Thinking back, she wasn’t sure how it happened. From the moment she’d stepped foot in the Wolf’s Den. “There was this instant chemistry.”
No. It was more than that. A sense of belonging when he’d held her. She needed to be honest. Admit that whatever had been done to her in that lab, made her somehow sensitive to Ryder. His scent, his touch, and his body turned her into hormone central. Combine that with how much he clearly cared for his pack. Finding his missing cousin. No wonder her emotions were all over the place. His sensitivity of her feelings and the understanding she’d seen in his eyes, it pushed her belief he was the man for her. She was the biggest skeptic when it came to love at first sight. However, he was proving to her that no matter what she wanted to believe, reality was another story. And she was falling, falling hard and fast.
Mandy smiled. “Yeah, I understand.”
Raine finished her tea and glanced at Mandy. Her friend’s internal distress bothered her. “What’s wrong?”
Mandy lifted her brows. “What do you mean?”
She couldn’t admit to smelling her distress, so she shrugged. “Your face had a look a moment ago. I don’t know, like something’s wrong.”
Mandy rubbed a hand over her forehead. “It’s Joe. I kicked him out.”
“What?”
“Yes. He’s become obsessed with his current project. I don’t know what to think.” She cleared her throat.
Raine sat there in complete confusion. Joe moved in with Mandy at the same time she’d moved in to town. That was only a few months back. How could things have gone so wrong so fast?
“What is he working on?”
“Some top secret intelligence thing. I’m not really sure.” Mandy sighed. “All I know is that he’s obsessed.”
Joe was so damn strange. Raine patted Mandy’s hand on the table. “I’m sure whatever he’s working on will ease up and he’ll return.”
Mandy shook her head and stood. “I don’t want him to return. We weren’t working out anyway. I should’ve listened to my instincts and you. Should have waited. But I really believed him when he said he wanted to be with me long term.” She snorted. “Shows what a sucker for love I am.”
“Oh honey, don’t say that! You’re not a sucker for anything.” In any case, if she was a sucker, then so was Raine. She was definitely feeling all kinds of tingly for one hot wolf that made her body crazy and her animal side howl.
Mandy brushed a lock of straight dark hair behind her ear. “Yeah, I am a sucker. But it’s okay. I learned my lesson. I should go before your guest arrives. Put those steaks on the grill right when he gets here, so you don’t overcook.”
She followed Mandy to the front of her house.
“Call me and let me know how it goes,” She yelled from the driver’s seat.
Raine watched her leave. She had turned back to her house when a loud snarl caught her attention.
“That’s the bitch that thinks she can just hit me and there won’t be consequences.” Immediate recognition of Marlena’s angry voice made her turn around in a flash. The blonde had two tall muscular men with her. Both eyed her with interest.
“You didn’t say she looked this good, Mar.” One winked.
Marlena slapped the man upside his head. “Shut up, you idiot. She made me look like a weakling in front of Ryder.”
Raine crossed her arms over her chest. “Didn’t you learn something from the last time you tried to put your hands on me.”
Icy anger sparked in Marlena’s eyes. “He’s mine. We’ve been planning this mating for years.”
Raine had never been into scenes over a man, especially one who could choose for himself, but at that moment, something snapped inside her. The wolf, which had turned very possessive of Ryder, didn’t like to hear that he was anyone but Raine’s.
Rage built inside, bubbling over like hot lava out of a volcano. “I don’t think so.”
Marlena rushed her. Her features shifted along with her long claws. Not a full shift, but enough to allow her to use her claws for damage. Raine’s reaction was immediate. The wolf pushed to the surface, ready for battle. She kept the animal from taking over and allowed her arms and hands to shift. Then she met the other woman swipe for swipe and shoved her back. Marlena flew through the air, her body landing over the very car they’d showed up in, denting the hood. That wasn’t enough to stop her. She jumped, crouched over the roof and pounced.
Raine darted forward. Kicked the other woman just as she was about to land on her feet. Ribs cracked.
