Wolf Cursed (Lone Wolf Series Book 1)

by Heather Hildenbrand

“Hard and fast, sure,” he said, his eyes narrowing in a way that made me shiver at what was to come. “But this won’t be quick if that’s what you mean.”

  I reached up and nipped his bottom lip. “Prove it.”

  He snarled as he kissed me and when his hands and lips landed against my body, there was nothing gentle about it. Pleasure speared through me. His mouth, his tongue, his hands—they all knew exactly how to touch me and make me come apart.

  When Kai slid inside me, the entire world tilted. As it righted again, the universe itself changed for me. My wolf rose up so close to the surface I had to concentrate to keep her from taking me over. No way was I shifting now and giving this up. I was so close now. Right on the edge.

  Kai’s teeth scraped along my skin. He hesitated, but I pressed up and into his teeth, inviting him to do more. With a soft growl, his mouth closed over my skin, and he bit down gently.

  My wolf howled inside me, and the emotion that welled up swirled between us—moving, merging.

  I hissed at the sudden pain, but it was gone quickly as Kai’s teeth released my skin. He kissed and licked at where he’d broken my flesh, and I shuddered in delicious pleasure.

  Something between us locked into place. A bond that could never be broken.

  “You’re mine now, Ash,” Kai said against my ear, and that was all it took for me to let go.

  My orgasm ripped through me, and I bucked, hanging onto Kai like a lifeline. And I knew, from this moment on, that’s exactly how it would be for us.

  “Can I bite you?” I whispered.

  Kai’s expression darkened, and he exhaled sharply. “Yes,” he managed, his hips rocking against mine faster now.

  My wolf reacted instinctively. I reached up and bit down against the soft spot on his shoulder. Kai shuddered, and I felt his orgasm rip through him. My tongue tasted blood, and my wolf seemed to hum in what felt like relief and ecstasy. This. This had been what I’d needed all along.

  Kai was right.

  This was our destiny.

  Kai buried his face against my throat, and we both rode the last wave of his release until all that was left were our joined bodies and quiet breaths.

  Finally, Kai lifted his head and looked down at me. His hands stroked my cheeks, tucking my hair away from my face.

  “Are we mated now?” I asked.

  He grinned. “We’re mated,” he said. “For today. We might have to do it again tomorrow though just to be sure.”

  I grinned, my entire body humming with pleasure and satisfaction. “You’re on.” Even as I said the words, I could feel him hardening again already.

  “Although, why put off tomorrow what we could do today?” I rocked my hips gently against his, and he smirked.

  “Good point. I—”

  Outside, a car door slammed shut, and I froze.

  Kai stilled, his body tensing.

  We both listened as another door slammed, and then footsteps sounded on the sidewalk. Kai scrambled off me and shot to the window, barely moving the blinds aside so he could peek out. His expression twisted, and his eyes flashed with suspicion and concern.

  “What is it?” I asked, sitting up on my elbows.

  My mind raced. If Drake had returned to finish this, I—

  “I don’t know. Never seen them before,” Kai said, and my brows pinched in confusion. “They’re carrying though.”

  He stepped back and headed for the door.

  “Carrying what?” I asked, scrambling to grab my sweatpants so I could go after him.

  “Guns,” he said grimly. He paused in the doorway and looked back at me. “No matter what happens next, stay in here. Do you understand?”

  “Kai, you can’t just—”

  But he was already gone.

  I yanked my pants on and then hurried to the window. Boots fell in heavy steps as whoever it was climbed the porch steps to the front door.

  “Ash Langford, or should I say Ash Lawson, I know you’re in there,” called a male voice that was so familiar and so horrifying that I went cold with fear. “Come on out now, and no one gets hurt. Or don’t, and it’ll end just like it did for your dear old daddy.”

  Vorack.

  He’d come for me.

  And if I didn’t do something, he’d kill Kai for getting in his way.

  Chapter Twenty-Six

  I had no idea how Vorack had found me, but right now, that didn’t matter. What did matter was Kai. If he got hurt because of me, I would never forgive myself. Fumbling out of fear, I grabbed my shirt and yanked it over my head.

