Lera kept her gaze upon one of the men who’d made the beginning part of her childhood unbearable. “You’re going to die,” she said.
“How so?”
“That wolf. He’s coming for you.”
Another howl. Louder. Deadlier.
“Go take care of the creature,” Raymond issued the order. Even so, he couldn’t hide the leeching of blood from his face.
Murdock and JJ left, and she swallowed, forcing steel into her spine. “They don’t stand a chance against him. And, when he’s done with them, he’ll come for you.”
“This is a big quarry, Isolde. He may get here. He may not. One thing is for certain. I will have you.”
“I’ll die first.”
“No, I wouldn’t get to enjoy you if you were dead. But I’m more than happy to fight. I have no problem with that.”
Despite all her years of learning to fight and defend herself, Lera found she couldn’t move. She knew she should run, prepare to protect herself, but she was frozen. With a mere flash in time, she had reverted back to the scared little girl she had been. Raymond knew it, too, for his grin turned sadistic. He walked toward her, unbuttoning his flannel shirt and pulling it from his pants. With each step, Lera’s heart pounded harder and her throat closed up.
Another eerie howl shattered the air and snapped her out of the fear cementing her feet to the floor. Lera bolted. She ran for the door and stretched out for it. It seemed time slowed the final millisecond between captivity, depravity, and her last ditch effort at freedom. She never made it to the door. A large hand closed around her upper arm and halted her.
Raymond spun her back, his face filled with deranged perversion. “Oh no, Isolde. We’ve not had our fun yet.” His fingers dug into her flesh while his other hand reached for the top of her breasts and the material of her tank top.
The little girl within her cowered in near-paralyzing fear like she had in the past. Lera closed her eyes and forced her frozen body into motion. He wasn’t expecting her reaction; for when she jerked once, she was free. The next second, her leg snapped out, and a cry of pain exploded from his mouth as he dropped to his knees, grabbing himself.
“You bitch!”
Lera spun and lunged back to the door. Her hand closed around the handle and pulled it open. He yanked on her ankle, and she fell forward, her head hitting the edge of the door. Pain exploded up through her but she didn’t care. Stopping her fall about an inch from the floor with her hands, Lera immediately kicked out with her other foot. There may not have been boots on her feet but he released her anyway.
She scrambled up. only to be tackled back down. Raymond rolled her unmercilessly to her back, cracking her head against the door. Fear seeped through every pore in her body. Lera struggled, striking out with her hands, going for his eyes, nose, and throat.
He backhanded her across the face and grabbed her hands together in one of his. With his other, he trailed a finger down her sternum and between her breasts. Revulsion filled her. Lera blinked away blood which trickled into her left eye from where the door busted her head.
“You always were such a naughty girl, Isolde. That’s why you always had to go to the room.” More chills racked her. “You remember the room, don’t you? And the lashes.”
Memories roared down upon her and bile rose again. She could never forget. The cold. The hunger. The pain. The scars.
“You’d better not let your guard down for one second, Raymond, because I will kill you.”
Raymond sneered. Reaching behind him, he pulled something from his pocket, and in a few seconds, she knew what it was. A butterfly knife. He ran it down her forehead, over the bridge of her nose and across her chin before moving it down between her breasts.
“Is that supposed to scare me?” she hissed.
“Don’t make me hurt you, Isolde.”
“Lera!” she yelled. “My name is Lera!”
With everything within her, Lera shoved up and against him. As he rolled to one side, she pushed up more. The blade swiped diagonally across her torso, drawing blood. On her feet, this time, she didn’t head for the door. She ran toward the chair in the room and picked it up by the back.
She chucked it at Raymond who threw up an arm to block it. The heavy chair knocked him back a step or two, and she bolted for the door, calling on every ounce of speed she had within her legs, despite being petrified and still woozy from whatever drug she’d been given.
Again, she came so close. Raymond’s hand wrapped around her hair and jerked her nearly off her feet. “Enough foreplay,” he bit off.
When he pulled her close, Lera spit in his face and raked her nails down it. “Fuck you!”
