Coveted

by Stacey Brutger

  She released a heavy breath and rubbed her neck. Until she had proof of what they wanted with her, she would use the time to relax and stubbornly outwait him until he gave up. And right now, she wanted a shower.

  She glared at the door one final time, then stripped. Heated water on her skin felt glorious. After ten minutes, the water finally began to run clean. By the time the hot water turned warm, both the mud and her anger were gone.

  Her clothes were un-wearable, stained with blood and so much mud they’d never regain their original shape. Unfortunately, the outfit was officially the last of the clothes she owned, thanks to her stalker’s latest visit, and she was loath to leave them. A search of the room yielded only dresses carefully stored in a trunk.

  There were dozens of them in an assortment of colors. The girl in her wanted to plunder the treasure, until she realized they must belong to someone important to Aiden. These weren’t costumes. Their near-perfect condition, not to mention their age, made them priceless. Hell, the room looked like the woman had just up and left…a hundred and fifty years ago.

  Shayla stopped stalling and finally picked the simplest gown. The mystery woman must have been built like a model, all tall and leggy. The fabric pooled around her feet, shimmering when she moved. She looked in the mirror and saw her bust nearly spilled over the top. She took a few experimental breaths to make sure she wouldn’t actually burst out of the dress. Once she was assured her assets would stay put, she decided it was time to snoop.

  Shayla ruthlessly smothered any misgivings. She wasn’t invading his privacy or betraying his trust. It was like a rule…locking up a girl automatically gave her the right to pry into their life. Then there was the fact that her life was in danger, and he wasn’t telling her squat. She needed to learn who her enemies were before she decided her next move.

  Eyes closed, she called upon the flame built into her bones. Embers flared. Heat welled beneath her ribs, spilling through her chest. Eyes still closed, she followed the pull that seemed to tug at her very soul.

  And came to an abrupt stop, her way blocked by a wall.

  Her brows furrowed, and she placed her hands on the smooth blocks. There had to be something here, and a secret thrill tripped through her at the prospect of outsmarting Aiden.

  She trailed her hands over the cold stone, and unleashed her gift. Her palms tingled at one particular spot, and she ran the tips of her fingers over that area. One of the stones sank a fraction under her probing, and she put her weight against the surface.

  A whole section moved with a light rumble of stones rubbing against stone. Shadows lurked in the passageway, and her gift dropped away with a suddenness that left her shivering. Doubts about her ability to elude Aiden came screeching back. But if she wanted to stay alive, she needed to learn more about the people who’d tried to kill them and why. Ignorance would only put her in more danger.

  Taking a deep breath, Shayla did what needed to be done…and stepped into the darkness. The passageway was short, more of a false wall. She was about to admit defeat when she heard male voices.

  Aiden.

  She jerked back, her heart in her throat as she waited to be discovered. Why would her gift betray her and lead her to him? When no shouts sounded, curiosity got the best of her, and she pressed her ear to the wall.

  “She would be safer if you sent her away.”

  “How can you say that? They saw her. They know she helped me. They will go after her.” Anger throbbed in Aiden’s voice, his Scottish burr thick with agitation.

  A ray of light slashed through the darkness, as if they’d turned on a light. Unable to resist, Shayla crept toward the crack, stooping a tad to peer through the slit in the wall.

  Clothes blocked her view. She must be looking through a closet. Shayla shifted a bit and glanced into the room beyond, then was struck dumb by the large expanse of naked skin only feet from her.

  She sucked in a sharp breath, and air lodged in her throat so fast she nearly choked. Of their own accord, her eyes trailed over the mouth-watering back, easily recognizing Aiden’s broad shoulders.

  She should turn away, grant him a modicum of privacy, but…couldn’t. Without the grime, his ribs were distinct. It should’ve made him look sick and malnourished. It only made his muscles appear all the more well-defined.

  Bruises covered him. Hundreds of long, thin scars marred his back. She’d suspected he had been tortured, but seeing the actual proof sickened her. Then she noticed the wound on his side had sealed shut, the injury only a thin line.