  But it was too late.

  The front door opened, and I heard Kai’s voice ring out, low and full of warning.

  “Get the fuck out of here now, and I’ll let you live.”

  “Is that right?” Vorack drawled, clearly unconcerned. “And just who the hell are you?”

  “Time’s up. I’m the one who’s going to kill you.”

  There was a loud click, and I jumped toward the bedroom door just as the gun went off. A thunderous shot echoed through the house, ringing in my ears and sending terror into the pit of my stomach.

  My wolf rose swiftly, and by the time I reached the living room, I was about two seconds from shifting. But the scene before me stopped me cold.

  Kai stood on four legs, his black wolf bloodied and crouched beside Vorack, who lay motionless on the floor in the entryway. Through the open front door, I saw another man lying on the porch. Frank. The one who’d messed up my face. Both of their throats had been ripped out. I couldn’t even bring myself to summon a reaction to the carnage. All I cared about was Kai.

  I stepped over Vorack’s dead body and crouched down beside Kai. He looked back at me with dubious eyes, and I reached out, laying my hand against the blood coating his fur. With careful fingers, I ran my hands over his fur, checking for wounds.

  “You’re not hurt, are you?” I asked.

  With a grunt, Kai scooted out of reach and shifted.

  When he was human again, he rose and pulled me to my feet.

  “Are you hurt?” I asked again, panic lacing my voice.

  “I’m fine,” he assured me. “It’s their blood. Not mine.”

  I exhaled in relief. “Thank goodness.” The hesitant look didn’t leave his eyes, and I frowned. “What’s wrong?”

  “This is the guy who killed your dad, isn’t it?”

  “Yes. I don’t know how he found me, but—”

  A wolf ran into view and onto the porch. I gasped then relaxed as the coat and eyes registered as familiar. Idrissa shifted and stared back at us with concern. Behind her, a second wolf arrived. Isaac shifted, rushing up to the porch.

  “Are you okay?” he asked. “Is she okay? What happened— Oh, shit.”

  He stopped short at the sight of Vorack and his henchman lying in pools of their own blood.

  “We’re okay,” I said.

  The sight of them naked was a bit easier than the first time. Still, I kept my eyes averted as they both stared back at us with shocked expressions.

  “How did you know?” Kai demanded.

  “Silas called me,” Idrissa said. “He’s on his way too.”

  “What did he say?” I could hear the rage mounting in Kai’s voice. Someone had led Vorack here. And I hated to think about what would happen when they found out who did it.

  “Drake ratted Ash out,” Isaac said.

  “Drake?” I blinked. “How did he even know to call them?”

  “I told them Vorack’s name,” I said, stunned and panicked. “That day the hexerei tried breaking into the Throttle—” I broke off and gripped Kai’s arm. “Oscar,” I said.

  “He’s fine,” Isaac assured me. “We went there first.”

  I exhaled.

  “Whoa, holy shit.” Isaac’s eyes widened, and he seemed to be studying me more closely. “No way. Is this real life?”

  “What?” I asked.

  Kai was silent.

  “Drissa.” Isaac motioned for his sister to
come closer.

  “What?” she asked.

  “Do you smell that?”

  She leaned in and sniffed, and then her eyes widened too. “You two are…mated?”

  The disbelief in her voice was laced with excitement.

  “Yes,” I admitted.

  She and Isaac lit up. “No way,” Isaac crowed. “This is amazing. It’s—”

  “Later,” Kai snapped. “We don’t have time.”

  “Right.” Isaac frowned. “Sorry.”

  “Tell me about Drake,” Kai said flatly.

  “Apparently, he’s been looking into Ash,” Idrissa said, still glancing between us but clearly back to business. “Silas went by his place, and I guess the asshole’s got a whole Criminal Minds pin-up wall dedicated to her.”

  “Why?” I asked.

  Her gaze flicked to my hip where we all knew my mark was inked.

  “Shit,” I said.

  “Drake knows. That means Silas does now too,” Kai said.

  “How?” I wondered.

