by Morgan Fox
A forced giggle rasped through her sobs. “Well, then I’m sure you’ll find it amusing that I was not only attacked by two goons, but I stupidly slept with both Ryken and Luken.”
“You what? Both of them?” Never in her life had Tabitha heard Brie sound so astounded as if she couldn’t believe Tabitha capable of having sex with one guy, let alone two. The cool, smooth-talking Brie was letting her true passions blast through loud and clear.
Inhaling a gulp of air, she fought against the need to cover her face in shame. She already felt like the skin covering her body didn’t belong to her, that her thoughts were not her own. She was sick to death with the strangeness consuming her body, mind, and soul. “Don’t you dare yell at me, Brie. Right now I’m fucked in the head and I could use your help, okay?”
Groaning, Brie muttered, “Sounds like you were fucked somewhere else.” The seemingly judgmental voice of her best friend cut through the air like a knife. Or maybe it was a knife in her back she felt twisting, jabbing in deeper with the coldness of her tone.
She ran a hand through her mussed hair, gripping hold of it near the roots. Gritting her teeth, she said plainly, “Don’t, Brie. Don’t judge me. I don’t need to hear it right now. I need your help. You can scold me later for all I care, but not now.”
Her tone softened with surprise. “I don’t want to scold you and I’m not judging you. I seriously think you are overreacting.” She sighed. “I guess what’s been done doesn’t really matter now anyway because. Sebastian is most likely going to kill both Ryken and Luken when they return to McCarthy Ranch. They were warned not to touch you. They were given specific instructions to bring you to me unharmed, and it sure as shit sounds like they’ve done a pretty shitty job at that.” Brie’s voice had a hard, raspy edge to it as it dropped into a whisper. “I’m not too thrilled with them myself actually. They never should have taken you without explaining who they were, never should have slept with you…unless you really wanted it of course, and they never should have let you get anywhere near danger or find a way to escape them so you could call me.”
She quickly gazed around the dark surroundings, realizing that charging out into the middle of nowhere was probably not the brightest idea she ever had. “I’m so scared.”
“Why didn’t you just ask them to call me? They would’ve given you the phone, we could’ve spoken without you putting yourself in harm’s way.” Brie’s soft voice was the comfort she had hoped to find.
“I didn’t think about it,” she admitted. “What am I supposed to do, now?”
She couldn’t admit to Brie that she was more frightened of being alone with Ryken and Luken again. There was something drawing her to them, like a magnet she couldn’t help but be attracted to. They called to her in a primal, unexplained way. She didn’t want anything bad to happen to them, and the more she thought about it, the worse she felt.
“I’ll tell you exactly what you’re going to do.” Brie’s voice boomed through the phone with a commanding power Tabitha had never witnessed before. “You are going to march that stubborn ass of yours back to Ryken and Luken where you are going to have them call Sebastian, and then they are going to arrange for you to be brought to me as they were supposed to have done in the first place.”
Gasping with nerves, she asked, “And you are absolutely sure I can trust them?”
She might have strange urges that told her to run to them and never look back, but she still couldn’t shake the fact that she didn’t really know them. She knew practically nothing about them other than what Luken had shared with her, if that was even the truth, and that they were related to Brie’s fiancé.
“Just keep your panties on and you should be fine,” Brie muttered with a hint of laughter in her voice. “And if you run across any of Mason Levi’s men, you need to have one of the wonder twins call Sebastian immediately. There seems to be a hell of a lot more of them than we first thought. You need to be extremely careful, Tabitha. Do not fucking dilly-dally.”
What else was Tabitha going to do? Stand in the middle of the woods like a helpless little girl? Not likely. “Okay, I’ll do as you ask, and I’ll have them call you as soon as I get back to the hotel room.”
“I expect to hear back from you in less than ten minutes. The clock’s ticking. Get your ass in gear.”
