by Croft, Nina
None of them spoke in the car—there was no point. They were aware that if they didn’t get there in time, Lissa would die and it would not be a good death.
He’d even considered calling Ethan. He was the only one Sophia answered to. But for all he knew Ethan had ordered the attack and would warn Sophia that Daniel was on his way.
He pulled the truck off the road about half a mile from the car park. They climbed out and without a word, stripped off their clothes. They needed to move and fast. If he’d had a gun he might have gone in human form, but he didn’t even own a weapon.
Daniel had never killed another human, but in that moment, he knew he would do anything necessary. If that made him a monster, so be it. For the first time, he welcomed his wolf—he was the only one who could save Lissa—and the change flowed over him like magic. One moment he stood upright, the next he was on all fours.
The night appeared brighter, everything sharp and distinct. Breathing in, he caught the scents of the forest, of growing things and decay, the cycle of life. Off to the north an owl hooted, and the shuffle of small things rustled in the undergrowth.
He took a second to orient himself before heading off into the forest at a fast lope, the other two wolves at his back.
They were almost at the meeting place when a scream rang out through the night.
She was alive.
He hurled himself forward, bounding into the clearing, and a howl of fury ripped from his throat.
He took in the scene in seconds. Sophia, in her wolf form, leaned in toward Lissa who was held by two wolf-men. Everyone turned their way but he ignored them all except Lissa. Fear and alarm were stamped on her face but she appeared unharmed.
Without a second thought, Daniel leaped for Sophia, knocking her to the ground, and landing on top of her. Huge jaws opening, she snapped at his face, hot breath filling his nostrils. Her claws scrabbled against his chest. All around the sounds of fighting filled the night, warning him he had to finish this quickly and then get Lissa to safety. Now. With that thought, he lunged for Sophia’s throat, his teeth sinking into the flesh and the warm, metallic taste of blood filled his mouth. Teeth clamped tight, he twisted savagely, and her spine snapped under the force. She lay still beneath him, and he released his hold, frantic to get back to Lissa. He didn’t know whether Sophia was dead—werewolves could repair a vast amount of damage—and at that moment, he didn’t care.
Joe and Pete had each taken on one of the wolf-men; the others snapped and snarled but stayed back. They were weak members of the pack who would attack only if they saw a chance. Lissa lay on the ground. As he approached, she looked up, terror in her eyes, but it cleared as she examined him. Somehow, she saw beyond the wolf to the man within.
“I knew you’d come,” she said her voice shaky. “Okay, that’s a lie, but I hoped it. Oh God, I thought I was going to die.”
She reached out a hand and sank it into the fur at the nape of his neck. Gripping tight, she pulled herself to her knees. Behind him, Joe and Pete still fought. The sweet scent of blood was heavy in the air, which would drive the others into a killing frenzy. He had to get her away from here to somewhere he could defend her.
Close by he heard a growl. Someone leaped for him and Daniel pulled free of Lissa and met them in the air. Crashing into the half wolf, he smashed him into one of the huge tree trunks that circled the meeting ground.
He stalked over to Lissa and nudged her in the side. She resisted, her eyes fixed on the fighting wolves. He poked her with his nose, harder this time, and she turned to him. Shaking his head, he gestured to the forest. Her eyes held confusion and the remnants of fear, and he nudged her again, pushing her in the direction of the tree line. She scrambled to her feet, took a moment to balance herself, and with one last glance back, she hurried toward the trees. Her first steps were shaky, but she gained strength with each passing second, and by the time she hit the cover of the trees, she was running. She tripped in her heels and swore, kicking them off and continuing in bare feet.
He ran at her side and when she slowed, he urged her on with his nose. Once he took the lead and changed their direction, guiding her to the spot he wanted to reach.
She stumbled and he nipped at her lower leg.