  She must have misjudged the severity in the dark.

  No one could heal that fast.

  At least no one human.

  Shayla quickly shook her head, second-guessing her decision to spy. Experience warned her that it would only lead her into more trouble. She started to retreat and give him privacy, when the towel around his waist dropped.

  All thoughts of fairy tales and snooping dissolved in an instant.

  Shayla had always admired the male anatomy, but she’d never had the pleasure to drooling over anatomy quite like his. Her fingers twitched to explore. When he bent to pull on a pair of jeans, Shayla pressed her face against the cool stone.

  When he turned and strode toward her, Shayla reared back, terrified of being caught peeking at him like a voyeur.

  When no one demanded she show herself, Shayla rushed forward to see him tug on a black shirt, slowly covering up the amazing six-pack. At one time the fabric would’ve stretched over his form, emphasizing all that hunkiness. Now the shirt hung loose. Even with the weight loss, though, he looked yummy enough to taste. The clothes were chosen for practicality, just like everything else in the closet, but on him the utilitarian outfit looked sexy as hell.

  Shayla shook her head to banish the lust building up in her blood. She couldn’t allow herself to forget that he was the rude caveman from the dungeon.

  When she dragged her eyes up to his face, any detachment she’d gained collapsed. His hair was freshly trimmed, a knot of braids rested at his right temple, while the rest of the strands hung loose about his shoulders. The clean-shaven man was not the Aiden she knew. This imposing man was hard, all sharp angles and edges.

  And so drop dead gorgeous her mouth went dry.

  Something about the way he held himself apart and motionless made her wonder if he ever smiled. He was not what anyone would describe as a pretty man, but darkly handsome in a way that she found incredibly compelling.

  He made her think of hot, rough-and-tumble sex.

  And was way out of her league.

  It pissed her off that life was so unfair. In normal situations, she could hold her own, but he’d seen her at her worst…disheveled, muddy, her hair matted like a mangy animal, and smelling like a latrine.

  As if he sensed her presence, Aiden turned and stared at her hiding spot. Self-preservation kicked in, and she backpedaled. Her mad dash back to her room halted when she heard her name.

  * * *

  “Since when do we start taking hostages?”

  Aiden tore his attention away from the room next door and its ominous silence. He was driving himself insane, trying to image what she could be doing right that instant. “This is different. We can’t risk them getting their hands on her.”

  Mac’s focus sharpened. “You think she’s Beloved.”

  “Don’t you? You felt it, just as I did. Our wolves responded to her command. If she’s not a Beloved, she’s the closest thing we’ve come across in centuries.” Aiden listened for her, half-afraid that if he didn’t post a guard she would disappear.

  Even now, he craved to be near her. His primitive reactions made no sense. Even if she was Beloved, that didn’t mean she was his mate. But just the thought of her hands on him got him hard. He rubbed his chest, the ache of having her gone from his side almost physical. And instead of fighting the effects, his wolf pushed beneath his skin, urging him to claim her before the others learned the truth and tried to woo her away from him.
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  She couldn’t be allowed a choice of protector, or he’d lose her.

  “They are extinct.” Mac spoke the words, but he couldn’t suppress the thread of doubt in his voice.

  The painful hope after years of nothing.

  “And if you go by that, we don’t exist either.”

  “We could test her.”

  Aiden debated it for about a second. “We can’t take the chance. If she isn’t, the test could kill her. I need her help to find my men. She’s mine to do with as I wish. End of discussion.” The last word ended at a near roar. His wolf peered out through his eyes, daring his second-in-command to challenge him.

  “Aiden—”

  Aiden waved his arm, cutting him off. “She saved my life. I owe her.”

  “And you repay her by keeping her prisoner.” Mac ran a hand down his face, unable to hide his disbelief.

  “She responded to my wolf’s call for aid. I got her into this mess. Now it’s my job to keep her safe.”

