by Sam Crescent
Ana gripped onto her mate as the world spun uncontrollably around her. Demon would hold her safe, and be her anchor in whatever storm came their way, just as she would be the same for him. How could it be any other way? She was the fated mate of the Razorback Demon, after all.
www.evernightpublishing.com/maia-dylan
RUNNING HOME
Michelle Graham
Demon Dogs MC, prequel
Copyright © 2017
Chapter One
Michigan, 1988
Erica stood in the corner, trying her best not to cower, but as Tank advanced on her, she squeezed her eyes shut and turned her face away. It didn’t stop the stinging blow across her cheek which smacked her head against the wall and resulted in an explosion of pain within her skull. With a whimper, she slid to the floor.
“That’s it, bitch. On your knees where you belong.”
Though her ears rang, Erica clearly heard the rasp of his zipper. Knowing resistance would only earn her more pain, she withdrew into herself until he’d finished with her and left her crying on the floor.
“I’ll be back with Bones, and if you know what’s good for you, you’ll do what he asks the first time. Stupid cunt.” The door slammed behind Tank.
The thought of Tank’s Sergeant-At-Arms made it difficult to breathe. He was cruel whether she obeyed him or not, and though her wolf blood ensured she healed quickly, after Tank’s beating she didn’t think she could bear any more.
“Mommy?”
Erica looked up to see Ryder standing in the doorway. Oh, God. What had he seen? Struggling to her feet and wiping her eyes, she made her way over to him, wincing with each breath. “Go back to bed, sweetie.”
“Why was Daddy hurting you?” The young boy’s wide eyes shone with fear.
Erica clenched her fists. It was bad enough Tank knocked her around and raped her in their bedroom, but here in the living room where their sons could see? Never again.
“Come on, baby, we’re going to go somewhere. We have to hurry.”
Ignoring the pain and Ryder’s endless questions, she hurried him upstairs. She woke Harley and instructed the boys to put as many of their clothes into a suitcase as they could while she ran to her room and did the same. She opened one of the drawers on Tank’s dresser and tossed the clothing onto the floor before lifting the false bottom. From underneath, she withdrew a handgun, ammo, and several stacks of cash. Tossing the cash and ammo on top of her clothing, she tucked the gun into the waistband of her jeans.
The boys had dawdled and argued about what to put into their suitcase as each tried to fill it with toys. Erica glanced at the clock. There wasn’t enough time. “Just leave it, boys. Mommy will buy you lots of new toys and clothes.”
She hustled them out of the house and into the car, buckling them into their car seats before she lifted the suitcase into the trunk. The telltale rumble of motorcycle engines echoed in the distance, growing closer. Heart thudding, she slammed the trunk shut, looked down the road, and spotted headlights at the end of the street. Terror gripped her. She had to leave before Tank made it back. She jumped into the driver’s seat, started the car, and had just thrown it into reverse when two motorcycles pulled up behind her blocking her path.
“Fuck!”
She watched in the rearview mirror as Tank slipped off his bike. Maybe she still had a chance if she could get them into the house before they noticed the boys. Hopping out of the car, she met Tank by the trunk of the car, her skin crawling when he stepped right in front of her.
“Where are you going?” When Tank yelled, it was bad, but when his voice went quiet, with just a hint of a growl, as it did now, Erica knew she was fucked.
“I’m just going to the, um, drug store. For some Tylenol.”
Tank narrowed his eyes. Damn his wolf sense of smell. He knew she was lying.
“I’ll be back soon.”
She gasped when Tank wrapped his hand around her throat. “Don’t fucking lie to me. Where. Are. You. Going?”
Erica closed her eyes and tried to think. She could still reach the gun, but the bullet wouldn’t do much damage to an Alpha Wolf, not enough for her to get back in the car and go. Plus with the bikes stopped behind it, and Bones there, eyes gleaming in anticipation, Erica knew she’d never make it out of the driveway. If she was lucky, Tank would kill her for her betrayal. She wouldn’t be that lucky though. He’d beat her. Again. And rape her. Again. And let his friends take their turns. Again and again and again. There was only one thing she could do to give herself a chance of escape.