This time, when he connected with her, she saw stars. She hit him back and felt the sting of the blade along her arm. Lera grabbed for the knife and wrestled with him for it. Somehow, she got it turned enough to sink into his flesh. His cry filled the room as he hit her again. And again. And again.
Dazed, Lera stumbled away from him and headed to the light across the room. Raymond knocked her down and flipped her over. His face a mask of rage, and she knew he wanted to kill her.
“I know you want me to kill you, Isolde, but I will have you one more time. Then, maybe I’ll kill you.”
Chest heaving with each difficult breath she ingested, Lera glared back at him and spit in his face one more time. “Go fuck yourself.” Blood and saliva mingled and ran down his pale skin.
“Nope. You.” He sat along her waist, pinning her beneath him and reached for the hem of her shirt.
Crash.
Lera watched in shock and awe as Raymond was shoved off of her, a huge wolf powering his body to the floor. All that came from Raymond was a garbled scream then there was nothing.
Could this be my angel?
She sat up slowly and stared as the wolf, standing over the dead body of her would-be rapist, looked at her. Before her stood a beautiful silver-gray wolf with a mask of the deepest charcoal. Dark golden amber eyes burned with rage as they held her gaze. Blood along his jaw didn’t detract from his majestic appearance.
No, her angel had dark eyes when he came to her in wolf form. Didn’t he? Yes. He was a black wolf, not this one. That left one option.
He sniffed the air and padded toward her. Two steps from her and he shifted. And just like that, Lera was face to face with Kori. His eyes were the familiar gray, and they stared at her a mixture of anger, fear, and concern.
“Mo ghrá, I’m so sorry.” She didn’t refuse when he gathered her close. “I’m sorry I wasn’t here sooner. Anáil de mo anam.”
Lera stiffened briefly then curled into him. “Take me to Rissa, Kori,” she said before the tears began to flow.
He swept her up and stood. She knew she soaked his shirt but he made no mention of it. Lera watched him kick the door out of his way, and it ripped off the hinges with the force he delivered to it. She remained against him while he moved up and out of the quarry. They passed the dead bodies of both Murdock and JJ. She also saw Butch lying in a pool of blood. None of it bothered her. All of them had their throats ripped out. A savage way to die but she could think of no more fitting punishment for all of them.
Kori opened the door to his Humvee, and when he went to set her on the seat, she gripped him tighter. Her mind had been so focused on getting to her friend, who was safe now, that she didn’t know how much time passed as Kori walked through the woods to his vehicle.
“Easy, mo ghrá. Let me tend your wounds.”
She shook her head. “No. I want to get out of here. I want to go see for myself that Rissa is okay. I need to see it.”
“Okay.” Stepping back, he maneuvered his way to the driver’s side and slid in, Lera still in his lap. “Sleep, mo ghrá.”
Kori readjusted her so he could still shift and started the engine. His lips brushed against her head, and Lera burrowed closer and let Kori’s scent comfort her. Then, she drifted to sleep.
Lera stirred and woke. Her heart pounded,
and with a gasp, she bolted up in bed, fear of Raymond and Murdock fresh in her mind. The sight that met her was one she hadn’t seen in a while. Turning her head to the right, she smiled at the stuffed wolf lying beside her. Tears pricked her eyes as she curled against his black coat.
Daddy won this for me the first night I met him. Lera knew what this meant. She was back in Savoy Valley. Why am I here? I thought I told him to take me to see Rissa.
A light knock came to the door, and she tensed before taking a deep breath. “I’m awake, Kori. Come on in.”
Her heart pounded harder when he stepped in through the door, dressed in black and mouthwateringly fine. Why am I not thinking more about what just happened? Because it’s Kori. And that one name was the reason. She dug her fingers deeper into the plush coat of the wolf.
“I want to check your wounds again.”
She pushed up, and his gaze moved to her chest and arm, danger flashing in them. “They’re fine. Where’s Rissa?”
Kori clenched his jaw and sighed. “Downstairs.”
