by Multiple
“Wait. What are familiars?”
“Real wolves. The three who trapped you were regular gray wolves. That's why they ran when I confronted them. If they had been Weres, I'd have had to actually fight for you.”
“You couldn't just vouch for me? Tell them I didn't come here to kill?”
“I'm a woman, Jason.” Ming laughed in disgust. “My purpose is to breed. They couldn't give a lesser damn what I say about anything.”
“Your purpose is to what?” Jason leaned forward, his eyes narrowed to match the sudden darkening to his tone.
Ming turned away as the tell-tale heat of shame flushed her skin. Jason wasn't of her world. Sure, humans had sex as often as Weres and many of them switched partners often, but they weren't forced or expected to just for breeding purposes.
“In my world, a woman's purpose is to breed,” she said softly, averting her gaze so she wouldn't have to see the disgust in his eyes. “Each time the moon blooms full we go into heat for the entire week leading up to it. Any male who can catch us has the right, by wolf law, to mate with us.”
“What if the female Were says no?” His voice a low rumble.
She kept her eyes lowered in shame. “The pull of the moon doesn't make refusing an option.”
“Ming?”
“What?” She forced herself to meet his gaze and was surprised to see no repulsion in his eyes, only a ruthlessness that would cause any Were to tremble in fear.
“How many times have you been forced to mate?”
“None,” she answered truthfully. “My father used to control the pack and held on to the old-fashioned values. He believed Weres should only breed with their destined mates, but our pack started to thin out and then there were more males born than females. Yet, despite the growing complaints from the males he did not pass any laws requiring us to mate solely for rebuilding our pack number.”
“What changed?”
“He was challenged. After his throat was ripped out, his successor passed a law declaring all female Weres not joined with their soul mate could not refuse to breed. Currently there are only four non-pregnant, unmated female wolves of breeding age and about thirty males. The other three females don't mind the law, they just want to relieve themselves of the desire the moon forces upon us.”
Ming drew her knees to her chest and wrapped her arms around them. “I've managed to avoid being forced into submission the past moon cycles by conveniently being away. Unfortunately, the pack leader caught on to my scheme and made sure I didn't escape this time.”
She gazed at Jason and smiled. “You saved me as much as I saved you. A pair of men you traveled with broke away from their camp and took aim at a member of our pack, unaware we were all nearby. When one of our pack is attacked, we all fight. During the chaos I broke away and sensed you. I followed you deep into the woods, further away from the rest of the pack.”
“You were shot by those men?” A deep frown line creased his brow.
“Yes, but you saved me,” she quickly tried to erase the guilt she sensed in him. He'd always been the type to protect. “You removed the bullet with magic I didn't even know you had and brought me here to heal. You've helped me a great deal, but I'm afraid that by helping me you've put yourself in even more danger.”
“How?”
“The full moon rises this week, Jason. As far as they're concerned, you've stolen one of the pack's females. They will hunt us both relentlessly.”
“They know we're together?”
“The pack leader has a special connection with me. He'll use it to track me and he'll sense you. I should tell you to leave me and try to make it out of the woods alone, but by now a call will have been put out to the many gray wolves in the area. They will all be instructed to kill you. One man alone cannot defend himself against so many enemies.”
“So break the damned connection,” he growled.
“I can't.”
“Why the hell not? Don't tell me this leader guy is someone you used to be in love with?”
“It's not that kind of connection.” A little thrill ran up her spine as she detected the trace of jealousy in his tone. “The successor who killed my father,
who subjected the women of my pack to forced mating, is my brother.”
Chapter Three
Ming was real. Jason still couldn't get over the idea hours later as they trekked through the woods. He watched while she sniffed the air every so many steps. The beautiful woman of his dreams was real…and in trouble.
He had to save her, take her away from this place, from these people, beasts, who believed they could take what they wanted, control their women, treat them as lesser beings. His hands clenched into tight fists as raw anger flowed through him. Jason recalled how his mother had put up with that cruelty, and he'd failed to protect her. He wouldn't do the same with Ming, his only friend.
She stiffened and came to an abrupt stop before him.
“What is it?”
“Familiars.” Her voice lowered to a whisper. “They haven't sensed you yet, but they're getting closer.”
“How far until we reach the edge of the woods?” Jason glanced around, trying to still the rapid beating of his heart.
“Doesn't matter. The perimeter is covered.”
“Shit.”
“Yeah, that about says it.”
“How can you sense them without them sensing you?” A tremor of fear crawled up his spine. He'd been in countless fights, both in and out of prison, but something about going against wild animals frightened him to the core.
People, he could maneuver with. Wolves, and Werewolves for that matter, were something else entirely. He wasn't going to make the mistake of getting cocky because he'd managed to survive one night.
“They're too far away right now. I can't sense them either but I have eyes in the sky.” Ming looked upward and he followed her gaze to see a group of hawks circling in the air above them.
“How do you communicate with the hawks?”
“In here.” She tapped her temple with a long, unpolished fingernail. “I've always been able to communicate with animals of all types.”
“Can all Werewolves do that?”
