by Susan Bliler
Footsteps pounded throughout the house as his pack gathered quickly. Bay and Aden thundered down from upstairs, but Hayes’ eyes locked on Jaxon as he came up from the living room with Udara. “Edric and his coven are on their way here. They’re coming for the pack.”
Shock filled the room as several of his pack mates threw questions at him too quickly. He didn’t take his eyes off his Alpha though. “Naheem came back to Emma’s. Attacked her while I was on a run. When I got back I threw him off, but he didn’t run like I thought he would. He wanted to trade me information in exchange for Emma. Information that his pack is on their way to here to attack us.”
Udara’s concerned gaze searched behind him. “Hayes! Where’s Emma?”
“I didn’t fucking trade her,” he snapped. “I swore I would, got the intel, then killed that fucking blood sucker. Emma’s locked up tight in her cabin with her shotgun.” He looked at Jaxon. “You were right. Naheem confirmed that this wasn’t ever about Emma. It was about us.”
Jaxon eyed his circle of wolves. “How many are coming?”
Hayes gave a hard shake of his head. “Don’t know.”
“Well there’s only one thing we can do.” Jaxon rolled his head on his shoulders as a deadly grin took his lips. “Let’s go welcome these fuckers to our territory.”
The pack hurried out of the house and at the last second Jaxon caught Bay and Udara by the arms. “If there are too many, you two are to run. Do you understand me?”
Bay was the first to respond. “Jaxon, no! We’re not…”
“If there are too many, you two are to run!” This time when he said it, he let the full weight of his Alpha authority whip over the two pack females. This was an order and couldn’t be ignored.
Bay’s eyes filled with frustrated tears. “You’re an asshole. You know that!”
He grinned and cupped her cheek. “An asshole who loves you.”
Ducking her head, Bay turned and stalked out the back door. When Udara made to follow, Jaxon held her arm tighter. She looked up at him with worry filled eyes and he lifted a hand to cup her cheek, brushing the pad of his thumb under her eye. “In case it goes to shit out there I just wanted you to know that...” He didn’t say the words though.
Udara smiled sadly as she breathed, “Jaxon. I know. I’ve always known. And it’s always been returned.” She pulled from his hold and rushed to follow the pack.
***
Hayes and his pack had circled the compound in their wolf forms, anticipating battle, for what felt like an eternity but had actually only been a few hours. Bay was the first to shift back to human as she heaved an exasperated sigh. “It doesn’t make sense,” she spoke loudly so all the wolves circling the house could hear her. “Why would Edric’s coven be coming for us? For the land? I thought they wanted Emma’s, and hers would be easier to take.”
Udara came around the house followed by Aden and they shifted too.
“Yeah,” Aden chimed in. “And if they just wanted to kill wolves, there are hundreds of packs between wherever in the hell they come from down south and here.”
Vance, Jaxon, and Hayes rounded a corner in human form and Jaxon sighed. “I hate to agree but you’re right.” He turned to Hayes. “This might never have been about land after all. If they were moving through, they’d need a story, a reason to approach Emma at first. A story of wanting to buy her land just to get close to her to see who all was at her cabin would work. What if they lied about wanting her land by way of introduction?”
“Why not just attack her?” Bay asked. “They were strong enough. They could have just fed and left.”
“And chance getting shot?” Hayes was shaking his head. “Vamps are fucking cowards and despise being shot. They don’t heal like us. It’d be safe for them to assume that a single mountain woman would be packing a rifle or weapon. Plus, she’s close to us. Maybe they thought she was mated to a shifter. They were being cautious.”
“But they attacked and nearly killed her anyway,” Vance chimed in.
“She only survived because of Udara,” Jaxon countered. “Emma would be dead right now and who do you think would’ve taken the blame for a dead woman up here on a mountain neighboring ours with clear shifter bite marks on her throat?”
“If they thought they killed her though, wouldn’t they have moved on?” Udara asked.
Jaxon shook his head. “Not if they were waiting to watch the fallout from us being accused of her death.”
“For what?” Hayes snarled. “The fucking fun of it?”