Run.
Even though it meant leaving her boys with their monster of a father, she knew the only way to end her pain was to die or leave. Thankfully Tank had never mistreated the kids and as sons of the Alpha, they were adored as princes. But as a mere woman, she held no such value, and Tank would take great pleasure in making an example of her. She took a last glance at her boys, silently promising she’d return for them when she could. Taking a deep breath, she woke the wolf slumbering inside of her and willed it to take over.
As the change raced through her body, Tank couldn’t maintain his grip and dropped her. The clothes she’d been wearing shredded around her and she hesitated only a moment to get her bearings before taking off into the woods.
Chapter Two
Toronto, six weeks later
The blinding lights of the city spread out below him as Caleb stared out the picture window of his friend’s condo. He hated the city. Hated the crowds, the noises, the smells. Dear God, the smells. Body odour, car fumes, chemicals of all varieties, all left him feeling nauseated until he’d made it back to his refuge up north.
So why the hell was his wolf so eager to go out there?
He couldn’t explain what had even brought him to the city in the first place. A sudden urge to visit Jake had taken over, and like an itch that wouldn’t go away until scratched, he found himself following the urge right into downtown Toronto.
“What do you mean, you want to go for a walk? Are you insane?”
Caleb turned to face his childhood friend. “I don’t know. My wolf just keeps telling me we have to go outside.”
Jake rolled his eyes. “You and your frigging wolf. You make no sense.”
“I know, but I still want to go.”
“Have it your way, but don’t go puking all over my condo if you get sick again.”
Caleb winced at the reminder of previous visits gone awry. There was a good reason he didn’t make it to the city more than a couple of times a year. But fighting his wolf was a losing battle, he’d learned, so when the wolf said, “Go to Toronto,” Caleb went. As Jake grabbed his keys and gestured for the door, Caleb wondered what was guiding the animal within him.
Sounds and smells assaulted his senses the moment they stepped from the lobby to the sidewalk in front of the building. Caleb choked for a moment before getting his bearings. Jake shook his head, muttering about how crazy this was, and though Caleb agreed, he knew he had to get moving.
Without giving it any thought, he let the wolf take charge of directing them, finding it amusing to watch Jake struggle to keep up the rapid pace Caleb set. Humans. They wandered the streets, his wolf clearly searching for something, but the sensory overload of the city made it difficult to find, especially when Caleb didn’t really know what the wolf wanted. Within an hour, Jake was complaining about the cold, and though Caleb didn’t feel it as keenly as his friend, he was growing frustrated.
He was just about to suggest turning back when he caught a scent among the stink of the city. Stopping in the middle of the sidewalk, Caleb closed his eyes and inhaled. Loam. Pine. And something tantalizing he couldn’t name.
It smelled like home.
He set out to follow the scent, the wolf growing more eager as the scent grew stronger, and at last they stopped in front of an old building with a Chinese restaurant on the ground level. People hurried by on the sidewalk. Cars whizzed along the street. A homeless person huddled in the doorway of the n
eighbouring building.
“Chinese? You just wanted fucking Chinese food?” Jake panted beside Caleb. “We could have ordered take-out.”
Ignoring his friend, Caleb closed his eyes and zeroed in on the scent. When he opened his eyes, he was staring at the homeless person. A woman, he realized. Her hair hung in dirty strings around her face, and she was dressed in a ragged coat, with no hat or gloves, despite the sub-zero temperatures. A tattered box containing a few coins sat in front of her. As Caleb made his way toward her, he recognized the telltale scent of a wolf.
What the hell was a wolf doing begging on the streets of Toronto?
He stopped in front of her, not saying anything, but watching closely. For a moment, she stared down at her hands, but then her spine stiffened, and she turned her face up to look at Caleb, eyes wide. The scent of fear poured off of her and she tensed. She was getting ready to run.
