Fierce Awakenings

by Kristy Centeno

  “That means it’s now or never,” she mumbled. “I’m leaving.”

  As soon as those words left her mouth, a series of loud howls echoed through the woods, announcing the presence of the Bonvalet Trackers. Danero and Victoria’s heads snapped to the side at the sound, each knowing exactly what the noise signified. The Trackers had caught Victoria’s scent, and although they were a couple of miles downwind, she realized they knew she was somewhere in the vicinity.

  I’ll distract them. You get the hell out of here. Danero quickly turned and started for the woods, directing his long strides toward the trio of howls reverberating back and forth some distance away.

  Once he was out of ear shot, Victoria turned to look at Tristan. “I have to go.”

  Tristan’s eyes narrowed. “What was that all about?”

  “I can’t explain,” she replied, her tone making it clear she had no intention of clarifying things for him. She couldn’t take the time to explain anything. She had only seconds to make a hasty retreat and any waste of time could hurt her greatly.

  Avoiding eye contact, she dipped her head slightly, opting to stare down at her feet rather than directly at him. As far as she was concerned she owed him no explanation and it was better for them both if they never saw each other again. “I have to go,” was all the answer she provided before she took off running in the opposite direction, hoping to make it to the cabin in time to fetch her belongings and speed off in her car before she was caught.

  Victoria didn’t get more than two feet in front of her before a strong, cold hand wrapped around her forearm, stopping her. Forced to turn and face him, Victoria glared at him as she struggled to wiggle out of his grasp.

  “Let me go,” she practically begged. Though Danero would try to lead the Trackers away, they would figure out something was up eventually and she didn’t want to be around when that happened. Not even Danero could stop them from dragging her back home, and knowing him the way she did, she was certain he would fight them off for her and she didn’t want that. Danero was her best friend. She would never want him to end up seriously hurt because of her. It was bad enough she had dragged him into her mess.

  “You’ve grown pale and I didn’t think that was possible,” he said. “What’s wrong?” His eyes assessed her, determined to find the truth she so desperately hid from him.

  What would he think when he finally found out who she was and why she was running? Would he even care? Would he think her immature for running? Why did she even care what he thought? This certainly wasn’t his problem. It wasn’t like he could solve any of it.

  “Please, let me go. I have to leave,” she begged, the sound of rough barking filling her ears. “They’re coming.” Her heart was so full of fear she could barely make sense of the ruckus she could hear at a distance. Was Danero even now brawling with the other Trackers? Or had he somehow managed to convince them she wasn’t there?

  “Who?” he asked, apparently determined to find out what was going on. “Talk to me, Victoria.”

  “I don’t want you involved in this mess,” she confessed. If the Trackers found her alone with Tristan they would destroy him without asking questions first. To make matters worse, after all was said and done, she would end up mated to Armando and Danero would either be banished, or sentenced to a much worse fate for betraying the alpha.

  “Close your eyes, Victoria,” he commanded softly. “We’re leaving.”

  Her eyes widened in surprise. “What? Go where?”

  “Just do it,” he ordered again. “I’m taking you out of here.” He extended one hand for her take. Without questioning him further, she slipped her hand in his and squeezed her eyes shut.

  Victoria had no idea what he was planning to do or where he planned to take her, but she did as she was told. Within seconds, the ground disappeared beneath her feet and she was actually floating—no—she was flying through the air. In her state of panic she tried letting go of Tristan’s hand, but no matter how many times she tried to move her arm, she couldn’t manage a single movement. When she glanced down her body, she noticed why. She had no body. Where her body should have been there was nothing but a white mist. Her heart skipped several beats as she fought the terror threatening to surface at any moment. It took a lot for her not to start screaming like a banshee.

  What the hell was going on?

  The cool night air did something to her that would have never been possible had she not been in her current predicament, it chilled her to the bone. What scared her senseless, aside from the obvious, was the fact that she couldn’t see Tristan, either. She knew he was responsible for what was happening, and she knew he held her by the hand, but she couldn’t see his physical body, and that was more than a little frightening for her.

  When Victoria summoned enough courage to glance down, she nearly fainted. Down below her feet, she could see many blurry images below her. Victoria knew some of those blurs had to be houses, cars, trees, and even people, but she couldn’t make out any distinct features on any of them. The speed of their current mode of transportation didn’t allow for clear images. They were still moving quite fast despite the fact that Tristan had slowed their pace considerably after a few minutes.

  In her twenty years of life Victoria had never suffered from motion sickness. She was a werewolf, and werewolves were known to move fairly quickly, especially while in their wolf form. But this was ridiculous. How on earth could a being—supernatural or not—move so fast? She was fairly sure that after this experience she would never take a vampire’s abilities for granted again. They could do things that her kind could not, and that said a lot.

  As they continued the journey to whatever destination Tristan had in mind, Victoria settled in for the ride. Knowing that every second that ticked by was crucial, she willed herself to enjoy as much excitement as possible in spite of the mess she was in. It never occurred to her that she would meet someone like Tristan Garland, but if she analyzed things further, she had to admit that she was glad she had met him.

