“Cassidy, this is no place for a woman. I promise they’ll be in your bed when you wake up in the morning.”
She struggled in his arms, but her attempt to get to her feet was a futile effort. “Tell them to come with us. This is ridiculous.”
“Garret’s word is law, Cassidy. You should have learned that from him by now. He’s a big boy and knows what he’s doing.” He opened the driver’s-side door to one of the trucks and set her on the bench seat. “We’re not your average men. You have to trust me.” He leaned into the cab, looking her in the eyes.
She exhaled, an exasperated sound, but he knew she wouldn’t argue any longer. “I just wanted to find my brother,” she whispered. “I didn’t mean for any of this to happen.”
“Of course not. Sometimes we have to trust the gods. They know better than us. If Matthew returns or you find your brother, it’s because they willed it so.”
Cassidy nodded and tucked her legs into the truck so he could close the door. He highly anticipated being alone with her at Garret’s retreat, even if only for an hour. There was a valley between them that needed to be bridged if she was to be his mate. He needed to know more about her—her dreams, hopes, and fears. Patrick was warming up to the idea of committing to a woman, but still had his guards up. It would take a lot more than a pretty face and intoxicating scent for him to give up his heart.
* * * *
They drove along the narrow road, forests closing in from either side. It wasn’t as daunting with Patrick doing the driving. Every bump in the road aroused her pussy, so raw and sensitized from her recent orgasms. She should be traumatized at the prospect of spending even one more day at Garret’s remote cabin with no running water. But her entire body was alight with anticipation. That place symbolized belonging and a love she’d never known. She wondered if she’d see the red wolf again.
Cassidy stole a peek at the man beside her. He had an emergency blanket over his lap, but she could see he wasn’t wearing any pants. The man was completely naked. He wasn’t even wearing his trademark toque over his unruly red hair. He looked devastatingly handsome with the scruff on his face. She’d already dressed back into her jeans and sweater, although it had been awkward doing so in the passenger seat. Her undergarments were MIA.
“Where are your clothes?” He’d gone down on her, but they hadn’t done anything else together to warrant his nudity.
“Guess I was thinking ahead.” Patrick turned and winked at her. “Maybe we’ll get some time together—just you and me.”
She’d sit on his cock right now if he asked her. Her hormones were always in flux around these men. The hum of the engine and uneven road beneath the tires were the only sounds in the truck. She had so much to say and ask, but couldn’t form even one coherent thought.
“Watch it!” she yelled.
A naked man cut across the cones of light ahead. He’d been there one second, gone the next. “What?” Patrick slammed on the brakes, the truck swerving before coming to a dead stop.
“Didn’t you see him? That man?”
“What man?”
“A naked man ran across the road.” She pointed to the bush on the side of the road he’d disappeared into. Patrick pulled the truck to the gravel shoulder of the road and then cut the engine.
“Wait here. I’ll check it out.” At least he didn’t think she was crazy.
The door had already closed behind him when she called out. “You have no clothes.” The night air was sharp, chilling her even with clothes on. What did he plan on doing? And who the hell was that man? Could it be the hiker-killer or maybe her brother? Patrick was impulsive, seemingly fearless. Now she had to worry about the guys back at the diner with the killer wolves and Patrick running off on a dangerous goose chase.
Silence settled into the cab. A few minutes after Patrick left and the interior lights timed out, leaving her in complete darkness. She couldn’t hear any sounds out of the ordinary. Please be okay.
When he didn’t return after a lengthy absence, she braved slipping out of the truck. The windows were already humid from her breathing. Cassidy couldn’t stand the stale air and wondering what was going on a second longer. She stood on the gravel shoulder, barely breathing, hoping to hear Patrick in the distance. Then she swore she heard him, just off in the distance. It sounded like a low groan. Was Patrick hurt? Leaving the door ajar, she walked away from the truck, her arms outstretched. She wasn’t sure where she was going or what she’d do when she got there, but the sudden desire to help Patrick overwhelmed her. Maybe he was injured, lying somewhere just inside the forest.