Marlena screamed and jerked back. One of the men moved then. His smile was gone. Cold rage tightened his face. “Don’t worry sis, I’ll take care of this for you.”
Raine stepped back. Had to keep them all in her line of sight. But when both Marlena and the other man came at her, it was hard. She wasn’t a trained fighter. Instinct had taken over. She focused on the stronger of the two. The man. She let him come close enough that he was under the impression she’d let him grab her. Before he got a chance to, she dug her claws into his chest, tearing long gashes when she yanked. Ribbons of blood leaked from his paunchy torso.
At that same moment, Marlena did her own cutting of Raine’s arms. She dug her claws deep into her flesh. Raine growled in anger.
She jerked away, but Marlena grabbed on to her hair, twisting. The burning pain in her scalp from the other woman’s harsh grip had to be ignored. Marlena cut both of her shoulders repeatedly. The burning intensified. Raine was able to reach out and grab hold of her neck. She dug her claws into Marlena’s throat. Squeezed. Hard. Harder. A red haze clouded her vision.
The other two men came at her at once. They tried to pull her away from Marlena, but she dug in deeper. They stabbed their claws into her shoulders. One clawed at her back. Marlena fought for air, kicking and scratching. Raine continued to squeeze. Power unleashed inside her. Dark power. The sense of invincibility was intoxicating. She continued to hold Marlena with one hand and used the other on one of the men. She jerked her fist into one of their faces, breaking his nose. He went down. Knocked out. Fierce determination to destroy the threat to her life had taken over.
The second man punched her in the side. Repeatedly. She gasped. Angry throbbing took hold of her ribs. She dropped Marlena. The other woman fell unconscious on the ground. Her attention turned to the lone man standing. As she shifted to give him her full attention, he threw a fist to her face. The sound of the punch hitting her jaw was one she’d never forget. She wobbled on her feet.
Loud growls tore from her throat. It was hard to breathe. Her fury was beyond control. She blinked. He stopped midstride toward her. Ryder grabbed the other man from behind and flung him against the same car. Then ran over to where he landed and beat him repeatedly. Cut deep with his claws. Dug into the man’s face and chest. It was bloody. The other fought back, but from what she saw, he was losing. Once beaten until he no longer moved, Ryder grabbed his head and twisted, breaking the guy’s neck.
She tried to keep focus. Everything swayed. She panted and fell to the ground. He rushed to her. Dropped to his knees by her on the grass. He picked her up in his arms and brought her into the house. It hurt to breathe. Her face and side ached. Hell, everything hurt.
A soft whimper left her lips with each step he took. Pain shot up her side and straight to her skull. Burning swarmed her left side, under her heart, and down to her waist. She wasn’t a crier, but it hurt so bad she had a hard time holding back the tears filling her eyes. Fire stabbed her lungs with each breath she took.
“Don’t worry, sweetheart.” He walked straight to her bedroom and placed her on the bed.
Dear god, she was going to die. Wetness covered her body. She shut her eyes. Tried to ignore the increasing pain. It was useless. The wolf inside her paced and brushed under the skin. Raine wanted to reassure the animal she would be fine, but even thinking hurt.
“Listen to me.” He cupped her face, gazing into her eyes. “You need to shift.” His tone was urgent. “Yo
u’ll heal faster if you do.”
The torture she saw in his stare pushed the tears out. She opened her mouth. Wanted to tell him not to worry, but only a pain-filled moan came out.
“I know, love, but you need to shift.” He wiped the tears away with his thumbs. His calloused fingers felt comforting on her face.
She focused on the wolf. The animal watched her with unease, but pushed at the skin until the shift took over.
* * *
“Your little project may have been destroyed today, doc.” Roman’s chuckle was unexpected.
He hated taking Roman’s calls. The asshole always tried to sound so damn superior. “What are you talking about?”
“Some shifters attacked your girl.”
He gripped the phone. “And?”
“Well, I will admit she tried to hold up. But the men were big. By the time Storm arrived, she had enough injuries to kill the strongest man.”