“I won’t hurt you.”
Her gaze darted around and Caleb had no doubt she was analyzing her options. So he sat down on the ground beside her. She glanced at him out of the corner of her eye, and then looked down again, settling a bit. When Caleb was sure she wasn’t going to run, he spoke again. “I’m Caleb.” She said nothing. Caleb glanced at Jake who motioned he was going into the restaurant. “What are you doing out here on the street? Where’s your pack?”
He knew she heard him. Her hands gripped her coat a little tighter at the mention of a pack, but she didn’t seem to want to speak. His wolf nudged him, anxious to make contact with the woman, but Caleb couldn’t figure out why.
Mate.
Caleb sucked in a sudden breath, causing the woman to look at him. As he studied her deep brown eyes, he knew it was true. According to wolf lore, every wolf had a soul mate, though it was rare to actually meet them. Fewer than a quarter of the wolves in his pack were fated mates, and those who found their other half were considered blessed. The other wolves just fell in and out of love like everyone else.
He’d found his mate. But why was she begging on the city streets? Where had she come from? So many questions. One thing he knew for sure, he’d have to get her back to Jacob’s soon.
“I don’t know why you’re here, or where you came from, but I want to help.” He figured it was a bit too soon to spring the idea of being mated on her yet, though her wolf must have recognized him by now.
“You can leave me alone.” Her voice was so quiet only a wolf could hear, but the determination in it was clear. “I don’t need help.”
“If you don’t need help, why are you begging on the streets? Do you even have a place to sleep?”
She glared at him. “It’s none of your fucking business. Get away from me.”
At last she showed some spirit. “No. I’m not leaving until you come with me. My friend’s condo isn’t far—”
The woman recoiled and jumped to her feet. Grabbing the box with its meager collection, she bolted.
“For fuck’s sake!” In spite of his wolf urging him to pursue the woman, Caleb stayed where he was. The humans wouldn’t take too kindly to a man chasing a woman through the streets. He punched a brick in frustration, wincing slightly at the scraped knuckles. As he stared at his hand, the minor wound knitted itself back together until his hand looked good as new.
He went to find Jacob. He’d been beaten tonight, but now that he’d scented his mate, his wolf could find her anywhere.
Chapter Three
The following day, the temperature plunged even further, with news networks everywhere broadcasting an extreme cold weather alert. Caleb pulled his toque down over his ears, picked up his backpack with two thermal containers of soup, a bag of sandwiches, an extra hat, gloves, and a blanket, and headed for the door.
“You’re nuts,” Jacob called from the couch. “If you’re so desperate for pussy, wait until tonight and come clubbing with me.”
Caleb shook his head. Jacob didn’t buy the idea of fated mates and had told Caleb, repeatedly, how crazy it was to go off pursuing a homeless woman because of some stupid wolf legend. “See you later, bro. Don’t wait up.”
Leaving his friend muttering to no one, Caleb headed back out into the city. His wolf easily pinpointed his mate’s scent, and within half an hour he’d found her. He watched her from the window of a coffee shop down the street for a while before buying two extra-large coffees and heading out to talk to her.
He was still half a block away when she stiffened and turned in his direction. Caleb stood still and held the coffee up. She eyed him, and then relaxed against the wall again. Taking it as a good sign, Caleb made his way over.
“This isn’t drugged, is it?” She lifted the lid and sniffed.
He settled beside her and passed her the bag with cream and sugar. “If I wanted to drug you, I’d have to use so much you’d be able to smell it a mile away. It’s just coffee.”
She nodded and he watched as she dumped four packets of sugar into the cup. So she had a sweet tooth. He filed away the knowledge. She took a sip and let out a small moan. Inappropriate as it was, Caleb wondered what kind of moan she’d make while he fucked her.
“You men. All pigs.” She must have scented his arousal.
“Don’t make those sounds and I won’t get turned on.”
She arched an eyebrow at him and he shrugged. “Okay, it probably doesn’t matter what you do. I’m a pig.”
