled out from underneath the tiny crack of the bathroom door.

  Damon pounded on the door. “Ava, we need to talk.”

  Shuffling noises came from behind the closed door.

  “Ava, open this goddamn door right now!” Patience was never a virtue he aspired to have and he wasn’t going to start striving for it now.

  “What the fuck were you thinking strutting around naked on that stage with all those males in there? Or, were you even thinking?” Every time he closed his eyes, Damon saw that man putting his hands all over Ava.

  “Do you have any idea what those assholes were thinking when you came out on that stage? Do you?”

  No answer.

  “I’ll tell you, sweetheart. They were all thinking how many ways they could fuck you!” Damon pounded on the door again. “Do you know what I was thinking? Do you even care?”

  Damon snorted. “I was thinking how many men I was going to have to kill for even looking at
you, let alone touching you.” His chest heaved as he fought to suck in air.

  Glaring at the door, Damon hit it again.

  Fuck it. Turning, he strode toward the motel door. He needed some air, some space.

  The bathroom door opened. He turned back and she struck him in his chest, knocking him to the ground, with her paws pinning him there. He sucked in a deep breath.

  Magnificent and beautiful with fur black as midnight, the wolf stared back at him with emerald green eyes.

  Ava.

  She’d finally shifted.

  She whimpered, but her silken tail thumped against his thigh as she scented his chest, and then she licked his face. She cocked her head to the side before sitting back on her hind legs, still sitting on top of his stomach. She whimpered again, almost howling and then her eyes rolled back in her head. Her bones creaked, changing and stretching and accommodating, until she was back in her human form.

  Still straddling him, Ava pinned his chest down with hands instead of paws.

  “Are you okay?” Damon caressed her cheek. “God, Ava. I should have been here.” The pain she endured must have been horrific. He swallowed hard. “Were you in pain?”

  “Yes.”

  He was fucking pathetic. He had let his anger overwhelm him and the result was he hadn’t been there for Ava when she needed him the most. “I’m so sorry, sweetheart.” Damon swallowed the lump in his throat as images of Ava writhing in pain settled in his brain.

  “How are you feeling?” Damon searched her eyes for any hints of lingering pain, wanting to make things better for her.

  She said nothing as she leaned into his caress, rubbing her cheek against his palm, and her eyelids shuttered.

  “Ava, is there anything you need?”

  She stilled, her eyes opening. A slow, seductive smile spread across her face.

  “Yes. I need to fuck.”

  ***

  The memory of her first shift from human to wolf would be forever etched in Ava’s brain.

  As soon as she realized what was happening to her, that she was actually shifting into a wolf, she had been terrified.

  Writhing on the floor had been one of the most frightening experiences of her life. Pain shot through every vein in her body like unrelenting jolts of electricity.