  Aiden grabbed Shayla’s satchel and dumped the contents across his bed, desperate to learn anything he could about her. Her citrus scent lingered on the items, and a small fraction of his anger eased, giving way for worry to worm its way into his brain. “You saw her. As soon as she entered the yard, she picked out every one of the Firsts.

  “You heard the power in her command. Raw power.” A wave of fear rolled over him, far stronger than anything he’d felt when imprisoned. The thought of Shayla being taken and tortured by the men who’d captured him had his wolf clawing up his insides to find her and assure himself that she was safe. “If they discovered what she can do and got their hands on her, they would destroy her to get to us.” They’d break her. Twist her into a weapon and use her to hunt more of his kind. But he couldn’t force himself to kill her and eliminate the threat. “And she’s on their radar now because she rescued me.”

  “Then you know what you have to do.”

  Aiden whirled, slamming Mac up against the wall. Everything inside him rebelled at the idea of setting her free. It would kill him. “No one touches her.”

  Mac didn’t protest, didn’t smile, just held up his hands. “We won’t let her come to harm, but she’ll cause trouble if she stays.”

  If only Mac knew the truth.

  It was already much too late.

  Chapter Twelve

  Aiden had never intended to release her.

  Betrayal lurched in Shayla’s stomach as she stirred the embers of the fire she’d built. The bed tempted her to sleep, but she was too paranoid to rest. She needed to remain alert and ready to move. Old castles were known for their passageways. She was in the main suite connected to Aiden’s room. All she had to do was wait for him to fall asleep.

  Then she could escape.

  She trembled at the thought of sneaking out and leaving the castle. Aiden obviously believed she was in danger. After nearly dying more than once in the last few hours, she couldn’t deny it. Maybe she could trust Aiden, but she had no intention of sticking around to find out.

  Like a noose, she could feel the danger closing in on her from all sides. If she could just make it to town, she could haul ass home.

  The neighboring room had fallen silent more than an hour ago. If she wanted to leave, it had to be now, before the sun set. If she saw Aiden again, she feared she wouldn’t be able to remain strong and unaffected.

  She tiptoed to the wall, growing more resolute with every step. She opened the passageway between the rooms, but Aiden’s side was a bit trickier. It took her precious minutes to locate the triggers to open the panel in his closet.

  His room was dark. The dying fire was huddled across the room, its light barely penetrating the shadows, as if afraid to venture further.

  With a deep breath, Shayla stepped through the connecting door. The tangle of Aiden’s clothes felt alive, as if trying to convince her to stay, and she nearly tripped on her face as she struggled to free herself from the closet

  She was panting by the time she fought her way free. A sound rose from the bed. A slight shifting of the sheets. Shayla froze, one foot on the ground. She held her breath and squinted at the bed, eyes straining to see if she was about to be discovered.

  When no further sounds emerged, she slowly exhaled. As crazy as it sounded, part of her almost wanted to be caught. She turned toward the door and ran smack into a very large, very warm body. A strangled scream escaped as she bounced off the hard chest. She nearly went sprawling across the floor until someone hauled her up close.

  “Aiden.” She’d recognize his touch anywhere, the way her body came alive.

  Shit!

  The noise she heard had been him leaving bed. Shayla squinted up at her captor, her eyes slowly adjusted to the darkness, hating the way her betraying heart pounded in excitement and not fear like it should.

  “Were you expecting someone else?”

  She swallowed hard at the ominous question. “No, of course not.”

  She was lowered toward the floor and released. As perverse as it was, she missed his warmth.

  “Going somewhere?”

  Shayla shook her head, avoiding his gaze, carefully backing away. Act casual. “Oh, you know, just out for a stroll.”

  Aiden stalked after her on light feet.

  Countered her every move.

  She didn’t feel threatened, exactly, but his nearness did disturbing things to her body. “What are you doing?”

  Aiden pulled up short. “What do you mean?”

  “You’re following me.” Shayla straightened, refused to retreat.

  “Maybe.”