She was not a regular person! Couldn’t this idiot get it in his pea-sized brain? “What happened then?”
“He’s inside the house with her.”
“She’s not dead. Can’t be. Keep watching. I know she’ll be fine.”
“You know, doc, for something that’s supposed to be so damn special, this chick doesn’t seem like someone the investors will want for their Alpha soldier project.”
He ground his teeth. “Do your job. Leave the thinking to me. Raine is exactly what they want.”
Roman chuckled. “Whatever. Don’t forget I am to eliminate her.”
“Retrieve!” Fucking bastard.
“Later, doc.”
She’d gone up against three shifters. He knew she’d be fine. Her make up would allow her to heal. It may take some time, but she would. His compound was a success. AS-201 could make the weakest man into the ultimate alpha. Raine was his proof. Sweet. Quiet. Shy. She’d been exactly what he’d needed to test the theory. If only he’d gotten to the end of the project with her. The harder drugs. The mind control. It would have been beautiful.
Maybe there was still a chance. He just needed a new specimen. Her offspring.
Chapter Nine
Ryder watched Raine shift on the bed. She dropped into deep sleep the minute her wolf was in control. He got on the bed and dug his fingers into her soft, brown coat, caressing her in sleep. Blood seeped from her cuts. They were already closing up. Fury raged inside him after seeing all the injuries she’d suffered. He nuzzled her neck, listening to her soft pants.
He pulled out his cell phone from his pocket and dialed Theo.
“What’s going on?” The ruckus at the bar sounded in the background. Theo was handling the group that was growing more impatient as their mating heat increased.
“I need you. Marlena and her two brothers attacked Raine.” He struggled to say the words without growling and possibly waking her.
“What?”
Theo’s shock mirrored his own when he’d gotten there. Ryder had wanted immediate retribution for the blood he saw dripping down her arms, face and back. Her tattered, soaking red shirt clung to her.
“Yes, what you just heard. Come and get them. I’m not sure if Marlena and one of the brothers are still alive, but they need to be taken care of.” The wolf inside him snarled. He wanted to go outside and ensure they were dead.
“Don’t worry. I’ll go take care of it myself.”
“If they’re alive, I want them dead,” he said with a flat voice. There was no way they could do what they did to his mate and think they’d live to tell the story.
“I’ll be there soon. Do you need any medics?” Theo’s voice had deepened. Ryder could hear the concern in his second and it helped ease his mind. Without a doubt, Theo always had his back.
“No she’s shifted. I’m with her now and will keep my eye on things. I think the one I got broke her jaw and possibly some ribs, along with multiple deep cuts and bruises.”
“Goddamn!” Theo barked. His anger traveled clear across the line.
Ryder gulped, sliding his fingers through her brown fur. The quick beat under his palms calmed some of his anxiety. “I know, but she’s strong. I think the three tried to take her in one shot and it was too much for her.”
“I’ve seen Marlena’s brothers. They’re huge for any one of us to take on.” Theo’s voice had the edge of concern Ryder knew well. An engine’s roar told him Theo was already on his way.
“She did great, but now she needs to rest.” Thinking of all the things that could have gone wrong, tightened Ryder’s chest. He gritted his teeth and focused on the fact she would be fine.
“You couldn’t have found a better mate, Ryder.”
That was absolute truth. She was braver than any other female he knew. Sure he loved her body and how beautiful she was. Not to mention how fucking amazing sex was between them, but the vulnerability he saw in her eyes, that was what tugged at his heart. He wanted to make this new world better for her—even if she fought him every step of the way.
He continued petting her soft coat. “I know.”
It was long hours before she stirred. The shift took over before she was even fully awake.
He smiled as her naked body, devoid of any bruising or cuts, took shape on the bed. She blinked sleepy eyes open and glanced into his. His gut clenched, warmth spread through him with the smile she gifted him.
“How do you feel?”
“Good.” She frowned and glanced down at her stomach. She slid her small hands up to touch under her breast.