  Seconds ticked by as she held onto the male figure as they traveled swiftly through the air. Being so close to Tristan invigorated her rebel spirit. No matter how much she tried to deny it, she knew how much she enjoyed his company, even if he annoyed her sometimes. Sure, the man had the ability to irritate her, but what man wasn’t a little exasperating from time to time? Despite all her convictions, Victoria rather enjoyed the challenge Tristan represented, even if he pushed her buttons to their limits.

  Victoria was also learning that Tristan had a soft side, one that was probably buried deep within him, but that chose to push itself to the surface whenever she was around. He might be a creature of solitude but he enjoyed having her around. Victoria could only wonder what kind of person he used to be when he was purely human. Was he anything like he was when he was around her or was he different back then? Did the transformation change him? Or were the years of endless living responsible for his arrogant demeanor?

  There was much she was learning by spending time with him but there was so much more for her to learn. She didn’t know for sure if Tristan wanted her to see what he was really like or if he just didn’t care, but she didn’t mind observing the way his mood fluctuated whenever they bickered with each other. His personality varied from time to time and she found she welcomed the differences.

  He lived where he wanted to, as he wanted to, and did what he wanted to without having anyone tell him how or when he should live his life. That was something Victoria craved the most. She wanted and desired excitement, and Tristan seemed to provide her with what she needed just by being near her.

  Chapter Fifteen

  Tristan wasn’t one for running when coming face to face with potential foes but he felt Victoria’s desperation and he knew she was scared about something. Whoever howled in the distance was a threat to her and the need to flee had nearly overwhelmed her. Although he had no clue what the problem was exactly, he had caught a few bits from her thoughts that ga
ve him a general idea, even if it wasn’t clear. He tugged her close and used his supernatural gift to fade them far enough away that she wouldn’t have to worry about anything, hoping that the distance would encourage her to tell him what was really going on.

  It was hard to understand why it suddenly became so important for him to know what or who was causing Victoria so much stress, but it mattered nonetheless. Sure, he hadn’t known her long enough for him to care, but somehow he had managed to get caught up in her life. Although he wasn’t sure exactly how that happened, Tristan couldn’t turn his back on her now. It was obvious she was going through something alone, and unconsciously or not, he’d made the sudden decision to protect her.

  The second her back touched the mattress of his king sized bed, he used his weight to pin her down and stared into her green eyes as she lay there wondering what his next move would be. He hovered over her, his face only inches from hers, his lower body pressing intimately against her.

  “Who were they and why were you so afraid to face them?” She better tell him the truth, because so help him, he would force it out of her if she didn’t.

  The second he spoke he could tell she was struggling with some inner demons. Even when he hadn’t read her mind, Tristan could tell she was trying to come up with something rational to say.

  “I haven’t read your mind since you asked me not to, but if you don’t tell me why you nearly crawled out of your skin when you realized they were coming, I will,” he warned, making it clear that he meant business. “You recognized them?”

  It was more of a statement than a question and they both knew it.

  “They’re members of the pack I belong to.”

  Tristan was angry, but for the life of him he couldn’t even begin to understand why. Her attitude irritated him, and the truth she was trying so urgently to hide annoyed him because he didn’t know what it was. And he wanted to know. He needed to know.

  He was utterly annoyed that he cared so damn much, he wanted to kick himself in the balls. But when it came to Victoria, he just couldn’t find it in his heart to keep himself from getting involved.

  “I…they…” Her hesitation only forced his anger up a notch. Why couldn’t she just tell him the truth? What was she so afraid of?

  He narrowed his eyes at her evasiveness.

  “Damn it,” she forced out, looking directly at him. “I ran away from my pack.”

  “I know that already. What I want to know is why you left,” he practically growled, his frustration finally rearing its ugly head. “What are you running away from?”

  “A few days ago my father informed I was to be mated to an alpha from another pack.” She paused briefly, observing his reaction, trying to determine what it would be. “I just couldn’t take the pressure, so I fled.”

  The news of her impending mating didn’t surprise him. In fact, he half expected her to say something like that. However, that still didn’t quite explain what she was running away from.

  “Why would your father ask you to sacrifice yourself?” he pried, hoping to get to the bottom of things once and for all.

  Victoria sighed heavily, and closed her eyes. There was no way he was letting her off the hook. She had started pouring out the truth in small scoops and he wasn’t about to let her stop now.

  “My father didn’t ask, he demanded, and he did so because he’s the alpha.”

  Tristan’s expression changed in the space of a heartbeat. He let go of her hands and pushed himself off the bed in less time than it took her to answer his question.

  She sat up, looking at him. “My father is more of a dictator. So when he told me I was to be mated, he wasn’t asking me to do it, he ordered me to. My feelings don’t count. I was expected to obey without a protest.”

  Tristan stared back in complete disbelief. “You’re the princess of your pack!”

  The guilty expression that washed over her features only served to confirm his suspicions. A lot of things suddenly made sense to him. Why she kept thinking about leaving as soon as she had the opportunity to, the way she gave vague details about her life and pack, the stark horror on her face when the howls of what he could only assume were werewolves nearby echoed through the woods.