  “Does it matter?” Isaac said. “The point is he knows. And so do the others. And when they get here, the first thing they’ll find are the dead bodies you’re using as Welcome mats.”

  “Dammit,” Kai muttered.

  “This is bad,” Idrissa said, looking down at the bodies. “I mean, the elders and town police turn a blind eye to a lot but dead humans?” He looked at Kai. “They’re going to shit a brick.”

  “We can worry about that later,” Kai said. “Right now, we need to figure out how to handle the mark.”

  My eyes narrowed at that. Suddenly, I’d been reduced to a permanent ink stain.

  “I’m a person, actually,” I said. “And I’m standing right here.”

  “I know.” He sighed. “I’m sorry. I just meant we need to protect you. Drake obviously wants you dead rather than let you break the curse. And we don’t know if Silas agrees. It’s not safe here.”

  “I can take her home while you talk to Silas,” Idrissa said. “He’s your friend. Maybe he’ll listen to you.”

  “Maybe.” Kai shook his head. “But they’ll look for her there. And I’m not leaving her side until we know she’s safe.”

  “Our house?” Isaac suggested.

  Kai shot him a withering look.

  “Right. Also obvious,” Isaac said.

  “I should leave,” I said, shaking my head. “Get out of town until this is figured out—”

  “You’re not going anywhere,” Kai said. “Not alone.” He looked down at where Vorack lay at our feet, but I couldn’t bring myself to do the same. “We’ll take his rental car. Go to Franklin.”

  “What’s in Franklin?” I asked.

  “Nothing. That’s the point,” Idrissa said.

  “It’ll give us some time to figure things out,” Kai told me.

  “I don’t have any clothes,” I said.

  “We’ll buy clothes.”

  I nodded, shaky and feeling a million things at once. “Okay.”

  “Good. Isaac, can you go get my truck from where we left it last night? Lead them in the wrong direction for a bit?”

  Isaac nodded. “You got it.”

  “Thanks, man.”

  “I’ll stay here,” Idrissa said. “Intercept Silas.”

  “Thanks,” Kai said.

  She didn’t look happy, and when Kai darted into the bedroom to put on clothes—again—she grabbed me. “Call me when you get safe,” she said.

  “Is that wise?”

  “Buy a cheap prepaid cell and then toss it when you’re done with it,” she said.

  I nodded. “What about…them?” I asked, gesturing to Vorack.

  “I’ll take care of it,” she said.

  I hated to think what that meant. “Thank you,” I told her. “Oh, Oscar. I have to tell him—”

  “You can’t tell him anything,” she warned with a shake of her head.

  “But—”

  “When they can’t find you two, he’s the first person they’ll ask,” she said gently. “Don’t burden him with the truth.”

  It made sense. Didn’t mean I liked it. Oscar had been good to me since day one. I hated the idea of just abandoning him.

  “Okay.” My eyes burned with tears. “Just watch out for him, okay?”

  “I promise,” she said, squeezing my hand.

  Kai returned then, and after a quick hug with Isaac, I was climbing into Vorack’s car with Kai as we headed out of town.

  “Talk to me,” Kai said gently.

  “I don’t know where to start,” I admitted.

  “What happened back there…” He trailed off, glancing over with concern. “It’s okay to be upset. I never wanted you to see that but I couldn’t let them hurt you again.”

  “Is it weird if I don’t feel bad about it?”

  “Not at all. That guy was going to hurt you, worse than he already had.”

  “I think it’s more about what they did to my dad.” I squinted my eyes, forcing out the mental images of my father’s body lying bloody and broken. Fitting that Vorack was now also lying dead just inside someone’s front door. I couldn’t bring myself to be sorry about it either.

  “I’m sorry about your dad,” Kai said, squeezing my hand.

  “Thank you,” I told him.

  After a moment, I turned to look at him, emotion clogging my throat. “It’s ironic, you know? I wanted to leave so badly before, and now, all I want to do is stay.”

