by Liv Brywood
Secret Seduction
Liv Brywood
Book Description
When a tall, dark, and dangerously sexy Alpha werewolf rescues Diana from a vicious attack, she doesn’t know who to fear more—her attacker or the wolf. She’s heard whispered legends of a powerful werewolf but never believed such a creature could exist. Captured by the wolf, she’s taken to his den, and to his bed. But as their relationship heats up, she struggles to compete with a ghost from his past. His haunted eyes tear at her soul, but she knows she can heal him if he’ll let her.
Five years ago, a tragedy shattered Ryker’s heart. As Alpha of the Silver Creek Pack, his duty to protect the pack compelled him to institute a new law—never bring a human to the den. But after saving Diana, he can’t abandon the curvaceous woman alone in the woods, so he violates the law. He’ll take her back to the town of Full Moon Bay as soon as night falls. But as the hours dwindle and his desire for her grows, a dark force builds a powerful weapon to use against the wolves.
Excerpt…
Ryker resisted the urge to nibble on the edge of her pouty bottom lip. His hands wrapped around the small of her back just above the tempting curve of her hips. He pulled her against his body. Heat surged from deep inside him, daring him to seduce her.
The scent of her sticky skin intoxicated him. Pheromones radiated from her body, coaxing him into a state of arousal more intense than anything he’d felt in the last few years.
He stepped back as if scalded. “You need a bath.”
Confusion marred her pretty features. A dark blush crept up her neck into her face. “I’d take one if you had it.”
He backed into the shadow of the doorway, hoping she didn’t see how much he desired her. “I’ll have Leah come and take you to the river.”
“Thank you.” Her bold gaze traveled from his face down until it rested at the apex of his thighs. She must have liked what she saw because she bit the edge of her lip in the most alluring way.
He pivoted and raced out of the chamber. He couldn’t risk staying another second, because at the slightest invitation he would have led her to the bed and done everything in his power to enflame and then soothe every inch of her.
Secret Seduction
Liv Brywood
Secret Seduction
Copyright© 2014 Liv Brywood
Amazon Complete Edition
All rights reserved.
No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means including information storage and retrieval systems, without permission in writing from the author. The only exception is by a reviewer, who may quote short excerpts in a review.
This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.
Table of Contents
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
A Note from Liv
Chapter 1
Diana scooted across the worn vinyl seat in an attempt to get as far away as possible from Zane. Her sister Luna warned her to meet the charming man she’d met through an online dating site in a public place. But being stubborn, Diana chose to ignore her younger sister’s advice.
Zane’s pickup truck bumped along a back road she had never traveled. The vast woods surrounding the small town of Full Moon Bay were considered off-limits by the locals.
Something about the way Zane stared forward without looking at her seemed off. With each passing minute, a spark of dread grew. The greasy pizza and beer she’d had for dinner churned in her stomach. She regretted letting him talk her into picking her up at home.
Slashes of moonlight cut across the road. She stared out into the shadowy woods. He should have turned toward the east by now, but continued north. She glanced at the moon. It rose high above the tree line.
A furtive glance at her cell phone gave her no hope. No signal.
She wanted to brush off the unease as a side effect of watching too many true-life serial killer shows, but couldn’t. She tried to remember the tips law enforcement told viewers. Try to make him think of you as a person.
“My sister Luna is waiting for me back at the house. She expects me home by midnight.” She lied.
He grunted.
“I had fun on the date. I’ve never been to Drake’s pool hall before. In fact, I’ve never even played pool before.” She laughed nervously.
“I go there a lot.”
She didn’t doubt it. When he’d walked into the bar, half the men turned to greet him. Some slapped him on the shoulder as he passed.
So far, so good. She just needed to keep the conversation alive until the juncture. “When did you learn how to play pool?”
“Dad taught me.”
“That was nice of him.”
“Mean son of a bitch. That’s about all he taught me. That and shooting.”
Her heart plummeted through the floor. “He couldn’t be all bad if he showed you how to do things.”
His hands gripped the steering wheel. The truck bucked and fishtailed as the paved road gave way to gravel. Diana grabbed the door handle to keep from sliding.
Zane steered the truck into a sharp turn. Off to the right, the tree line gave way to a high cliff. Hundreds of feet below, an inky bay rippled. Suddenly she knew exactly where they were, Hangman’s Bluff overlooking the town’s namesake, Full Moon Bay.
She tensed as the truck skirted the edge of the cliff. Pale tendrils of fog reached up from the waterfront to clutch at the cliffs. The first wisps breached the granite walls and writhed against the sea breeze.
“Are we almost to the turn off?” She failed to keep her voice steady and hoped he didn’t pick up on the change in tone.
“Have you read The Bible?”