“No. Most of us can only communicate telepathically with each other, and familiars, of course. My grandmother spoke with all animals and apparently I inherited the ability.”
“Unbelievable,” he whispered in awe, trying to wrap his mind around everything. He'd conceded he wasn't in a dream and his previously presumed imaginary friend was real…a Werewolf. But telepathically communicating with animals?
“Yes, I guess it's about as believable as being able to move objects with your mind.” Ming grinned and walked forward, motioning for him to follow. “How long have you been able to do that?”
“I think the first time was when I was about twelve,” he answered softly as images he'd long given up trying to forget flooded his mind.
He'd been trembling in a corner, tasting his blood in his mouth when his mother had covered him with her own body, foolishly trying to protect him. It didn't take much for his stepfather to dislodge her and start beating her in his place. Jason had been so angry…so scared when he saw blood fly out of her mouth and spray the wall. Before he knew what he was doing, a lamp shot off the end table and connected with his stepfather's head, though no one had touched it.
Two fingers snapped in front of his face, and he blinked out of the memory to find himself with the most beautiful, exotic woman he'd ever met. A woman so gorgeous he'd always thought her a dream. Ming.
“Are you all right?” Her soft voice was a soothing balm to the pain in his heart.
“I'm fine.” He backed away as she tried to touch his face. Damn. He hadn't saved his mother. What made him think he could save her?
She frowned at his action, but lowered her hand to her side. “Jason, why were you in prison? What happened?”
I let that bastard kill my mother, he th
ought, but didn't answer. Instead, he looked to the sky and watched as the hawks scattered. “Where are they going?”
Ming followed his gaze to the empty sky then narrowed her eyes on him. “They're locating the familiars and Weres so they can keep me updated. They’ll make sure we don't walk into their path. You didn't answer my question, Jason. What happened to you? Why did you forget me?”
“I didn't think you were real.” He hoped she'd forget the other questions. “I thought you were just a friend I pretended to have when…” He let his voice trail off, not wanting to voice his memory.
“When you hid from your stepfather.”
Pride wounded, Jason clenched his jaw tight and marched past the woman looking at him with compassion, an emotion he didn't want. He wanted her respect and awe. To know he could protect her. But he couldn't. Why would she think of him as anything but a scared little boy? She knew firsthand what a coward he'd been.
“Jason, stop.”
He glanced down to where her pale hand gripped his arm and struggled not to shrug her off. He wanted to walk away, to leave before she found out more of his failures.
“What do you want from me, Ming?”
Her eyes widened as she drew her hand back. He saw the flash of pain before she blinked and shame crawled inside his body. He didn't mean to snap at her, not the one friend he'd had during his traumatic childhood.
“I'm sorry,” he mumbled, turning away. “I'm not the best at conversation.”
“We used to talk all the time, about everything.” She laid her hand on his shoulder, turning him to face her.
“Not everything.” A small, spiteful chuckle erupted from his throat. “You never knew everything about me, and I obviously didn't know everything about you.”
“I may be different, but I'm still a woman.” Her gaze lowered. “Mostly.”
He looked at the gorgeous woman his childhood friend had become and couldn't believe the shame he heard in her voice. “Ming—”
“No, I understand,” she cut him off. “You think I'm some sort of freakish half-human, half-animal thing. Why wouldn't you? I really shouldn't be sur—”
Unable to bear the hurt in her tone for another second, he grabbed her by the face and sealed his mouth over hers, effectively turning her words into a surprised gasp, which he swallowed and twisted into a low moan.
The low growl of arousal from her throat fed the desire he'd tamped down all day as he'd followed her through the woods, failing miserably to keep his eyes off her backside in those damned tight jeans. Her earthy scent filled his nose, fueling his need to relive the night they'd shared so many years ago, to hear her cry out in passion under him once more…and now that he actually knew what he was doing, he'd make damn sure she lived up to her wolf nature and howl.
That thought along with the screech of a hawk above them brought Jason back to his senses. They were in the middle of the woods being tracked by a pack of Werewolves. Her life was in danger because she'd chosen to protect him, and to repay the debt he was trying to work his way into her pants, allowing their enemies to close the distance between them. Disgusted by his lack of control, he released the beautiful Were and stepped away.
“You're not a freak, Ming. Whatever the hell you may be, it's definitely not that.”
~~~
Ming's back connected with a Black Oak, her balance off after Jason’s abrupt release. He stood before her, his breathing heavy and his eyes filled with a mixture of guilt and lust.
He turned those eyes away from her, looking to the sky as one of her winged friends gave a report. Barely registering the update, she clenched her hands into fists, fighting against the urge to push Jason to the ground and shred off his clothing. Touching her lips, she remembered the taste of him as he'd devoured her mouth, the move wild and animal enough to rival her own nature. He'd awakened the wolf inside her and it wasn't even nightfall yet.
Damn.
“Ming?”
He stared at her again, confusion cutting through the lust still evident in his gaze. Lust. She could barely believe it. After knowing what she was, he still desired her, had kissed her more thoroughly than he'd ever done in their dreams. Arousal, thick and heavy, snaked through her belly, and she wondered how sex would be with him now that they were more mature.