Jaxon shrugged. “If your centuries old, how would you get your kicks? I’m guessing TV is pretty fucking boring to someone who’s lived through every fucking war. They thought they killed her and waited to watch the fall out. If they’d wanted our land and hers, it’d be the easiest way. Kill her, get us locked up for her murder. They’d have both our territories, if that’s what they even wanted.”
“You think this was for fun?” Hayes asked incredulously. “They went through all this for shits and giggles?”
“Don’t know,” Jaxon clipped out. “But I do know one thing. If they wanted us set up then they’d still need to kill Emma. There’s also a chance that once they realized she didn’t bleed out and was still alive, they’d have a second chance to make her a source and a concubine. Either way…”
Hayes paled. “She’s not safe!”
A beat of silence pounded between them before Hayes turned, a shift exploding from him as he raced for Emma’s cabin with his pack fast on his heels.
Chapter 23
You fucked up! You fucked up! You fucked up! Hayes’ self recrimination pounded through his head in time with the pounding of his paws as his wolf barreled at a break neck pace toward Emma’s cabin. Why hadn’t he thought things through? Why hadn’t he fucking thought things through? So desperate to save Emma and his pack that he’d ignored his instincts. He’d rushed into action and his haste could very well have cost him the most important thing in his life. The need to get to her now was nearly blinding and his wolf was promising retribution if even a fucking hair on her head was harmed.
Hayes was the first to reach Emma’s cabin, but seeing her front door thrown wide open, he already knew she was gone.
Ahhwoooooooooooo! His wolf howled internally as he skidded to a halt. The rest of his pack crashed through the clearing.
Bay was the first to shift to human form. She raced into the cabin shouting Emma’s name and when she came back out, her eyes were hollow. “She’s…gone.”
Vance shifted too followed by the rest of the pack. “So that’s it then?” He sounded sad.
No one responded and Hayes felt fury flood him. “Fuck no! That’s not it! We’re going after her. We will find her!”
“I know you feel bad for how you treated her, Hayes, but she’s gone,” Bay reasoned, but Hayes cut her off with a deep snarl.
“Wait,” Udara held up a hand. She was studying Hayes curiously. “That’s not it? Is it Hayes? It’s not guilt you’re feeling right now, is it? It’s…” Udara closed her eyes and tilted her head back before her eyes snapped open and she smiled at Hayes knowingly. “She’s yours. Isn’t she?”
Shock took Jaxon’s features as he pinned Hayes with a hard look. “Is that true? Is Emma your mate?”
His wolf had his voice though and the only sound Hayes could produce was a vicious sound deep in his throat, so he pulled his head down in a sharp nod. Emma was his mate and he was going after her.
The pack split up and because Hayes knew it the best, he stayed on the trail of Emma’s scent as his wolf pushed hard to catch up. They’d had hours to take her and he wasn’t sure how far ahead of him they were. The scent trail was still strong though so that gave him hope. Plus, they knew these mountains better than anyone and the path he was on now led to a deep draw that only had one outlet if you were looking for a main road. Stupid fucking vampires! They had no business trying to play at hunting with a pack of wolves in the wolves own forest.
He pushed hard until the scent of iron filled the air and his heart seized. No! Don’t be hers!
He’d been praying the entire hunt that the fact that Edric favored Emma’s taste enough to come back for her meant he wouldn’t just kill her outright, but vampires were crazy and who knew what the fuck went on in their heads. Hayes crashed through a stand of trees, his wolf’s nose confused a moment as the wind swirled and he wasn’t sure which way to go. Ears pricked he jerked right when he heard a noise and instantly went after it. He didn’t know what he’d heard, but he did know that standing around and waiting for the wind to calm wasn’t an option.
There! He heard it again and he strained to listen beyond the pounding of his heart in his ears and his own heavy breathing. Emma! The sound was definitely her. It was a whimper or a sob, some sound of distress.
His lip was curling back before he even rounded the bend that led down the deep cut in the mountain. He heard one wolf call…Bay. Then another joined it and he knew his pack was on the blood trail.