“I’m grateful for the coffee, but feel free to leave at any time.”
Digging in his backpack, Caleb took out the extra hat and gloves and passed them to her. “I’m not going anywhere until you go with me.” He leaned back against the wall and sipped his coffee.
They sat without speaking for hours. Caleb’s wolf pranced around, demanding Caleb pick up their mate and carry her off to their den, or at least the nearest alley, to claim her. But his mate was skittish, and doing something like that would only drive her away. No, Caleb could wait her out.
Twice she got up, took some change, and disappeared into the coffee shop to use the bathroom. Caleb watched until she returned each time. She left her things with him, so he was pretty sure she wouldn’t run again, but he needed to keep an eye on her.
As dusk fell, Caleb knew she was getting antsy. Though their wolf blood meant they didn’t feel the cold as keenly, they still weren’t meant to sit in freezing temperatures all day. They needed to get inside, out of the cold. He had to convince her somehow.
“Listen,” he began. “I know you don’t trust me, and I can’t blame you, but I really do want to help. Let me get you a hotel room so you can shower and have a warm place to sleep tonight.”
“Are you saying I smell?”
Caleb was smart enough not to answer. She shifted a little closer to him. “It is pretty cold out here.” He swallowed as she leaned into him, her face only inches away, and one hand on his knee. “A hot shower would feel so good on my skin.” She moved her hand higher up his leg and the vision of her, naked in the shower, combined with the pressure of her touch made him hard as a rock. “And then there’d be a big, warm bed. I could show you how grateful I am.”
She was so close now her breath whispered across his neck, sending erotic shivers throughout him. He closed his eyes, waiting for her to cross the remaining space between them, when she pulled back, laughing.
Caleb glared at her. “I’m trying to help. You don’t have to be a bitch about it.”
Hurt and fear flashed across her face before she gritted her teeth and started gathering her things. Shit. He’d blown it again. His wolf panicked at the thought of losing her again, and he reached out and grabbed her arm.
She froze, flicking her eyes downward to where his hand gripped her. “Let. Me. Go.”
Though she spoke softly, the anger was palpable. Caleb released her. “I’m sorry. I just—” He clenched his fists and looked down. “I really want to help. Please. I know you don’t want it, but I’ll follow you until you let me. I need to.”
Chapter Four
Erica sta
red at the man, Caleb, and debated her options. The power in his voice was clear, and she’d be surprised if he wasn’t at least a Beta wolf. But experience had taught her powerful wolves were dangerous. Did she want to run away? Fight him?
Or fuck him?
God help her, she really wanted to fuck him. How that was possible, she didn’t know, but there was no denying the pleasant tingling low in her belly that had started the first time she saw him. And now? Her wolf wouldn’t let her run. Her wolf also thought fighting might be good foreplay. Even though she tried to reason with it, the wolf was winning. The memory of Tank and what he’d done wasn’t enough to dissuade the wolf, who insisted Caleb was someone who could be trusted.
In the end, the thought of a shower and a warm bed for the night made the decision for her. “Where are we going?”
Caleb’s warm, brown eyes lit up. “There’s a hotel not far from here with suites with a kitchen and separate bedrooms. Let’s head there.”
He helped her gather her few belongings and then led her to a spot a few blocks away, and a hotel swankier than any she’d stayed at before. The dirty looks she got from the hotel staff and other patrons held her back.
“I don’t belong here,” she said.
Slipping an arm around her shoulders, Caleb gave her a gentle squeeze. “Don’t be ridiculous. Of course you belong.”
They walked up to the reception desk and the clerk gave them a once over. “I’m afraid we don’t participate in the shelter programs,” she said. “You’ll have to go somewhere else.”
Erica held back, but Caleb tugged her forward. He opened his wallet and withdrew two cards, his driver’s licence and an Amex Gold card. “We need a suite for the week.”
The clerk scrutinised the picture on the licence and checked Caleb over. “We’ll have to pre-authorize the whole amount, plus take a $500 deposit.”