On her feet in a mere second, she bolted downstairs and saw Rissa on the couch. Her friend looked up and met her halfway. Tears poured over as Lera held her tightly. No words needed to be spoken.
I was almost too late. That filth touched her.
Kori stood between the kitchen and the great room where Lera and Rissa were embracing one another. Their love for one another so obvious it almost made him jealous. He wanted her in his arms. He wanted the rest of the world to go away. He wanted to tell Lera she was his mate. Her necklace sat in his pocket, and he longed to see it back around her neck. She’d been sleeping for two days, and Rissa had only eaten because he’d compelled her to do so. Otherwise, she sat there and watched the stairs.
Lera opened her eyes and met his. “Thank you,” she mouthed without releasing her friend.
Kori inclined his head in response. In the next second, Lera’s brown eyes hardened, and she closed them. What was that about? He got his answer when a slim but strong arm slipped around his waist.
“Thanks for everything, Cairenn.”
“No problem. Glad I could help. Sorry you needed me to, but glad I could.”
His response was stopped by Lera breaking away from her friend and meeting his gaze. She glanced at Cairenn and said, “Thank you for protecting my friend. I’m sorry for taking up your time. I can get her home from here so you two can go back to whatever you were doing.”
He growled. Is she insane? Like I’m just going to leave.
“Not happening, mo ghrá,” he rumbled dangerously. Beside him, he could see Cairenn snap her green eyes to his face, shock in them. “I’m not leaving.”
“Whatever, Kori. Daddy always said you were more than welcome to stay here.” Lera shrugged. “You’re welcome to stay as well, Cairenn. Come on, Rissa.”
“Lera,” he said.
“What?”
“You saw your friend. Come with me; we need to talk.” He watched the defiance flare up in the depths of her eyes. ‘Don’t argue with me, Lera. Come with me to the porch.’
“I’ll be right back, Rissa.” Lera met his gaze, cut hers to Cairenn and spun on her heel, heading out the door to the porch.
Stepping away from Cairenn’s touch, he followed her. Lera sat on the railing, her back against a pillar, and stretched her legs out in front of her.
“What?” she said in a short tone.
“One, why are you mad at me?”
“I’m not mad at you, Kori. I’m grateful to you for saving me and Rissa. I just need to get her home so I can decompress myself.”
“Where does she live?”
“I don’t need you to see us home. I’m sure you have things to do…with her.”
“Her? Cairenn?”
“Sorry, didn’t know you had so many women you needed clarification. Yes, Cairenn.” Lera swung off the railing and moved to the door. “I don’t have the energy for this, Kori. Like I said, you are more than welcome to stay the night and for dinner but Rissa and I are leaving in the morning.” She moved inside, her movements a bit stiff.
He clenched his hands so he wouldn’t grab her. His wolf howled in anger, and Kori jumped up on the railing and off toward the yard, shifting as he did so. He had to run, had to expend the pent-up energy which flowed through him. Effortlessly, he covered the ground, and a bit later, another wolf joined him, smaller and brown in color but just as fast.
When they returned to the house, it was dusk. He and Cairenn shifted at the same time and continued on to the house. A flicker of movement from a curtain on the second floor told him that Lera had seen them.
“Are you going to tell her?” Cairenn asked him as they headed up the porch steps.
“Tell her what?” He swung open the door.
“The truth about us.” Her hand stopped him at the door and she forced an eye connection. “She deserves to know the truth, Cormac.”
Looking past Cairenn, Kori spied Lera on the stairs. Her brown eyes flickered between them before she finished descending. Upon her face was the cool, detached, emotionless expression he knew well. And hated.
“Food’s ready if you two didn’t eat while you were out.” Lera stared at them both then headed into the dining room where Rissa was finishing setting the table.
Kori glanced at Cairenn who arched a black brow and pushed by him. Dinner was tense, and Kori was ready to roar in anger at the end. Lera had spoken softly to Rissa, answered him or Cairenn with one word responses and immediately put her attention back on her friend. He watched her carry her plate to the kitchen, Rissa followed shortly after.