“What?”
“The book of The Lord.”
“Yes. Why?”
“Do you know the story of Delilah?”
She whispered. “The temptress.”
His steely gaze poured over her. “God warned men about women like her, but they didn’t listen.”
The hair at the nape of her neck stood on end. The last serial killer show she’d watched detailed the murders committed by Albert Fish, the Werewolf of Wisteria. Obsessed with the Biblical story of Abraham and Isaac, he’d sacrificed and ate his victims as a form of communion.
Adrenaline rushed through her body, making her fingers and toes tingle. She needed to escape immediately.
She studied the space where the headlights illuminated the road. The same pockmarked road and endless tree line continued into the murky darkness.
In a shrill voice, he continued. “Adam was not deceived, but the woman being deceived was in the transgression.”
Her bottom lip quivered. She wiped her damp palms on her jeans. She had to pull it together if she had any chance of escaping.
She glanced at the speedometer—twenty-five miles an hour. At least the terrible road forced him to drive slowly.
&nb
sp; “Give me any plague, but the plague of the heart, and any wickedness, but the wickedness of a woman.”
She inched her hand toward the lock. She’d only have seconds to escape. Over the pulse of blood through her ears, he droned on.
“Of the woman came the beginning of sin, and through her we all die.”
She sucked in a breath then flung her left arm across her chest. Time slowed to a crawl as she ripped open the lock. Her nails scraped across the handle as she shoved the door open. Without stopping, she hurled herself out of the car.
In the second she spent airborne, the faces of her family flashed before her eyes. She couldn’t die. Her sisters needed her.
Her body slammed against the ground and rolled to a stop. Ten yards ahead, a cloud of dust and rock rushed from behind the braking truck.
She scrambled to her feet. One stiletto fell off. She wobbled for a second before kicking the other shoe off. She raced into the woods.
Trees clawed at her lightweight sweater. Jagged rocks tore into the flesh on her feet. She didn’t stop, didn’t look back.
Breath exploded from her chest and crystallized in the chilly air. Behind her, the madman crashed through the bushes. She didn’t dare look back. She forced every ounce of strength into her aching legs and cursed the extra forty pounds she carried. She would’ve stayed in better shape if she’d known she’d have to outrun a psychopath.
She veered to the right and hoped she could lose him. Bark exploded off a tree three feet in front of her. Confusion only lasted a second before another loud crack sounded from a few yards behind her. Gunshots.
She gasped. Her lungs ached as she sucked in breath after breath. She didn’t know how much longer she could last.
Crack. Another gunshot blasted the ground at her feet.
She screamed.
His footfalls thundered in the dirt. A shot ricocheted off a boulder.
She surged forward and burst into a large moon-shadowed meadow. Her primal scream shattered the air. She couldn’t stop screaming as she bolted toward the distant tree line.
Halfway across the meadow, a searing pain crippled one leg. She collapsed against the grass.
She stared at the trail of blood oozing from her calf.
Zane sauntered out of the forest. “A shameless woman shall be counted as a dog; but she that is shamefaced will fear The Lord.”
She forced herself onto one knee and crawled away from him. Her lame leg dragged through the dirt.
“And I will make them eat the flesh of their sons, and the flesh of their daughters.”
She whimpered. The strain of pulling herself along took its toll. Only moving a few inches at a time, she prayed for a miracle.
“Stop.” His voice boomed in the silence.
She froze. Every cell in her body screamed keep going! but terror paralyzed her.
“I find more bitter than death, the woman who is a snare, whose heart is a trap and whose hands are chains. The man who pleases God will escape her, but the sinner she will ensnare.”
“What the hell are you talking about?” she cried.
“Confess your sins woman, and God will have mercy.”
Her nostrils flared. She had nothing to confess. She’d only ever had one boyfriend, didn’t drink, didn’t smoke, and had no other vices.
He lowered the gun to the level of her head. “If you have nothing to confess, there is no mercy.”
Transfixed by the glint of moonlight on the barrel of the gun, she almost didn’t notice the rustling in the bushes at the edge of the meadow.
Zane turned his attention toward the sound. His mouth formed a grim line.
She spotted a wolf with a magnificent silver coat. Bigger than any wolf she’d ever seen before, it stalked toward them. Powerful muscles rippled across the animal’s back. An air of majestic power radiated from the creature.
The wolf’s gaze rested on her and a shiver traveled up her spine. An otherworldly intelligence sparkled in its luminous eyes.
Zane trained the gun on the enormous wolf.
The animal seemed somehow aware of the danger and darted into the woods. In her desperation, she’d hoped the animal could somehow sense her fear and chase the murderer away.
Despair enveloped her. She’d never see her sisters again. Never again visit her parent’s grave. Never see another sunrise.