She came to a tree, her fingers feeling the pattern of bark like a blind woman to braille. The trees were close together, so she was able to move from one to the other while always having her hand grounded on at least one trunk.
“Patrick,” she whispered.
This time she couldn’t hear him, so wasn’t sure which direction to follow. She moved deeper into the forest, the smell of black earth and pine growing stronger. At times she was tempted to shout Patrick’s name, but held back in fear of what else may hear her. The experience with Corbin was still fresh in her mind, making her nerves more ragged.
The ground was uneven, the forest sloping down a hill. She almost lost her footing several times on the moist leaf litter, but used the trees and saplings for balance. This was the direction Patrick had taken. How far had he ventured? Had he returned to the truck by another path? She’d moved so deep that she feared she wouldn’t be able to find her way out now if she tried. If she never saw another forest again, it would be too soon.
“You should be careful. There’re bear traps around here.”
She froze in place, not expecting to hear an unfamiliar man’s voice. There had been no warning, no footsteps, no rustling of leaves, nothing. It wasn’t Patrick or any of her men. Adrenaline surged through her veins as she tried to place the voice.
“Who’s there?” she whispered, wishing she’d imagined the voice. There was a deep, masculine chuckle. It sounded too loud in the stark quiet.
“I’m not so sure of that myself.”
She remained silent, frozen in place. So far her experiences of meeting men in the woods had been negative—first Ryder, then Corbin. She also had to consider the killer on the loose.
“I’ve never seen you before. Surely I’d remember you if I had.” Now she heard the distinct sound of a footstep. A twig snapped, then another. “My head’s killing me. I’ve probably drank too much.”
Great. Isolated in the bush with a drunk. If she ran for it, it would take a good fifteen minutes to reach the road, but there were trees at every turn which would slow her down. “My boyfriend is only a couple minutes away.”
“A human?” She felt the brush of his fingers against her neck. “But I scent wolves.”
“We were almost attacked by wolves. They’re dangerous beasts in the woods, killing hikers by the dozens. But you should know that if you live around here.”
“And I suppose you’re another tasty treat sent to entice them?”
She mentally forced herself to calm down, taking a cleansing breath. “Are you going to hurt me?”
“Why would I do that? I may be a bit confused right now, but I know I’d never hit a woman…or eat one.”
For some reason his comment sounded sexual to her ears, but then again, Patrick had eaten her pussy less than an hour ago. Her mind was obviously in the gutter, and it didn’t help that this guy’s voice was like erotic music to her ears. “What’s your name?” she asked.
“I told you, my mind hasn’t been right since I woke up. Can’t even recall my own name.” He made an exasperated sound, bringing down her hackles slightly.
“Scott. Is your name Scott?” Was this the half brother she’d been looking for? Had he been trying to survive the night, only to wake up dazed and confused? Perhaps some men beat him up, leaving him with temporary amnesia.
When he didn’t answer right away, her hopes soared.
“That doesn’t sound familiar. Do I look like a Scott you know?”
“I don’t know. I can’t even see you in this darkness. I suspect you have no difficulty seeing me?” By now she’d gotten a complex. Everyone could see in the night except her. She probably needed glasses. Without a history, she didn’t know if bad eyes ran in her family.
“I see you with perfect clarity. Your eyes are blue, your hair the color of leaves in autumn.” He touched her face, but she turned away from him. She’d only trust Patrick right now, but he’d disappeared. She wanted no intimacy with this stranger.
“How do you know about bear traps if you don’t even know your own name?”
“I can’t explain it, but I know this forest. It feels like home…only my mind is fuzzy. It’s like I know the question, but can’t access the answer. The only thing I don’t recognize is you.”
There was a distant gunshot which echoed through the forest, unsettling the wildlife. The faint murmur of multiple voices drew closer, along with hounds howling.
“Fuck! We have to go.”