There was something going on between her and Rissa for they shared pointed looks, and Lera kept shaking her head. Lifting his cup to his lips, he continued to watch. Finally, it dawned on him what was going on. They were signing to one another. I didn’t know she could sign. He couldn’t so he had no clue what they were going on about but it was heated. Kori sat stunned when Rissa reached out and gripped Lera’s chin, turning her face directly at him. Lera narrowed her eyes and spun around, leaving the kitchen and heading out the back.
“That’s my cue,” he muttered, mostly to himself, and rose to his feet.
Kori stood in the foyer off the kitchen and looked through both doors leading to the porch. When he found where she went, he pushed through the door and hopped the steps to pursue her across the grass. Down by the lake, he found her. She sat on her knees, head bowed, and rocked back as she tried unsuccessfully to keep her cries contained. The raw pain in her tone tore at his gut. Her friend had been seen to, and now, she could allow herself to be unguarded, he knew that. Didn’t make him feel any better though.
“Lera,” he said softly.
“Go away, Cormac.”
He bristled. The sound of his full name off her lips made him mad. “No. Tell me what’s wrong.”
She jumped to her feet and ran off, heading toward the trees. Kori followed, easily overtaking her. Grabbing her arm, he spun her around and swore when she lashed out with a fist. The only reason she didn’t connect was because of his reflexes.
“Leave me alone!” Her voice was high and totally unLera.
Instead of releasing her, he pulled her in close. “It’s over, Lera. You’re safe.”
“I wanted him to kill me. Damn you! Why’d you stop him?!” She swung at him.
Kori was beyond shocked by her words. “Why would you say such things, Lera?”
“It’s my fault. What happened to Rissa. The fact I couldn’t save her. I’m weak and useless. You don’t understand. Everyone would be better off if I were dead.”
“No!” he growled. “Listen to me, Lera. That isn’t true.”
“I’m used goods, Cormac. Not worth a damn to anyone.” Her entire body sagged. “Let me go!” Her words ended on a high ear-piercing scream.
He tightened his hold. “First, would you stop calling me Cormac. I’m Kori to you, Lera. Always have been, always will be. Second, what did I tell you about putti
ng yourself down? Trust me, mo anam, you’re needed.”
She pushed against him. “Why wouldn’t I call you Cormac? It’s your name, and I don’t think Cairenn would want you kissing me. So that’s a moot point. Now, let me go.”
Possessiveness swarmed up within him. Biting back the words on the tip of his tongue, he swallowed and fought to find the right ones to speak. “You are not used goods, Valera. And worth a hell of a lot to so many.”
He tipped her head back and stared at her in the moonlight. With the pads of his thumbs, he wiped away the tears leaking from her eyes. Her big eyes shone like diamonds as they stared up at him.
“I’m useless and weak,” she said, shaking her head and trying to pull from his hold.
“No, Lera. For someone to have gone through what you have, you can’t be weak. And you’re not useless.”
“You don’t understand,” she cried.
Stroking her cheek, he said, “Explain it to me.”
“Why? You won’t understand. You don’t know what it’s like to not be able to shift.” Lera struggled again.
“Is that what this is about? You feel like this because you can’t shift?”
“Coming from a man who’s never had to worry about it, you don’t know what it’s like to want something so bad, to need it so furiously you can taste it and not have it. To feel like you’re so empty and being torn apart inside. ”
“That’s not true, mo anam. I know exactly what it’s like.”
“Let me go, Cormac.”
He narrowed his eyes and closed the distance between their faces. “Kori.”
“Go back to Cairenn.”
There was more pain in her words, and it dug into his heart. “Listen to me, mo anam.”
“No, Cormac. Go. Now. Just leave me alone. I need to think, and then I have to take Rissa home tomorrow.”
Kori growled and covered her mouth with his. He thrust his tongue deep into her mouth, her flavor flooding him and making him want to take her completely. Beneath him, Lera stiffened before responding. She grabbed his shirt and drew on his tongue. His cock went from hard to stone-like. He dropped his hands to cup her ass and pull her tighter against him. Her whimper was like electricity jolted through him.
A Love For Lera (Haikon) Page 10