Zane pointed the gun at her. She squeezed her eyes closed. If she was lucky, she’d die instantly.
At the edge of the forest, a branch cracked. Zane peered in the direction of the sound. She turned her head to the side and spotted a pair of glowing eyes.
The wolf bounded out of the forest and lunged for Zane’s throat. The madman fired the gun and narrowly missed the wolf. It growled and pounced on Zane, crushing him to the ground.
Zane cursed and smashed the butt of the gun against the wolf’s head. The wolf yelped and fell to the side. Zane scurried to his feet and fled the meadow.
The wolf leapt to its feet, but didn’t move to chase him. Instead, he stood by her side like a sentry.
Confused, she stayed motionless on the ground. She didn’t want to make any sudden movements. With any luck, the wolf would leave her alone and she could escape into the woods.
The wolf backed away. A cloud passed over the moon, plunging the meadow into darkness.
Her eyes had adjusted enough that she could still make out the outline of the wolf. A mournful howl pierced the air. The creature’s bones cracked and twisted.
She blinked. Impossible. She looked on in horror as the wolf’s form distorted and shrunk. Its fur receded. The front paws transformed into arms, the back paws into legs. And when the transformation was complete, a totally naked man stood before her.
Her eyes rolled back and the starry sky was last thing she saw before darkness enveloped her.
Chapter 2
Ryker placed his palm on his chin and pushed his neck to one side. A satisfying crack released the tension caused by the shift.
He sniffed the air. If the woman hadn’t been hurt, he would have chased the man with the gun and ripped out his throat. Instead, an overwhelming need to protect her forced him to stay. He’d try following the scent trail later, but for now, he needed to stop the woman’s bleeding.
He dropped to his knees and pulled the hem of her dress up enough to reveal the wound. He’d seen injuries like this on other wolves in his pack when they encountered hunters. They were rarely life-threatening as long as they were treated immediately.
Instinct told him to carry her back to the den, but he’d be breaking the number one law in the pack—no humans were allowed in the den, ever. As alpha, he’d instituted the law, and for very good reason. If he violated this law, then what would stop the other wolves from violating the other laws he’d set down?
On the ground, the woman moaned. She was losing blood fast. He had no other choice; he had to break the law.
He’d make it back to the den faster in his wolf form, so he shifted. His muscles stretched and grew. To transform from human to wolf was much less painful than transforming from wolf to human.
With his nose, he nudged the woman. Out cold.
He gently wrapped his mouth around her, then lifted her onto his back. She fell forward, her arms dangling, one on each side of him.
Satisfied that she was sufficiently balanced, he took off at a quick pace. He carefully measured each stride so she wouldn’t fall off. He didn’t want to cause any more damage.
The trip back to the den took just under an hour. He hoped she’d wake up, but she was still out when he reached the den.
Akila met him at the entrance. “It smells like death.”
Her eyes went wide when she saw what he carried. She quickly looked around, but no other wolves were present. “You brought a human here?”
In his wolf form, he couldn’t respond. Akila slid the woman off his back and held her up while Ryker shifted.
“She’s got a gunshot wound.”
The gray-haired w
olf snorted. “Obviously, but she shouldn’t be here. We all agreed to abide by the rule. What made you think you could violate it?”
He glanced around. No other wolves were present to witness her questioning him. “She’s severely injured, so screw the rules. Are you going to help me or not?”
Akila passed the woman to Ryker, who scooped her into his arms.
Alex, another member of the pack, stepped out of the shadow of the cave and stretched. “What’s all the commotion out here?”
Shit. Ryker thought he’d be able to sneak her in since the other wolves slept during the day.
Akila tilted her head toward the woman. “He found a stray.”
Alex scurried to her side. “Can I help?”
Ryker stared him down. “Why aren’t you out hunting with the others?”
“Gwen wasn’t feeling well so I stayed back.”
Ryker couldn’t fault him wanting to take care of his sister. “How’s she doing?”
“She’s still recovering from the bites, but I think she’ll pull through.”
“Good. Any news from the trackers? Have they found out anything about where the human who attacked her went?”
“They haven’t been back yet. So, can I help?”
The young wolf showed an aptitude for healing, so Ryker nodded. “You can help, but you must keep her a secret.”
“Consider it done.”
“All right, let’s get her in and get to work.”
Akila took his cue and started barking orders at Alex. “I need water and wood to make a fire.”
Alex grabbed a gourd from a shelf just inside the cave. He sprinted off in the direction of the river.
Akila turned to Ryker. “Carry her to my chamber.”
He carried the woman into the cave. Cool air dried the thin sheen of sweat on his skin. He rarely got cold, but when he did, he was usually in human form.