“Hey stop that.” But she ran faster, until he could smell the sweat of her body and hear her ragged breathing. Finally, he reached a tall, rocky outcrop that seemed to grow out of the forest. At the base was a cave, not quite high enough for a man to stand up in. He looked from the cave to Lissa. She seemed to understand and crouched down to enter, then dropped to the sandy floor, hugging her knees to her chest. Daniel turned to face the forest. He paced the front of the cave, pausing every few seconds to sniff the air and listen for anyone following, but the only sounds were the normal noises of the forest and slowly the adrenaline seeped from his system. He wanted to change to comfort her, then tell her she’d been a fucking idiot for coming here, kiss her…
But despite the silence of the forest, his acute wolf senses warned him it was too early to lower his guard. If they came at him in wolf-man form, he wouldn’t have time to shift before they were on him.
He hoped Pete and Joe were okay, but he reckoned they could take care of themselves. It was doubtful Sophia was dead, and part of him wished he had finished the job, ripped off her head, and made sure of it. She would be after him for this, would make him pay, and if she got the chance, she would make Lissa pay as well. He’d have to make sure she didn’t get the chance.
He had no choice but to stay and see this out. He had the rest of his family to think about, but Lissa was leaving first thing in the morning. Even if he had tie her up and bundle her onto a plane himself. And if he could persuade her to take Julia with her, that was one less person to worry about.
Would she go? After what she had seen tonight, he thought it was highly likely. And it wouldn’t take her long to get over him and find what she wanted—a nice, normal man. Well, he was as far from “nice and normal,” as it was possible to get. He hadn’t flinched from ripping out Sophia’s throat. Hell, he’d enjoyed it.
At the thought of her leaving, a deep chasm opened up inside him. He didn’t want her to go. But he couldn’t keep her safe if she stayed.
His life was shit and getting shittier by the day.
At least after having her throat ripped out, Sophia would hopefully put any idea of a romantic entanglement with him behind her. Though knowing Sophia, the perverted bitch, she’d probably treat it as foreplay.
When he was sure no one had followed them, he crawled into the cave and pressed up beside Lissa. She’d curled into a ball, her back to the entrance, but when he nudged her with his nose, she jumped and rolled over to face him. Her whole body shook. She was crying, and this time it was for real. Had he ever seen Lissa cry real tears?
He leaned in close and she didn’t back away. Her tears tasted salty as he washed them with his tongue. She lay still under his ministrations, but when he made to back away, she buried her face in the thick fur at his throat and wrapped her arms around him tight.
She didn’t just cry, she bawled her eyes out, and he was at a loss for what to do. He sniffed her all over searching for injuries, but apart from a swollen cheek, she appeared in good condition. At last, the crying stopped, her breathing slowed, and she fell into an exhausted sleep, her hands still gripping his fur like a lifeline.
He didn’t mind, she could hold on to him for as long as she liked. For tonight anyway.
After hours had passed, he closed his eyes, rested his head on his paws, and slept.
…
When Lissa opened her eyes, dappled daylight filtered through the forest canopy. She lay curled up on a bed of leaves under the shelter of a deep overhanging rock. Beyond the rock’s edge, the rain fell steadily, and she could hear each drop as it splashed against leaves and stones. She breathed in the musky scent of wild garlic, and the loamy smell of the rich, damp earth. Her senses were acutely alert; she felt more alive t
han she had for a long time, as though she’d experienced the world through a veil, and now she had ripped it away.
For a minute, she lay quiet, her gaze tracing the patterns on the rock’s surface above her. She was trying not to think about the night before, perhaps if she didn’t think about it then it might not be true.
But the sting of cuts on her arms and legs, and the ache of bruises on her bare feet, reminded her of her frantic scramble through the undergrowth chased by monsters from nightmares. She’d thought she was going to die.
Daniel had saved her.
Daniel the freaking werewolf.
He wasn’t perfect, after all. Maybe she should be cheering. But she couldn’t get up the energy.
