The question came out of nowhere, but it didn’t faze him. He studied her a moment longer and settled back in the chair, like he was on a social call.
“Bikers. Thugs.” His words were strong and unforgiving, but he didn’t elaborate.
She struggled with bits and pieces of memories, but couldn’t connect enough to make sense out of what she was feeling. And that’s all it was.
Just a feeling.
Wasn’t it?
“Are they the only two you’ve seen?”
His words pull her back. She nodded, a little disturbed by the promise that wrapped around his words, like any others would be marked for death the instant she said no.
“I thought I heard someone following me. Something. Wild dogs, maybe.”
She looked him in the eye as realization washed over her. Unless they grew up around here, no one would ever know or find that path. The town was dying. Hell, it was dead. Most of the houses had been left to rot, and the store was about the only occupied building between her house and the Demons’ clubhouse. She’d barely made it to the split and she’d been ass-deep in the woods when they’d found her. And then the fog. Something wasn’t right here.
“How’d you find me?”
• • •
Ant was unable to take his eyes off the female. He knew that she was waiting on an answer from him, but he couldn’t come out and admit that he had heard her scream almost a mile away. There would be no way he could explain that.
Morgan.
Her name just flowed right off the tip of his tongue. Now that she was conscious, her curious brown eyes gazed upon him as she waited for his answer. She studied him with an innocence that set off every warning bell he had embedded in him.
Leave her alone, a voice in the back of his mind whispered.
When did Anton Hessel ever listen to good reason? Never. And today would not be the day for him to start. He had to pull back on his animal. It was in a frenzy to get to her. It let out a piercing howl, causing Ant to wince slightly. His wolf sensed that their mate was nearby. She was certainly pleasing to the eyes, and Ant became slightly curious as to the dynamics of her and Hank’s sibling relationship. She certainly wasn’t the biker chick type, but yet, here she was.
“Don’t worry about it. Just be glad that I was able to help you. Had I been a minute later—” he cut off his words, not wanting to scare her. Had he been just another minute or two late, her brother Hank would have been sitting here planning her funeral.
“It’s okay. You can say it,” she whispered, her eyes bright with tears. She blinked a few times and wiped her eyes with the back of her hand. “I would have been dead. I’m tougher than I look.”
He had to give her props for trying to appear tough on the outside, but had she seen what had really been hunting her, her fake sense of bravery would have surely disappeared. A rogue wolf would have killed her. Two would have ripped her to shreds.
“Please, tell me. What were they? I kept hearing growling sounds, yet no animal. I would have sworn it came from them. Just before I passed out, I heard a third growl, somehow different—deeper. Does that make sense?” Her large eyes pleaded with him, but he wasn’t going to budge.
“I think that you hit your head really good and you need rest,” he announced, standing from the chair. He stalked to the door, needing to get away from her. Her pretty brown eyes were drawing him in, making him want something that he could not have. She needed to keep her innocence and stay away from him.
“I didn’t get the chance to say thank you,” she called out, causing him to pause at the door. His hand gripped the handle tight as he turned back to look at her.
“No thanks needed. Don’t go into the woods alone from now on,” he warned as he opened the door. Until he and the Lycan Order could clean up their town of rogues, wandering alone in the woods would not be safe.
“Will I see you again?” her soft voice stopped him dead in his tracks. His wolf whined, trying to force him to turn around. It wanted to stay with her and protect her, and lay claim to her, but Ant shook it off. She had the Demons to protect her, and by the way her brother fiercely offered to try to kick his ass before he came into the room, he had no doubt that Hank would protect her.
“I’ll be around,” he answered, and walked away.
He had no choice. A shifter was not what she needed right now, and taking a mate was definitely not what he needed. Now that he was in the midst of the Demons, and had knowledge that rogues were in the area, he had bigger things to worry about.
Chapter Four
Ant stalked down the hallway, trying to put as much distance between him and Morgan as possible. The memory of ponytail slapping her resurfaced, and a rage unlike he had ever known before festered deep inside of him. He would find the rogues and kill them with his bare hands. He reached the end of the hallway and a figure suddenly appeared, blocking his path. It was one of the Demons. The guy had a pretty nice size on him, but he was still slightly shorter than Ant. Ant sized him up, unblinking, and figured that the guy had probably played football at one point in his life.
“I don’t think you want to go there with me,” Ant warned, getting closer to the Demon. He let his wolf flash in his eyes, knowing that his animal was right beneath the surface. It was still anxious and begging for a good fight. The guy’s eyes widened slightly, leaving Ant to smirk as they stared each other down.
“Hank wants to see you,” the guy said, nodding to a closed door across the room.
“Fine,” he growled. He followed behind the Demon. Glancing around the room, he took in the others that were seated. Some looked his way, while others avoided his gaze.
“Here he is, Hank,” the guy announced as he opened the door to the president’s office.
“Thanks, Colt. You can shut the door behind you,” Hank instructed. He waved Ant to a chair in front of his desk. Colt nodded before closing the door behind him. “Have a seat.”