He grabbed her hand and led her further down the hill, faster than her feet could carry her. She was terrified to smack head-on into a tree or trip over an exposed root. But the strange man held her hand and expertly weaved through the trees, ensuring she was directly behind him and out of harm’s way. He moved fast, as if it was high noon with everything visible with perfect clarity.
“Were you the naked man on the road?” Her voice came out in a string of staggered words as she bounced along the maze. A painful stitch started in her side, causing her to slow down. “I have to stop,” she said. “The hunters will help us, show us the road.”
The stranger shoved her down to her knees. “Get in. Quickly.” She crawled forward, the dirt and debris moist and alive under her palms. Cassidy imagined all kinds of creepy-crawlies. The cave entrance was rocky, low, and narrow. Claustrophobia set in immediately. Was this a path to a larger interior or was he trapping her in a virtual coffin?
He prodded her through, right behind her. When she reached an end to the tunnel she was relieved that she could stand up without crouching, and there was more than an adequate air supply. The faint light of the moon filtered down through an opening high above.
“Where is this place?”
“It’s safe, that’s all I know.” He paced around the cave like a restless tiger. She could make out a faint silhouette. He was a large man. “And those weren’t hunters. They were loggers.”
“How do you know?”
“I don’t know. I just do. Some thoughts are starting to come back to me, but the harder I try to concentrate, the more my head hurts.”
Chapter Six
He didn’t know this woman. So why did she have concern in her voice? And why the fuck did she arouse him? He couldn’t remember his own goddamn name, but the sound of her voice made his cock hard?
His mind was a sinister playground of broken images and jumbled thoughts. He wished he could shake his head and watch everything fit back together like a jigsaw puzzle. All he knew for a fact was the loggers closing in on their location were to be avoided at any cost. His palms grew clammy, his heart racing the closer they came. The sudden need to shift, to find security in his fur, nearly overwhelmed him. Yet he had to keep some semblance of control because his behavior affected the little human as well.
“Why are we hiding?” she asked.
“Shhh!” He pulled her into his lap, one arm around her waist, his other hand cupping her mouth. He couldn’t risk her giving away their location. There was no way he’d return to captivity. Captivity? More scrambled thoughts tried to arrange in his mind.
It felt like hours passed by before the hunting party drifted downhill and away from them, the dogs howling finally a faint echo. They’d stopped at the cave entrance, but the loggers urged them on, probably suspecting a bear or other wild animal. He took a deep breath of relief, releasing his tight grip on the girl.
“What the hell was that? I’m not your prisoner here!” She toppled down to her knees in front of him.
“I was keeping you safe.”
She turned. “From what? Getting rescued? Being taken to town and away from man-eating wolves? Now we’re trapped. How long until they track down our scent? We’re sitting ducks in here, a meal waiting to happen.”
“You’re tired. I can hear it in your voice. Sleep now. I’ll make sure nothing happens to you.” Even he knew he must sleep. Whatever had a hold over his mind was only exasperated because of his great lack of rest.
“Someone will be looking for me soon. They’ll be worried.”
“Sleep.”
She frowned, but didn’t fight him before curling up on a bed of straw and leaves in the corner. Her eyes were heavy, her breathing shallow. It wouldn’t take long for her to slip off into REM sleep. As soon as he was sure she wouldn’t run off on her own, he dropped down to his back by the entrance to the cave, his arms as a makeshift pillow, and let the exhaustion take hold.
Black-and-white images crossed his mind’s eye as he slept. Wolves. Cages. Whips. He tossed and turned, feelings of anxiety washing through him. Starving. Alone. Pain. The memories bombarded and weakened him.
Matthew. His name was Matthew.
* * * *
Warm light flooded the small cave. It took Cassidy a few moments to remember her predicament. Her surroundings were so different now that she could see. The rock face was irregular, parts smooth, others jagged. The shadow of dancing flames revealed every pit and fissure. The ground was littered with natural bedding, making her think they’d stolen an animal’s home for the night. Her confidence was partially restored thanks to her returned vision and the warmth of the fire.