Despite the rain, she felt warm and cozy, probably because she was snuggled in the arms of a large, naked man. She’d fallen asleep with her fingers wrapped in his fur, cuddled up against a gigantic wolf. Now, Daniel lay behind her, his body pressed along the whole length of her back, hard and hot, and—from the feel of his erection— happy to be there. One hair-roughened leg was thrown across hers and one muscular arm wrapped around her. She glanced down, her gaze captured by the sight of his huge hand cupping her breast, his skin dark against the pale pink of her top. His fingers were long, sprinkled with short golden hair, the nails manicured. As she watched, they tightened on her, sending a spasm of intense pleasure shooting from her breast to her belly, and lower, so she squirmed against him.
His breathing was even, and she relaxed. She should pull away while he slept, but instead she lay in his arms and listened to the rain. It had been a long time since she’d lain in a man’s arms like this.
She shifted against him and the small movement must have woken him. His hand tensed, then relaxed, and he slowly rubbed his palm over her nipple. It stiffened under his touch, and a wave of heat rolled over her, settling in the pit of her stomach.
They needed to talk, but she had an inkling that words might break the mood and she wanted this—wanted him—badly. His breath feathered against the skin along the back of her neck, and a shiver ran through her. He nibbled at the sensitive spot where her throat met her shoulder, small, teasing bites that stoked the fire already burning inside her.
Later, they could talk.
Lissa pressed herself back into his body, so the heat of his hard shaft nudged at the cleft in her bottom, and a sharp stab of satisfaction knifed through her. She wriggled against him, and he bit down harder. At the same time, his hands slid down to her waist. Gripping the material, he tugged her top over her head, leaving her naked from the waist up. He cupped one breast, his long fingers tugging at the tight peaks, until she was writhing against him, held in place by the thigh thrown across her own.
His other hand slid over her flat belly, his fingers drifting to the button of her jeans. She didn’t protest when he flicked it open and slid down the zipper. She lifted her hips as he pushed them down over her legs, and then she kicked them off.
“Open your legs for me, sweetheart,” he whispered against her ear. His voice was low, husky, a caress in itself, and tremors rippled through her. She fought the feelings, but they were too strong.
This was a celebration of life. It felt right. What if he did turn furry once a month? He was still Daniel, and he wouldn’t hurt her. In fact, he had saved her life last night. Those things had been going to kill her.
He turned her so she lay on her back, came up on one elbow, and stared down into her face, his silver eyes gleaming in the dim light. Brushing her hair away, he leaned down and kissed her.
Lissa lay quiescent beneath him. His tongue pushed into her mouth, stroking against her own, filling her with the hot, spicy taste of him. After a minute, he backed off slightly, and his gaze wandered over her.
“You’re beautiful,” he said. His hand drifted down to skim lightly over her body, to graze over the peaks of her breasts taut and almost painfully engorged. Then lower until his fingers ruffled the dark curls at the base of her belly. She held herself still as they slid between her open thighs. Her breaths were coming faster, and she gasped as he parted her sex and pushed inside her.
The sensation was incredible, and her legs tightened around his hand.
“Relax,” he muttered.
For a moment, she remained tense, and then his finger flexed inside her and a spasm of pure pleasure shot though her body. She wanted this, felt like she had wanted it forever. Her head fell back to the soft earth behind her, her eyes drifted closed, and she gave herself over to the exquisite sensations.
Chapter Thirteen
Daniel slowly withdrew his finger from her warmth. She’d gone boneless against him, but he could hear her shallow breaths. He slid his hand over her sex, found the swollen nub at her core, and stroked slow, lazy circles around it until her hips rose and pushed against him. When he knew she was ready, he pinched it lightly between his finger and thumb. She went rigid against him, every muscle clenched as her back arched, and her sex pulsated against his hand.
He glided his palm over her belly and cupped her small, full breasts, soothing her. His cock was hard, had been from the moment he woke with her wrapped in his arms, and now he ached with the need to be inside. He came up over her, kneeling between her open thighs. Her eyes opened, huge, languid, containing no hint of denial as her hand moved between them. She cupped his balls and pleasure shot up his spine. Shifting her grip, she caressed his shaft, then held it at the entrance to her body.