“Are you sure?”
Her gaze shot up to meet his. “How’s that possible? I was in a lot of pain before. It hurt to breathe.”
He clenched his jaw. A knot formed in his throat. Unable to stop himself, he slipped his arms around her, holding her tight in his arms. Her body curled around his in instant compliance. Guilt nagged at him, turning his gut into an acid pit. “I’m sorry I didn’t listen to you when you said she’d be a problem.”
She trailed a finger down his cheek to his lips. “It’s not your fault. She really wanted to be your mate, she said. They’d been planning it for years.”
He kissed her finger. Powerful emotions did crazy stunts in his chest. He didn’t know what it all meant, but he knew he didn’t want to be away from her any more.
She yawned and closed her eyes again.
“Are you still tired?” Concerned, he visually examined her body but didn’t see any external wounds, which only meant whatever was still healing was internal.
“Yes. So tired and my side still hurts.” She groaned.
Ribs did take a while to mend. She drifted off to sleep in his hold again, only now he knew for sure that he needed to claim his mate as soon as possible. They would have to do it before any other females decided to hurt her to get her out of their way.
His pack was tight, but women turned petty, and he wasn’t willing to put Raine’s life on the line because she was still adjusting to their new relationship. If need be, she could figure it out after they were mated.
Focusing on her safety, he listened to every sound from outside her house with precaution. It wasn’t until he heard Theo and his enforcers arrive to clean up, that he lost some of the stiffness from his muscles.
* * *
Ryder gripped her hand in his. “Are you sure you want to do this?”
She bit her lip, looked at the entrance to her parents’ house, and nodded. “Yes. The realtor said she’d start sending people over to see the place, and that I should remove all personal things just to be safe.”
They’d gone back to the place she’d done the sleep study, but no evidence of any kind remained. She didn’t stop asking, daily, for updates on their search for any news.
The hand holding the keys shook. He covered hers with his, pulling her into his arms. “I told you, you don’t have to sell this house.”
“I do. I need to pay their final expenses, and hopefully, figure out what to do with myself.” She rubbed her face into his T-shirt.
; “You don’t need money, doll. I have money.”
She patted his cheek. “Thanks, but this is my problem to deal with. I couldn’t take your money. I know what I need to do. I need to figure out where those people who experimented on me went, and I need to get a job.”
It was time to talk to her about their relationship. He’d been good. Given her time to adjust to her new body, even going to the lengths of doing the full human dating thing. But neither he nor his wolf was willing to spend another night without her in his bed. In his home. With the heat so close, he was fighting his animal instincts daily. The instincts that dictated he mate with her, and keep her by his side. The call of the moon was only a few days away. It was getting harder for him to stay away from her. He wanted to protect her all the time.
“Come on. Let’s get this stuff and go. I’m meeting Mandy for dinner, and she’s still upset over her breakup with Joe.” She strolled ahead of him into the house, glancing all around as she went. “I just need to get some personal papers and photos from my room.”
He followed behind her, entranced by the way her long hair swung down her back, bringing focus to the sexy curve of her ass. When they reached her bedroom, he tore his gaze from her backside and glanced around.
A couple of moving boxes sat around the floor. He scented her pain as she picked up framed photos and placed them carefully into a box. His wolf didn’t like seeing her in distress, and Ryder didn’t like knowing he couldn’t fix things for her.
He walked up behind her and cupped her shoulders. She turned in his arms and allowed him to hold her.
“I’m sorry.” It didn’t feel like enough, but he knew how painful it was to lose a loved one.
“Thanks. It hurts coming here. I miss them a lot. I feel so alone.”
Grief for her loss clawed at his gut. “Sweetheart, you’re not alone. You have me.”
Disbelief flashed through her eyes, but quickly disappeared.
He cupped her face in his hands and peered deep into her amber eyes. “Listen to me, Raine. I’ve been trying to give you time, but I want to be with you. You are my mate. The only woman for me.”
Wolf Fever (Alpha Project - Book 1) Page 9