“No, thanks. I prefer to stand,” Ant answered. He folded his arms across his chest. He was not planning to stay long. It was late as shit, and he was losing precious tracking time. He needed to check in with Demitri, his alpha.
“Why don’t we just cut to the chase, and you tell me why in the hell you’re traipsing around Demons’ County wearing a cut from a different MC?” Hank demanded as he leaned back in his chair.
Ant held back his initial retort and bit his tongue. He had to play nice down here in North Carolina. He was here to help get rid of the rogues, and in doing so, protecting this small piece of shit town. The Demons could have their little rundown playground. Once the rogues were gone, he would be able to go back to Black Hollow, where he belonged.
“The two men that attacked your sister is why I’m here. I was sent by my alph—president, to seek them out. They’re wanted by our club.” Ant tried to keep his answer short and brief.
“The Lycan Order, huh?” Hank said, eyeing Ant’s leather cut. “Why don’t we go ahead and call your president. If he confirms your story, then I’ll let you go. Hell, I’ll send my best men with you to track the sons of bitches down.”
Ant knew that Demitri would back him up. Hell, he wasn’t even lying. He had told the human the truth, but if he wanted to confirm it with his alpha, so be it. It wasn’t like they could really hold him here. He stifled a chuckle as he rattled off Demitri’s number.
• • •
The voices had been muffled, but the distinct sound of the old-school phone slamming back into the cradle echoed through the door. “Glad to see your prez has more sense and less attitude than you.”
“Does he?”
Morgan recognized the flippant reply in the stranger’s voice. How did she not even think to ask him his name?
“He’s on his way to sort this shit out. In the meantime, I suggest you adjust your attitude and snuggle into the Demons’ hospitality, ’cause your shitty attitude has worn out any appreciation for Morgan. That, or your prez won’t find you when he gets here.”
Morgan’s hand flew to her mouth. She knew that tone. Hank had used it time and again to punish her during her brief rebellious phase. In high school, every night she’d sneak out with Mark, but it would end with Hank waiting, arms crossed, and that same voice, shrouded in warning. She knew he meant it.
The sound of footsteps grew from inside the office. Morgan jumped around the corner as the door swung open, and the stranger stormed out of the office with his hands clenched. She waited before moving, because she could hear footsteps marching toward Hank’s office. She stayed out of sight until the door closed again, then she snuck closer so that she could hear.
“I don’t like it, Hank. I’m telling you, I don’t know if the man is on drugs or what, but whatever passed over him in the hallway is deadly,” Colt warned.
The sound of a can cracking open filled the air, then silence.
“Keep an eye on things. I haven’t heard or seen another club moving in, but I’m curious enough to see what their prez has to say. I’m curious to see what this has to do with Morgan,” Hank replied.
“On it.”
“And Colt?” Hank called out.
“Yeah?”
“Spread the word. Every brother in this place is to be locked and loaded, around the clock.”
Morgan didn’t wait to hear anymore. She tiptoed down the hall and waited. She breathed a sigh of relief when Hank’s door slammed shut. She was going to go to him because she curious to know what the stranger’s prez had said, and what was going on. She wasn’t ready to reunite with the rest of the club. She peeked around the corner to see if it was clear, and there he was.
Chapter Five
He leaned casually against the wall, as if waiting on her. She hadn’t even heard him come up the hallway. She was tempted to run back to her room, but it was too late. She was caught.
Morgan stretched to what height she could with her short frame and met his gaze. She was about to speak when a single stride brought him to her. He grasped her elbow, led her down the hall and directed her into the small room where she’d slept. He released her and shut the door. Morgan jumped back, clutching her elbow to her stomach as she rubbed the spot where he’d grabbed her.
He turned and pinned her with those green eyes that seemed to have gold swimming in their depths. His gaze dropped to her elbow as shock registered on his face. It swiftly faded and was replaced by anger. She took a step back at the dangerous glint that appeared in his eyes.
“I have to go look for the—” He swallowed hard and paused. “I have to go look for those shits from the woods. Did you know them?”
She shook her head. “I only really saw the one.” Her voice was soft, but firm.
“How many Demons are here?”
“What?” she asked, confused by the question.
“I can’t stay here and find them, too. How many are there?” he demanded.
“I-I don’t know. I don’t live here.”
Besides, she’d never cared enough to keep a roster of the Demons. She wasn’t the club secretary, so how would she know?
“It doesn’t matter,” he muttered. She watched him move around the room and run his fingers through his hair.
“What?” She was confused by the whole conversation, or maybe she really did hit her head hard.
“They’re not going to be able to protect you,” he growled. The scowl on his face almost made him seem feral. His overbearing attitude made the room shrink. She backed away a few steps as her heart raced. She watched him pace the room like a caged animal.
“Can you shoot?” His voice broke through her thoughts.
It was such a crazy, out-of-the blue question, that she stumbled over an answer.
“Can you shoot?” he repeated as he grabbed her arm, making her turn to him.
“Yes.” Morgan twisted in his grasp and tried to pull away. “You’re hurting me.”
Her words seemed to sink in and he released her. Something weird flashed in his eyes as he glanced down at her arms.