Damn, who was this woman giving her orders? An aggressive, commanding woman—Brie had changed, and it seemed it was for the better. Maybe this fiancé of hers was not an asshole, after all. Maybe he was the reason for the newly reenergized independent woman Brie had become.
Closing the phone, Tabitha stood and began running in the direction of the hotel. She couldn’t see it, but she knew exactly where it was. Her sense of direction was incredible.
Not to mention her sense of smell which picked up Ryken’s sexy as hell woodsy fragrance, as if he had been standing in front of her. She stopped, knowing he was close, could feel his eyes burning along her skin as he stared at her. The fine hairs along her nape stood on end. She felt his fury, felt his displeasure regarding her running from them, but she was returning to them, so maybe she would be lucky and they wouldn’t scold her too badly.
Lord knew, she had already received enough ass-chewing from Brie.
Chapter Eight
Ryken’s eyes narrowed as he studied his mate, pure, volatile anger seething from every pour. Did she not understand the danger she was in? Did she not understand that his job was to protect her no matter what? Why did she insist on running from them?
He stepped free of the shadows cast by the massive trees surrounding them, and his jaw ticked with each step he took, drawing closer to her. She could have injured herself out there alone. He had to show her exactly why she needed to stay in his custody and he had to convince her that there was no other place where she would be safe other than with them.
Them? He scowled at his slip of the tongue. Or was it?
“Stay away from me,” Tabitha warned, her voice tinged with a forced confidence and a hint of fear. He knew her fear well now, could smell it like a blossoming rose. Good, he wanted her to be afraid. Not of him, but of the things that hid within the shadows of the night. Creatures that would take great pleasure in breaking a strong-willed woman like Tabitha.
Closing in on her, he muttered, “I can’t.” Biting back the anger bubbling up in his chest, he squeezed his hands into tight fists. “I’ve tried, told myself you don’t want me. I get that, but I still can’t resist you. I need to be close to you. I need to keep you safe.”
She laughed, the wispy sound edged with disbelief. “So, you think coming out here and talking to me in the same suave, charming way your brother does will make me forgive you? Make me stop wanting to fight with you? Well, it won’t work, so don’t bother,” she told him.
She spun around, turning away from him. She stumbled and tripped over a well-hidden log. As she began to fall, Ryken quickly grabbed hold of her arms, stopping her decent before she landed flat on her face.
He propped her back up onto her feet with ease. She ripped her arms out of his hold. “Don’t touch me,” she barked.
His chest tightened with regret. “I know I hurt you. I’m sorry for that. I’m also sorry for what you saw me do on the train. That must have been a shock.”
“A shock?” She narrowed her eyes and scrunched her nose. “Ryken, you killed a man, but that was nothing compared to what you said to me in the corridor of the train. You said you wanted a chance to fuck me because your brother had.” She bit her quivering lip. “You said I was frigid.” She paused for a long moment. Fists balled at her sides, she snapped, “Ryken, you fucked me in my ass. You hurt me. You took my body, and then treated me like shit afterwards. You had no right to hurt me. No right to say those things to me when we were alone and then be so cold in front of Luken. I was prepared to give you a chance, but you screwed up—again.” Her voice trembled as she yelled at him.
Bile rose up in his throat, and he swallowed, trying to keep his emotions in check.
He hated himself for what he had done to her, but she had to know he didn’t have a choice. She was his mate. The desires she aroused in him were like a possession. He had no other choice, but to be with her, to own her—forever.
Ryken’s spine went ramrod stiff as he said, “I know. And you’re right. I acted badly, and I was…jealous. I never should have touched you, but I only did it because—”
“What? You only did it because…” Her voice trailed off, the last words hanging in the air like a two-ton elephant. “Spit it out, Ryken.”
“Tabitha, you wouldn’t believe me if I told you.”
She chuckled coldly in response. “I’ve seen grown men rip through flesh like it was butter, dodged claws that looked more like razors, and jumped from a fucking moving train. Being chased by men who looked more like wild animals has a way of making you believe almost anything. At the rate I’m going, I’m likely to even believe you. Now spill it.”