Where was her mystery man? She’d heard him breathing in the night, sometimes irregularly as if in the fit of a nightmare. Now he was nowhere to be seen. Cassidy had to get her act together. She had to find the road and Patrick, discover if Garret, Evan, and Travis were safe and sound, too. At least she knew to follow the forest uphill to get to the road. She stood up, her body sore from sleeping on the rocky mattress. Cassidy quietly padded to the entrance and squatted down to peer out the low tunnel and only means of entrance. The world beyond this little place was still encased in blackness. She dare not leave until the light of day, especially now that she had fire.
She stood up and turned, bumping into a solid wall of hard muscle. Cassidy looked way up. Was this her mysterious stranger? His hair was a tousled brown, slightly overgrown, his face rough with scruff, his eyes a penetrating green. Had she ever seen eyes like his? She was momentarily mesmerized by the intensity of his gaze.
“Sorry, I didn’t see you,” she managed to say.
He held up one hand, displaying a skinned rabbit. She bolted back. That was when she noticed he was wearing some sort of loincloth and nothing else. His body had been etched in marble, every ripple of muscle pronounced. There was more—he was underweight. For such a large bone structure and broad shoulders, he should have more bulk. She could see the slight outline of his ribs in the shadowed light. She instantly felt concern for her strange rescuer. Who was he?
Now that she thought about it, she realized he had saved her from the elements. He even attempted to give her food and warmth. God, he was handsome.
“Are you hungry?” he asked.
“I’m not that hungry.” The kill he carried didn’t look appetizing. Her stomach grumbled in protest and she hoped he didn’t hear it.
“Again, you lie. Why?” He crouched over the fire pit he made, the black smoke escaping through the opening high in the rock. Wood crackling under the flames was the only sound after he spoke. The man was made for rural living. He had a quiet, old-soul aura surrounding him. He staked the rabbit over the fire with a few sticks and then brushed his hands off before standing.
“I’ve never eaten rabbit before.” She softened her tone, not wanting to offend.
“It’s good for you. You need to eat.” He
approached her, reaching for her wrists. Her breath caught in her throat, but she didn’t fight him. His thumbs painted soft circles at her pulse points. Then he released her hands and tilted her chin up. “You have blue eyes. Beautiful blue eyes.”
She swallowed hard. Her dried-up voice wouldn’t allow her to tell him she’d never seen such exotic eyes, a green to rival the acres of forest under the light of the new sun. The man was a stranger so she shouldn’t be doling out compliments anyway.
“I remember everything now,” he said. Why was he so calm about it? If she’d suddenly remembered her identity after running around the forest naked, she’d be a little more exuberant. This man was quiet, stoic, and a complete mystery to her.
“What’s your name?”
“Matthew.”
She bolted back, her hands seeking something to stabilize her. When she hit the rock wall, she slunk against it. Her mind processed so many thoughts at once. If this was the Matthew, Garret’s search would be over. She felt the wash of relief she knew the Gregor foreman would feel when he laid eyes on his missing miner.
“Matthew? Where have you been? Everyone’s been looking for you. Garret’s been worried sick.”
He smiled, making him devastatingly handsome to look at. “You know Garret?”
“I work at the mine as a dispatcher. Garret scours the forest almost nightly trying to find you.”
“There’s more,” he said, tilting her head this way and that. “I know my alpha well. Has he chosen you?”
Everything came back to her in a rush. The talks of mating, sharing, Garret’s leadership. She remembered when the men told her they’d accept whatever woman Garret chose for them, and that they’d share that one woman. When she’d been alone in the woods with Garret, he’d revealed his excitement to share her with his missing crewman. The idea had been theoretical at the time, but now a flesh-and-blood Matthew stood before her. She was not repulsed by the man, but inexplicably drawn to him. If her four lovers demanded she accept the fifth member of their team, who was she to argue?
Matthew's Return [Wolves of Climax 3] (Siren Publishing LoveXtreme Forever - Serialized) Page 5