“I didn’t mean to harm you. Sometimes I forget my own strength,” he admitted. His face softened as he stepped away from her. He walked over to the window and stared out into the night. He blew out a deep breath as he stood there, giving her time to study him. Aside from the aggression, he was quite handsome. Her breath caught in her throat as she thought of how intense his eyes were. She wondered what they would look like—
She stopped that trail of thought as she rubbed her arm. The pain faded as he turned and slowly walked toward her. He reached behind him and pulled out a small pistol from his waistband. He gently placed it in her palm and wrapped her fingers around it.
“Take this. If the shit hits the fan, you need to hide. Barricade yourself somewhere. Any fucking thing that finds you, kill it. Anything.” He dug in his pocket and pulled out a handful of silver flashes. He poured the bullets into her hand.
Were these silver bullets?
A surreal feeling washed over her as she cupped them against her stomach.
What was happening?
She looked up into the eyes of the man who swept into town with hell at his back. “What’s your name?”
• • •
Ant stared down into her large brown eyes and felt himself soften. He stepped closer to her and hated that he had caused her pain. His wolf whined, sensing that she was uncomfortable with him, and that bothered him.
“Ant,” he announced.
“Ant?” she repeated, as her eyes moved from his feet to his eyes. “You’re too big for a nickname of a small insect.”
“Anton Hessel, ma’am.” He chuckled slightly and held out his hand. She glanced down at it and placed the gun and bullets on the cot beside her before taking it. His larger one gripped her smaller one, and his wolf stood at attention.
Down, boy.
“Anton. I like it.” She gave a small smile.
His wolf, pleased that she appeared to like his name, settled down. Ant regretfully pulled his hand away and stalked toward the door. He would not be able to stay here in their clubhouse. He had wolves to hunt.
“Remember, if something comes for you, shoot it.”
“Why do you keep saying ‘something?’” she called out. He paused at the door.
“Because there’s more to this world than you know,” he replied, without turning around. He exited the room and walked down the hallway. He might have said too much, but he didn’t have a choice. She needed to know that there was something else besides humans on this planet. The rogues had her scent. If they chose to come for her, then she would need to be prepared.
Chapter Six
The sun was high in the sky, providing warmth in the cool North Carolina morning. The Demons had provided him a place to lay his head last night, and he took advantage of it to get some much-needed rest. Now it was time for him to hunt. He knew that the Lycan Order would be on their way. Demitri could smooth shit over with Hank when he got here, because he wasn’t waiting for them to arrive.
The longer Ant waited, the more time the rogues had to scheme. Knowing their kind, it would be no good. Ant feared that they were moving into this town to begin turning humans, and if that was their plan, then they had to be stopped.
Now.
Ant threw his leg over his bike and settled in. He grabbed his shades out of his pocket and threw them onto his face.
“You know you’re supposed to stay until your club arrives,” a voice spoke up from behind him. He turned and found Colt with his arms folded across his chest. The Demons’ eyes were narrowed on him, as if to warn him from leaving.
“I’ve never been one to follow rules,” Ant tossed over his shoulder, over the roar of his engine. He pulled off, leaving the Demon seething. Ant chuckled. The Demons would have had one hell of a fight on their hands, had they tried to restrain him.
He was hunting rogues.
• • •
Morgan paced her room. The gun grew heavy in her hands, and she’d tossed it onto the bed with th
e pile of bullets beside it. It didn’t make sense. None of it made sense. She’d watched the scene unfold between Ant and Colt from her window, and heard the flippant remark he’d spat about not following rules.
That may work in his corner of the world, but he was in Demon territory. Her brother and the Demons were only going to tolerate so much in the name of curiosity. The fact that he’d saved her was only going to save his ass for so long. Aside from that, there was something about him that disturbed her.
She couldn’t put her finger on it. It wasn’t just the attraction she felt, or the pull to him whenever he was close to her. It was that overwhelming sense of attraction that made you forget your senses and do something stupid, like take that gun from him. What the hell was she thinking?
Without him around, she felt her head become clearer and common sense took hold of her. She knew nothing about Anton. His attitude toward the Demons was disrespectful. Something was up, and she knew without a doubt where her loyalties lied.
She moved toward the door, but it swung open before she could get to it. Hank stepped in, while scratching the side of his face in frustration. He looked around the room. His eyes landed on the pile of silver bullets and gun on the bed.
“You know something we don’t?” he asked.
Morgan shook her head. She hadn’t had time to figure out what she would tell him.
“He left it,” she stammered. “Said you wouldn’t be able to protect me.”
“From what?” Hank huffed. “Fucking werewolves?”
Chapter Seven
Hank rolled his eyes as Morgan shrugged her shoulders. She could feel her body tremble and she wished, for the hundredth time, that she’d never came home to visit.
Her brother stepped forward and scooped a handful of the bullets off the bed. He rolled one between his fingers as he studied it. “They’re not branded. Somebody made these,” he murmured.
Colt stepped into the room. “That asshole needs to be taught some respect.”
When Clubs Collide Page 15