He nodded, accepting that he had no other choice but to appease her. To share with her that the worst of her nightmares had nothing at all to do with him, but because of something that happened before they ever met. She was starting to sound brave and forceful, and that was good because she would need those militant emotions after he revealed the details of what the present future had in store for.
“Have you noticed any changes about your behavior over the last few weeks? Have you felt different?”
Eyes narrowing, she frowned.
“How’s your hearing, your eyesight?”
Crossing her arms over her chest, she questioned, “What is this, Ryken? Why are you asking me this? What’s how I’m feeling got anything to do with what you’ve come to talk with me about?”
“Because it does.” Pausing, he asked her, “Be honest with me, Tabitha, are you attracted to me? Have you been since we met? Is there something between us?”
The lines around her eyes and mouth tightened as she scowled. Again she turned to escape him, but he quickly grabbed her arms, eyeing her with great intent. She snapped, “I don’t see what any of this has to do with getting me to believe you. Just fucking tell me what you’re trying to say, Ryken. Stop messing around.”
He shook his head, stepping closer, arguing, “I’m not messing around, Tabitha. I’m trying to get you to see a few things before I drop the whammy of all whammies on you.”
Frustration pounded in his skull like a drum. He needed her to understand she was in danger from herself as well as from Mason Levi’s men.
She held his intense stare, arms molded tighter over her ample breasts, apprehension filled her gaze.
He licked his dry lips and swallowed, then asked, “I realize this might be a strange question, but I have to know…were you attacked a few weeks ago? Bitten by a wild animal or had sex with someone other than me or Luken?”
She sucked in a shocking breath. Dropping her arms to her side, she glared at him. Hands balling into tight fists, she spat, “It’s none of your damn business who I’ve slept with.”
“So you haven’t slept with anyone else besides us,” he quickly responded.
“I didn’t say that,” she countered.
“But you didn’t deny it either,” he reminded her. His hands held her at her upper arms with enough strength to let her know he could most definitely overpower her. “When were you attacked?”
Eyes wide, she swallowed, staring at him with an enormity of seething hate. She suddenly glanced away from him, looking at the ground beside them. Hesitating for a long moment, she revealed, “A few weeks ago.”
A gasp of air whooshed from his lungs as his fingers glided up and down her arms in a comforting caress. Strangely, it pained him to know she’d been hurt and he wasn’t there to protect her.
“Tell me what happened.”
Eyeing him, she questioned, “Why? What’s this got to do with anything?”
He sighed heavily. “Tabitha, please tell me what happened.” Surely, she could hear the desperate plea in his voice and he didn’t care. He would open his heart up for her if that was what she needed.
For a long moment she stared up at him. Finally, she said, “I was walking to my car late one night after work. I heard something behind me. When I turned around—”
He caressed her cheek. “It’s okay, Tabitha. I’m here with you. You’re safe now.”
She nodded and took a deep breath before finishing her thought. “Some kind of massively large animal with glowing golden eyes attacked me. I tried to run, but I didn’t get far.” She hung her head as tears leaked from her eyes.
The beast roared inside his head, angry that she had been attacked by another fucking lycan. “The spot where you were bitten, has it healed?”
She absently rolled her shoulder. “Yes.” She nodded.
Ignoring her earlier query, he asked, “And to answer my previous questions, you do hear and see better than before?”
She swallowed. “Yes.”
“Your sex drive, has it been elevated?”
Obviously appalled by his question, she swatted at his arms, “Fuck you, Ryken,” she snapped. “I can’t believe I fell for that. You’re just trying to get into my pants again, and it won’t work.” She pushed away from him, creating unwanted distance. At least as far as Ryken was concerned.
He moved in, closing the distance again. He told her, “Tabitha, as much as I would love to be wedged inside that hot little body of yours, fucking you senseless, I’m more concerned with the fact that you were bitten by a wolf. A lycan.”