Head down, he barreled toward the thick coopery tang that was filling the air now. It was a lot of blood. Too much! Rounding a tree, fury nearly blinded him, dimming the edges of his vision as his eyes narrowed on the body that faced away from him, kneeling over the victim whose blood was staining the forest floor in a pool too great to have come from any bite wound. Edric was feeding from Emma. He was killing her!
Unable to keep his wolf quiet, a vicious growl filled the air as his feet left the earth. He vaulted himself toward the body that turned to him just in time to…scream?
At the last second, Hayes snapped his maw shut to keep his wolf’s sharp teeth from cutting Emma. He couldn’t stop his body from plowing into hers though and they both went down with the force of his big body colliding with hers. He shifted mid-impact and wrapped his arms around her, tucking Emma’s head beneath his chin so he could take the brunt of the fall as they rolled. His back hit a tree and he tensed to keep the jarring impact from hurting Emma. When they were finally still, Hayes pulled his head back and looked down at her. “Emma?” His tone was urgent and it couldn’t be helped. He needed to know she was okay.
“I did it,” she breathed. The hands she had fisted in his shirt shook like fall leaves in a harsh wind. Slowly, she lifted her deep green eyes to his, her pupils all full like she couldn’t take in enough. “I did it, Hayes. I stabbed him, just like you said to.” Her eyes flooded with tears. “I saved myself.” Her voice broke on a sob, “I saved myself and you didn’t get hurt because of me.”
She started crying hard and he held her head against his chest and let her.
“Shhh,” he crooned at her ear, stroking her hair. “You did good, baby. You did so good.” Lifting his head, he looked at Jaxon as his Alpha and the rest of the pack surrounded them. Hayes’s eyes narrowed as he looked at where Edric lay on the ground panting and struggling to breathe. Emma’s knife was buried to the hilt in his chest, right where his heart was…right where Hayes had shown her to attack.
“I’ll take care of him,” Jaxon declared. “Emma’s yours, which makes her one of us. That makes this an attack on my pack.” He looked at Hayes. “I’ll finish it for you brother. No more worries.” Then he and the pack were dragging Edric’s body into the woods so Emma wouldn’t have to see.
Hayes pulled back from Emma long enough to get to his feet and to lift her into his arms. Wordlessly, he stalked back to his pack’s compound. His wolf needed her in their space. They both needed to know that she was alive and safe and hadn’t been harmed.
Emma curled into his arms, pulling her knees toward her chest and tucking her shoulder toward him like she was trying to make herself as small as possible. He hated it. He hated whatever it was she was feeling that had her trying to hide within the protective embrace of his body. “I’ve got you, Em. You’re safe now. I promise.”
Still, she stayed tucked up tight against him the entire way back to the compound and while the man in him was worried, his wolf puffed up in pride at the way she clung to him. His woman!
Chapter 24
Emma couldn’t stop the uncontrollable shivering that wracked her slight frame. At his compound, Hayes pounded up the stairs as he carried her to what she assumed was his room.
He kicked the door shut and set her on her feet and pulled her shaking fists from his shirt and held her arms out as he scanned her body looking for any injury. Her arms were coated in Edric’s blood though and her clothes were drenched. The vampire had bled way more than she’d expected.
Snarling, Hayes started striping her and now she was shivering, but not from the cold. “Wh-what are you doing?”
“We gotta see, Em. We need proof that you’re okay.”
His voice sounded rough though. It was deeper and more animalistic than she was used to, but she wasn’t afraid. She was never afraid when she was with Hayes.
She let him undress her until she stood before him in only her bra and panties. The bra was one of her custom ones that had a silicon implant built it so she wasn’t too self conscious about that. What was bothering her though was that this was the first time Hayes had seen her practically naked. Living alone in the woods it made no sense to have sexy lingerie so her underwear was just sensible cotton in a pale blue. He didn’t seem to notice though as he lifted her arms, holding them out to her sides as his eyes searched her body. He turned her slowly, his eyes never leaving her.
“Does it hurt anywhere? Did he bite you, Em?”
“No bites. He didn’t get me.”