  He reached for my hand. “We’ll be back,” he said. “This is your home now, Ash. And no one will ever take that away. We’re going to break the curse and then we can—”

  The windshield exploded, and my ears rang with the sounds of a crash. Glass flew in tiny shards into every space, nicking my skin, tangling in my hair.

  Kai yelled something I couldn’t make out.

  Someone screamed.

  Probably me.

  I shut my eyes and put my hands over my face to shield it from the glass flying. The car spun, the world outside spinning round and round until we came to an abrupt stop again.

  I lowered my hands and saw a van parked in the center of the road. Not parked. Stopped. Its front end had been smashed into the dashboard.

  I blinked, my thoughts clicking into place clumsily.

  My body felt heavy. Too heavy to move.

  As I stared ahead, a man got out of the van, stumbling a bit as his feet touched the pavement.

  “Ash,” Kai said.

  I looked over and saw him leaned against the seat, blood leaking from a wound on his head.

  “You’re hurt,” I said. Or tried to. The words came out in a mumble of pain. It hurt to talk.

  I reached for his hand and winced. It hurt to move.

  “Ash, run,” Kai rasped, and my panic spiked.

  The man from the van was headed this way, and nothing about his expression looked friendly.

  “Is it her?” someone called out. A female. Her tone was harsh, no-nonsense.

  I tried to crane my neck to see behind us, but my muscles wouldn’t obey. Everything felt…stuck.

  “Ash, don’t let them take you,” Kai whispered.

  There was desperation in his eyes now.

  He fumbled with his seat belt as my door was wrenched open.

  The man from the van peered in at me.

  “It’s her,” he called to someone over his shoulder.

  “Get her in the car.”

  The female again. She didn’t sound nice.

  The man grunted and reached over to unbuckle my seat belt. Kai grabbed his wrist, baring his teeth at the man.

  “Don’t touch her,” Kai warned.

  That calmed me. Kai would shift, and then they’d all be sorry.

  But the man ripped out of Kai’s grasp much easier than should’ve been possible. He glared at Kai. “What are you going to do to stop me, lupin?” he taunted.

  Kai didn’t answer.

  “That’s what I thought. Your wolf’s just a little too
beat up to join us, isn’t he?” The man grinned in victory and then clicked the button to release my seat belt.

  The moment I was no longer held by it, he grabbed me and wrenched me out of the car. A small tattoo on his neck caught my eye, and I sucked in a breath.

  Hexerei.

  This man was a witch.

  “Ash.” Kai’s voice was desperate. But weak. “Don’t let them put you in a cage.”

  The words rang out like a gong in my own memory. My father had said those same words as he’d died. I thought of the other hexerei, the one Silas had killed, and how they’d caught him trying to break into Oscar’s apartment. My apartment.

  They’d been after me all along.

  Which meant they’d been the ones my father had been running from.

  Kai’s eyes fluttered closed, and his head lolled to the side.

  Terror gripped me as I realized Kai wouldn’t be coming to my rescue after all. I called on my wolf, but she’d receded too far, thanks to my current state of pain and disorientation. So, I did the only thing left to me. I punched my abductor in the nose.

  He howled and let me go.

  I landed hard on my back.

  My head slammed against the pavement, and I barely had time to cry out before everything suddenly disappeared into darkness.

  Want to find out what happens next?

  Book 2, Wolf Captive, is coming soon!

  Pre-Order Now!

  In the small, secretive town of Ridley Falls, it turns out, is everything I’ve ever wanted. A family. A home. Friends. Even a boyfriend. Okay, mate. That’s still weird to say, but here we are.

  And the moment it’s all within my grasp, someone comes along and rips it away again.

  This time, it’s not Silas and his thugs forcing me to fight for my place here. If anything, these people make Silas look like a girl scout. They’re dangerous and deadly—willing to hurt anyone else if it gets them what they want: me.

  When Kai is ripped away from me, I can’t help but feel responsible for it all.

  Not just his fate but the rest of the pack too.

  Then there’s Drake.

  He’ll do anything to stop the curse from breaking—even if it means pitting me against my mate in a battle for alpha. But I’m done letting other people decide my life. This is one lone wolf who’s had enough.