She distorted her face, eyes narrowing, lips turned down into a frown. “You’re such an asshole.”
The corner of his mouth curled up into a crooked grin. “I know, but that’s beside the point.”
“What the hell are you talking about?” she begged.
He stroked the side of her face, fingers brushing into the strands of silky soft hair. Remarkably, she didn’t object to his touch and that pleased the beast as well as the man. “The urges you have, the changes in your physical abilities, the desires you have for me and my brother, it’s all part of the transformation. Lycanthropy.”
Slapping away his touch again, she argued, “You’re insane. I’m not undergoing any transformation. And I don’t even want to know what Lycanthropy is.”
“Tabitha, I know this is a shock, but you’re becoming a werewolf, and the sooner you accept the changes in your body, the sooner you’ll adjust.”
She stared at him for a long moment before erupting into laughter. “You’re out of your mind, you know that? Did Brie know just how crazy you were when she sent you to get me?” She glanced around the area. “Don’t tell me…there are cameras out there spying on us. We are being watched, right? This is all some kind of prank—a joke?”
“No, Tabitha, this is not a joke.” The harsh rumble that sprung from his throat had her silenced in seconds. “Tabitha, I’m going to show you something, but I beg you not to run. I’ll only chase after you if you do.” He stared into her sparkling green eyes and wondered if she was brave enough to handle what he was about to show her. “Remember Tabitha, no matter what, I will not hurt you. I am in complete control.”
Ryken’s beast clawed at his mind, eager to make an appearance. He knew this was not the smartest thing to do, but how else could he convince her that what he was telling her was the truth?
The wolf inside him was finally happy, had wanted to run. The beast was ready to play, but mostly he was eager to fuck his mate. He needed her to accept him, all of him, but more than that he needed her to accept her own fate.
The flesh of his hands and feet split, revealing the elongating bones and claws of the wolf beneath the meaty surface. His body and face shifted and transformed into the menacing black wolf with eyes that would glow as silvery as the moon above.
Eyes wide, she screamed, turned, and began running further into the thickening woods. He had told her not to run. His wolf would only hunt her down, and once he got to her, he would have little control over the wild urg
es of the beast. The run would awaken him, stimulate him beyond rational thinking. The wolf already wanted her, and now he only wanted her more.
“Tabitha,” the wolf roared, just before a deep throaty howl broke the air.
Claws ripped into the loose and hard dirt under his paws, tearing the vegetation from the ground as he charged after his mate. Fury filled his wild mind. He wouldn’t let her get far, wouldn’t let her escape. That’s why he followed her out here in the first place. The location was so secluded that there was little chance that she would make it far enough away that he couldn’t catch her. He was one of the fastest runners in his pack, and hunting and tracking was his specialty. And right now he had his sights set on tracking down his disobedient mate.
* * * *
She knew it. He was going to kill her, tear the flesh from her body and leave her decaying corpse rotting for the birds and animals to dispose of. There would be nothing left of her, nothing that would reveal what had happened to her. Who would even believe it possible?
Ryken had transformed before her eyes, becoming a monster, a beast. Black fur consumed his body, sharp claws and teeth elongated. His human size was massive before his change, now it dwarfed in comparison.
Her mind froze from fear. All she could do was run as fast and as far away from him as she could. The fierce growl teased her ears, warning her of his closeness. Stumbling over foliage, rocks, and sticks, she prayed she would make it somewhere safe. That by some supernatural means she would outrun Ryken, escaping the massacre he was sure to deliver.
Tripping over something, her head smacked the ground hard. Bright flashes of light blurred her vision. A blinding, debilitating pain filled her head, numbing her senses momentarily. Her gut rolled with wave after wave of nausea. She was going to be sick.
She was no physical match against Ryken, didn’t stand a chance against the monster closing in on her heels. But she couldn’t surrender without a fight. Sure, he might kill her, but it would be on her own terms. She wouldn’t be a victim—not this time.