The dream sex all those years ago may have been real, but she knew the physical sensations were slightly muted. Plus, they'd been young and inexperienced. She may have never mated again, but Jason…
She fought back the dark fury of jealousy as it entered her system via her chest…a raging fire within her heart. They'd mated, but not bonded by the light of the moon. He'd been free to experience other women during the short time between that night and his incarceration. Human women.
“Ming? What's the hawk saying?”
The hawk? Oh, yes, the hawk. Jealousy sequestered itself in the back of her mind at the reminder of imminent danger. She'd not waited a decade to enjoy Jason's touch again only to see him die. To get him away from her pack was priority now. She'd have to wait until then to sate her desires.
Looking to the sky, needing to remove her gaze from Jason's wonderfully toned body in order to focus, she cleared her mind the best she could of wayward thoughts and finally took heed of the hawk's warning.The hawk’s message filtered into her mind.
“Familiars headed this way! Let's go!”
She took off at a sprint while the hawk soared above them. Ming knew Jason would follow with no trouble. He was tall and powerfully built, able to keep up with her strides without exerting himself. Most human men would have great difficulty matching her in physical activity despite their build, but then, Jason had never been a normal human male. He was her mate, designed just for her…but ultimately the decision was still his. He could easily cast her aside, opting to find a normal woman to spend his life with, if he had a life left.
A howl ripped through the darkening air, and Jason bit out a curse behind her. “I think they've located us!”
“They’ve picked up our scent. Hurry, we have to lose them!”
She broke into a full-out run, jumping over bushes and fallen tree limbs, relief swamping through her as Jason reached her side and maintained his position there.
Ming cursed herself for allowing Jason’s kiss to distract her to the point of ignoring the hawk’s warning. Together they ran at a faster pace, their footfalls loud against the earth. Their trail of crushed underbrush made it easier for the familiars to find them.
The hawk cried above her, his announcement giving her good news.
“Water ahead! The familiars will lose our scent there! We have to make it!”
Jason nodded, not saying a word, and she noticed his breath came in heavy pants now. He may be stronger than a normal human male, more capable of handling heavy exertion, but he was still human…and injured. Even she felt the effect of the run, experiencing it in her human form instead of wolf.
The sky darkened above them, the approach of the moon called to her, beckoned the wolf inside to come out to play. She fought against the pull. If she changed, she'd leave Jason in the dust and that could not be done. He was hers to protect. They had to make it to the water.
They rounded a bend, and the hawk screeched above them, panic in the sound. The wolves were gaining on them.
“Not much farther!”
Jason didn't answer, his chest heaved as he fought to stay with her. Let me get him out of this mess, she begged the moon, don't let him die because of me!
As if in answer, the large body of water loomed before them. The hawk informed her of a little island in the middle of the lake with a rock formation large enough to hide them out of sight.
“Can you swim?”
“Yes.” Jason skidded to a stop beside her. Behind them came the pounding of several paws.
“Make it to the rock and stay there!”
She dove into the gray-blue water. The water engulfed her, cooled her over
heated skin and reinvigorated her tired limbs. She could only imagine the lethargy coursing through Jason.
She smiled despite her fear as pride filled her chest. She may be mated to a human, but he was far from ordinary. If her father were still alive he would be well pleased with the match. As for her brother, Rong, he would be twice as likely to rip Jason's heart out.
She reached the land in the middle of the lake and swam to the other side, raising her head out of the water with a firm grip on rock.
Jason wasn't with her. Panic seized her chest. The thought of him struggling beneath the surface had her ready to dive under again.
With a sputter, Jason emerged at her side and reached up to grab at the rock formation as she had done.
“You're okay!”
“Of course I am.” He pulled her close to him. “Stay out of view.”
She started to inform him she was well aware of how to protect both of them, but quickly changed her mind. He was a man, raised to believe he was the dominant sex, given the duty to protect. She found she really didn't mind his instinctive protection. It felt good to be cared for in a way she hadn't been since her father died. And Jason in knight-in-shining-armor mode was doing all sorts of wonderful things to her.
“Here they come,” Jason whispered as the pounding of paws upon dirt grew.
Ten gray wolves came to a stop along the bank of the lake, raising their noses to the air, smelling for their prey.
Jason and Ming quickly moved to hide fully behind the rock.
“Are you sure they can't smell us?”
“They lost our scent at the water’s edge. Follow me, quietly.” She tightened her grip on the rock and slowly, carefully pulled herself up from the lake. Careful to remain behind the rock at all times, she found the cavity the hawk had told her about and crawled inside, Jason close behind her.
“Tight fit.”
She closed her eyes and breathed in deeply through her mouth, fighting to keep her mind from going where his words tried to lead. Save the man first, screw his brains out later.
The small opening dipped down, widening at the bottom where a pool of water had formed. Small rock ledges rimmed the water hole but Ming bypassed them to sink into the pool. The waist-high water appeared clean enough.