He hadn’t meant to do this, but holding himself poised above her, it felt inevitable, as though it was meant to happen from the time he’d laid eyes upon her again all those days ago.
Mine. The word whispered through his mind.
He ignored it.
It didn’t have to mean anything—this whole werewolf-mating thing. It wouldn’t mean anything. He wouldn’t drag her into this life. Look at what had happened last night. She’d nearly died because of him. All the same, he had to have her this one time.
When he sank into her, it felt like coming home. He held himself still, closed his eyes, and fought against the feeling of rightness. Her muscles contracted around him, his head went back, and he fought for control. Staring down into those golden eyes, he started to move inside her. She was so tight that each thrust was an exquisite drag of pleasure. He took her slowly at first, withdrawing only to push back in, reveling in the way her hips rose up to meet him. When he saw she could take him, he increased the pace until he was slamming into her. Her legs came around his waist, her hands gripped his shoulders, and he rode her hard.
She exploded beneath him. Releasing the last of his control, he came seconds later in a burst of pleasure more intense than anything he’d ever experienced. He threw back his head and roared.
Mine.
Again, the word echoed through his mind, and he knew he was in trouble. Deep trouble, and he needed to scramble his way out before he got in even deeper. He pulled out of her and rolled onto his back, ignoring the sense of loss that washed over him.
Maybe when this was over…but he knew the chances of him surviving the coming confrontation with Ethan were slim to nothing. The only thing that would increase the odds would likely turn him into something as bad as or worse than Ethan himself. Either way, Lissa would not be his.
And he had no doubts that the confrontation was coming. Whether Sophia was dead or alive, Ethan would hear about what had gone down last night. And he would react.
Daniel was living on borrowed time.
…
In the aftermath of their lovemaking, Lissa lay relaxed in both body and mind for the first time in what seemed like forever. She rolled her head to the side to study Daniel. His eyes were closed, but he opened them as though he could feel her gaze upon him.
“What?” he asked when he saw her watching him.
Lissa owed Daniel her life. Why was it so hard to put into words? “Thank you,” she said.
“My pleasure.”
“Not for the sex—for saving my life.�
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A slight smile flickered across his face. Then the smile was wiped away, and a grim determination took its place. “What the hell were you thinking of? Coming to the forest in the middle of the night? Have you no fucking common sense?”
He was right, but she really didn’t need this right now. “Well, I sure wasn’t expecting the place to be full of werewolves.”
As she said the word, it all flooded back. Those things chasing her, their hot breath on her back. Those teeth.
“Why did you go?” he asked.
“Because, I thought you left me a message to meet you there at your cottage.”
“I don’t have a goddamn cottage. And you should have known I wouldn’t.”
“How? How should I have known? You’ve hardly been open with me. Someone left me a message pretending to be you—obviously Sophia—and when I got here…” She stared at him as the pieces clicked together. “When I got here Sophia was waiting for me.” Sophia. She closed her eyes and pictured the other woman standing there in the moonlight. Changing into the creature from hell. “Oh my God, your fiancée is a werewolf.”
He cast her a puzzled look. “Is that any stranger than me being a werewolf?”
“No you being a werewolf makes perfect sense.”
His brows drew together. “It does?”
“Oh yeah, it explains so much. Wait until I tell Julia.”
“You can’t tell Julia. You can’t tell anyone.”
“But—”
“Have you any idea what you’re involved with here?”
“Actually, I was hoping you would explain it to me.”
He came up on his elbows and stared into her face, seemingly unconcerned that he was naked. She was finding it hard to ignore. There was so much of him all golden and rippling with muscle. Though she supposed he must be used to the naked thing by now. Presumably, they had to take their clothes off to change. Otherwise it would be a very expensive pastime.
While she couldn’t believe she was taking this so calmly, she’d told him the truth. It explained so much about how he had changed. She couldn’t wait for Daniel to explain the rest.