When she was facing him again though, Hayes’ eyes were glowing. “You need a shower. I can’t see anything with all this blood on you.”
He turned and pulled her with him as he walked to a door and opened it. The bathroom was nice and larger than she’d expect for an ensuite. Hayes let go of her to turn on the shower and to retrieve a large bath towel from the closet. While he worked, Emma took in the space. The room was stunning. It looked like a bathroom she’d seen pictures of in a modern homes magazine. The shower had tile floor and tile half walls with a glass from about waist up surrounding three sides. The door was clear glass too and she knew she’d feel self-conscious taking a shower with anyone in the room because they’d be able to see every inch of her.
“You need help?” Hayes drew her attention, his words almost hopeful.
Emma shook her head and wondered at the sudden flash of disappointment that Hayes wasn’t able to mask before she caught it.
“I’ll be just outside if you need me.” He left, closing the door behind him.
Alone, Emma shimmied out of her under clothes. Her bra had blood on it too and she wondered what she was gonna do about that because she sure as hell wasn’t giving it to Hayes to handle and she wasn’t going to be traipsing around his house without it on either. She grabbed a cloth from the cabinet she’d seen Hayes grab a towel from and quickly wet it with cold water before scrubbing at cups of her bra. Most of the blood came out, but not all. It’d have to do. She left the bra hanging on the sink to dry and slowly lifted her eyes. The sight of herself was startling. Her cheeks, neck, forearms, and hands were covered in dried blood, which only made the scars on her neck where Edric had bitten her and on her chest where her breast had been stand out more. Her eyes were puffy and red from bawling and her hair was wrecked like she’d gotten into a fight with a hand mixer and lost. She shook her head and climbed into the shower, and it was luxurious.
At home, her shower was fine, but this…this felt like showering in hot rain. The showerhead was massive and because Hayes was so tall it was way up on the wall. Tilting her head back, Emma lifted both hands to rub at the crusty blood on her throat.
Thirty minutes later and she was stepping from the shower. She’d had to use Hayes' shampoo and conditioner and her lips tweaked at the warmth that seeped into her just from smelling like him. Home. The word ricocheted through her head and had her hands stilling in the task of drying her hair. She pulled her bottom lip into her mouth and turne
d to look in the mirror. A large bath towel was wrapped around her from the chest down and from the shoulders up she looked too pale in her own estimation. Watery eyes locked on her own in the mirror. He’s not home, she reminded herself firmly. He doesn’t want you, remember? Don’t you dare get attached. She swallowed hard though because she already was and she knew it.
Sniffing hard, she resolved herself to getting her shit together. The worst was over now and all she had to do was get dressed and go home. The vampires were gone, her life could go back to normal.
She dried the rest of her body knowing it wasn’t true though. She was going to miss Hayes. She was going to miss all of the pack, even obnoxious Aden.
Distractedly, she reached for her bra and her hand froze when she realized it was gone. Turning, she saw that her panties were gone too. Mortification seared her cheeks but was quickly replaced with anger. How dare he come into the bathroom while I’m showering! Then her belly dropped. Had he seen chest? Did he see her scar? That was a very private thing and it was something only one other soul had seen.
Furious now, she stomped to the door and jerked it open. “Hey!” she barked, but stopped dead when Hayes stood from the bed he’d been sitting on. He’d been facing the bathroom door like he’d been waiting for her and the seriousness of his expression had her worried. “What’s wrong?”
His eyes dropped to her feet and slowly walked their way up her body leaving chills drifting over her skin. His eyes stopped before reaching hers. They were locked on the scar that marred her throat.
“That has to go, Emma.”
She lifted shaky fingers to the bite. “Oh. It…it’ll fade in time.”
“It won’t.”
“I don’t…” She shook her head. “What do you want me to do, Hayes? How am I supposed to get rid of it?”
“Cover it.”
Confused, she hesitated a moment before embarrassment seized her and she loosened her towel to lift it higher. In the breadth of blink, Hayes was on her, the towel released from her hands as her wrists were collared in his large hands, the press of his body against hers was the only thing holding it up.