  “My name is Victoria Bonvalet and I’m from the—”

  “Bonvalet pack, Victor’s daughter.” Tristan couldn’t believe what he’d just heard. She wasn’t just any werewolf princess. She happened to be the daughter of the most hated alpha male he’d ever heard of.

  Stunned, she gaped up at him. “You know my father?”

  “No, but I’ve heard of him,” Tristan confessed, presenting his back to her as he took a moment to stomp down his growing anger by pacing the length of his bedroom. Now he understood why she’d said she didn’t want to involve him in her mess. He was in some deep shit now that he’d practically kidnapped her. If all the rumors he’d heard about Victor had any truth in them, the werewolf wouldn’t rest until Tristan’s head was served to him on a silver platter. He had unknowingly complicated his life by making a simple yet, harsh decision.

  “Your father has a reputation for running down his enemies.” He turned to glare at her. “Several vampires I know have had not too pleasant encounters with him and his Trackers.”

  Victoria’s eyebrows arched in surprise. “I don’t know anything about that,” she admitted.

  Tristan said nothing as he made his way to the bed, sat on the edge, and gazed at her for a moment. He goaded her for a reaction, wishing that for once she would leave her thoughts open for him to skim over and get more than what she was actually saying.

  “Have you ever—”

  “No. I have never had the pleasure of meeting your father. To be honest, you are the first female werewolf I have ever encountered.” He shrugged. “One would think that because I have existed for over a thousand years that I would have encountered more of your kind, but the truth is…I have not.” He turned to her after a moment. “It seems every territory I’ve hunted in was free of overgrown mutts.”

  Victoria raised her chin defiantly at the insult. “Our territories are scarce. With more and more humans invading the landscape, we have to choose where we make our homes very carefully. We prefer areas where there is little human interaction,” she defended. “As you may well understand.”

  “And where there is no competition, right?” he challenged deliberately, aggravating her.

  Victoria frowned at his implication. “You certainly are no competition for us.”

  Tristan threw his head back and laughed. “Don’t you have that backwards?”

  She sneered, her eyes glowing as she glared at him.

  He picked himself off the bed and stared down at her for a moment or two before saying, “I’ll leave you alone to get settled.”

  Scurrying off the bed, she paused next to the bed post, a look of puzzlement marring her features. “But I don’t even know where I am,” she protested.

  “You’re safe. Your pack can’t find you here,” he said.

  “Where are you going? And why are you leaving me alone?”

  “You won’t be alone,” he said moments before he faded into the first floor kitchen where his longtime employee, Emelina, stood, facing the sink.

  “It’s that time of year, huh?” The older woman turned to face him.

  “So it is.” He glanced around, familiarizing himself again with the interior of the spacious cooking space. “And I have brought a guest,” he offered as means of explanation. He noticed the way the older woman’s eyes widened at the mention of a guest, but one of the reasons Tristan had hired the woman was because of her ability to keep secrets. Even if she didn’t always agree with how he chose to live his life, the strange decisions he made, or what he did, she would keep it all to herself.

  “Unlike me, she will require actual food, so please contact Rodolfo and ask him to prepare a meal for my guest,” he added after a moment. “Make sure that she is comfortable. Show her around if she so desires
and provide her with clothing from my master closet if she wishes to freshen up. And above all, do not let her leave.”

  “What if she tries?” the woman asked.

  “Tell her I will be back soon.”

  Emelina wiped her hands on her apron, nodding absently as she listened to his instructions. “I will get to it right away,” she said. “Is there anything else you need?”

  “Yes.” Tristan placed one hand on her left shoulder, and added, “She is upstairs in my room. I’m taking off for about an hour. Keep her entertained until I get back. If she asks about me, and she probably will, just tell her I’ll be back soon.”

  “Of course.” Emelina hurried to the next room to make the phone call to Rodolfo and as she did, he hastily exited the house before Victoria decided to storm down the stairs and confront him.

  Chapter Sixteen

  Victoria waited until her heart stopped racing before glancing around the room. It was big, spacious, and filled with Victorian type furniture the likes of which she had only seen in magazines and television shows depicting eras of the past. The entire room, wallpaper included, looked like they should be showcased in a museum. If she hadn’t been positively fuming over being left alone in a place she didn’t recognize, Victoria would have stopped to admire the beauty of the bedroom longer.

  As it turned out, she was left stewing in her own anger. Tristan had decided to just whisk her away to some unknown destination, and although she was grateful for that much, the man had left without providing answers, which bothered her. It was exasperating, to say the least, but for him to just disappear before she could even think to argue was downright mean.

  Damn the blasted vampire for being so unpredictable.

  As she began to wonder when exactly to stop digging her own grave, for now that Danero and Tristan were involved, things were getting far more complicated than she’d anticipated. She heard footsteps in the hallway. Waiting by the bedpost, she used her preternatural senses to detect the oncoming presence, immediately noting that whoever was trotting toward the bedroom door was human. Unsure of what to make of this development, Victoria simply waited patiently for the door to open.