  She blinked, not expecting him to admit it. Shayla stepped back, putting more distance between them as she scrambled to think up a convincing lie. The back of her thighs smacked against something solid. She glanced back, then shot forward like her ass was on fire when she realized she was caged between the devil and…his bed.

  Gulp.

  Shayla shoved her hands behind her back, resisting the compulsion to touch his face and test the stubble against her fingertips. Breathing a bit too fast, she cleared her throat twice before croaking out her question. “Why?”

  Instead of retreating at her question, he stepped closer. “You were going to leave me.”

  The hurt in his voice gave her pause, until she remembered that she was his prisoner. “You locked me in that room without a word and vanished.”

  “I was giving you time to recover from your ordeal.”

  Shayla snorted. “You left me to stew in my own worry.”

  Anger gave her courage, and she stormed forward, pleased when he fell back a step. “What did you expect me to do? Wring my hands and weep while you took your own sweet time before returning?”

  Aiden halted his retreat. “No harm will come to you while you’re under my care.”

  “That’s beside the point. You left me. Dropped me off like a piece of unwanted luggage. You’re here. You’re safe. Now it’s time for me to leave.”

  A spark lit Aiden’s eyes. “No.”

  Shayla raised both brows and laughed. “You say that like you have a choice. I—”

  “Neither of us can go anywhere until morning unless you want to break your lovely neck. It’s not safe outside at night.” Then Aiden ducked his head, invading her space, again, sucking up all the available air and leaving her breathless. “Let’s not forget that they saw you. You’ll run right into their waiting arms. What do you think they will do to a woman?”

  “I have a few hours before nightfall.” Shayla scurried sideways along the bed to avoid getting too near him. She had wondered about those very things, but bit her tongue to keep from admitting it. What could she say? That she’d planned to use her gift to avoid them?

  Yeah, that would go over well.

  He’d be more determined than ever to keep her prisoner.

  Aiden made no overt threats, but he clearly had no intention of relenting.

  Shayla did the only thing she could. She lied through her t
eeth. “Anyway, it was dark. They saw only a glimpse of me under the mud. I will be safe enough once I get into town.” She didn’t mention the man in the dungeon had gotten a very up-close and personal view of her. A chill slithered down her spine as she remembered the cold, clinical look in his eyes while he methodically planned how to kill her.

  Aiden stalked toward her, menace pooling around him, his eyes darkening with each step. Going a bit feral. “You assume you would make it that far.”

  Even with her heart in her throat, Shayla refused to be bullied. She held up her hands to ward him off, but he didn’t stop until her fingers encountered smooth skin.

  Feverish skin.

  Concern melted away her anger. “Are you sure you’re okay?”

  “You don’t fear me.” He seemed puzzled, the anger in him simmering down into something much more dangerous.

  And he was so wrong. He frightened the daylights out of her. He set her heart pounding simply by being near, and her mind had a nasty way of fragmenting at his slightest touch. No one should have that much power over another person.

  Despite her fears, Shayla was female enough to admit that she liked the way he made her feel so alive with one sizzling look.

  Aiden bent, nuzzling the side of her neck, sending delightful shivers down her spine. Muddling her thoughts. His hands drifted down her body.

  Light.

  Barely there.

  Teasing her into wanting more.

  And all too deftly chasing away the reason she was there in the first place.

  Escape.

  She wiggled away from his roaming hands. “Aiden.”

  He inhaled deeply, a little growl of pleasure rumbling up his chest. “You smell so exquisite I’d swear you were actually in my arms and not a dream.”

  His accent thickened. Each word tugged at her gut, drawing her further under his seductive spell. She narrowed her eyes, trying to resist. Until sharp teeth nibbled on her neck, destroying her will to protest. She trembled at the slight sting, aching for more.

  “Stay with me.”

  To stay would be stupid and dangerous…and tempting as hell. Shayla jerked free as the last thought crossed her mind. Unbalanced, she went sprawling across his bed, the dress tangling around her legs.