by Lola Taylor
She stared at the glimmering Mark on her hand. Would it be so bad to be his mate? She liked the way he held her, the way he made her feel. He treated her like an equal, not his superior. He drove her mad with his attitude, but she hadn’t exactly been very polite to him the first time they’d met either.
Almost as an afterthought, she touched her lips. What would it be like to kiss him, to share herself with him as she’d done with no other man? Her cheeks burned as she felt a deep wave of desire roll through her.
Her father would never allow the match. He would keep her locked away in a tower and throw away the key before letting his daughter mate with a commoner.
Defying her father’s expectations only made her want Nik more. She imagined finding him, having him rip open her dress and make love to her against whatever surface they had available. Her father wouldn’t be able to do a damn thing after they’d bound themselves together forever.
She took a deep breath, calming down her raging libido. She couldn’t do that to Nik—or to herself. Not that either of them had much of a choice in the matter. It was either mate or be destined never to fall in love. Supposedly, the spell that caused two wolves to Mark one another meant they were practically soul mates. But Alara knew all too well that while “like” could eventually turn into “love,” “love” could also turn to “hate” just as easily.
With that cheerful thought, she pushed the matter from her mind before she became any more depressed. Her hand tightened into a fist. She didn’t like leaving things like this between her and her mother. She knew the queen was too proud to say anything about it, which meant Alara had to speak first. She needed to tell her mother how she’d made her feel, no matter how difficult that might be. Her stomach tingled with nerves and the fear of rejection. What if her mother admitted she didn’t want her?
That’s a risk you’ll just have to take.
Mentally, she braced herself, gathering every ounce of willpower she had. She was so wrapped in her own thoughts she didn’t notice she was alone until she turned to walk back inside and didn’t see her guards. She paused. “Hello?” she called.
No answer.
Maybe they left with Gerard and I just didn’t notice.
Trying not to freak out over nothing, she lifted her skirts and started toward the door when a hand shot out of nowhere and pulled her into the shadows.
Nik pulled Alara against his chest, one hand cupped across her mouth. “Sssh, it’s me.”
She instantly stilled. Soon as she stopped struggling, he let go, and she whirled on him. She shoved him, fury on her face. It looked more cute rather than intimidating.
“You scared me to death!”
“Looks like you’re still breathing to me.”
“You know what I mean. What are you doing? Where are my guards?”
“Sleeping off the hard knocks I gave them,” Nik replied smoothly, crossing his arms in a dare, as if to say, “What are you going to do about it?”
Her jaw dropped. “You knocked out my guards? Why?”
“They were in the way.” He shrugged. “I needed to speak with you alone and make sure no one saw us.”
Her eyes narrowed. “Why?”
Nik swallowed hard, suddenly nervous. “I spoke with your father. He knows about us.”
She paled slightly. “Oh.”
“It wasn’t pretty.”
“I imagine not, knowing Father. What did he say?”
“Oh, the usual things I hear from fathers. ‘You’re not good enough for my daughter.’ ‘Stay away from my daughter.’ You know.”
She grimaced. “Sorry.”
“Nothing to apologize for.” He brushed a curl away from her cheek, enjoying how her pale skin flushed at his touch. He briefly allowed himself to dream what that lovely flush would look like on the rest of her body as he ravished her.
“Nik?”
He blinked, snapping out of his fantasy. “Sorry. Got distracted.” He took her hands, staring into her eyes. “He says he’s moving you and your sister for your own protection. He means to separate us for good. I want you to come with me.”
“What?” She blinked several times, startled. “Go with you where?”
“I don’t know. We can’t go back to Crescent Manor, my pack’s place. That’s the first place they’ll look. Gage figured we shouldn’t tell anyone where we were going to help hide our trail. We’ll just hit the open road and find someplace secluded to hide out in.”
He could feel her heart rate pick up as she deliberated. “What about my sister? My mother?”
“We’ll come back to them, eventually,” he said. “You’re not leaving forever. I’m just afraid if he takes you from me, I’ll never see you again.” His voice lifted on the last word, and she nodded gravely.
“And we’ll both be doomed to the curse, never able to fall in love.” She sounded doubtful, like she didn’t fully believe that was possible. Or maybe she was a pessimist like him and already thought she couldn’t fall in love.
When Alara didn’t say anything, he began to panic. “I won’t force you to go,” Nik said, squeezing her hands. “But I won’t leave you, either. I’ll stay and fight.” He had no idea where those words had come from. When he first marked her, he had planned on just leaving her behind. The curse would be almost welcome. If he couldn’t fall in love, he couldn’t get hurt. But the thought of never seeing her again made his blood turn to ice and his inner wolf howl in mourning.
Damn this Fever!
When she looked at him, the sorrow in her eyes made him tense. She was going to turn him down. He would have to stay, possibly be killed, knowing the king’s ruthlessness. No matter. If staying and fighting was in his cards in order to be near her, then so—
“I’ll go.”
His breath caught. “You will?”
She nodded, an excited sparkle coming over her eyes. “When do we leave?”
“My, my, anxious to run away with me, are you?” he murmured.
She looked down, pressing her lips together as her cheeks reddened.
He smiled. “We leave now.” Scooping her up into his arms, she gave him a surprised look as he climbed up on the edge of the balcony. “Hold on.”
She sucked in a breath and wrapped her arms around his neck as he jumped. They dropped into the shadows, landing with a soft thump. What would injure a normal man was nothing for a werewolf.
Setting her down, he took her hand and walked along the side of the building. Guards patrolled out front, all armed. Nik counted six. There will be more along the sides, Alara said through their newborn mate-bond. Gerard likes to keep at least twenty guards around the perimeter at all times; ten by the house, and ten on the grounds and along the driveway.
Nik grinned, adrenaline making his pulse race. Sounds like fun.
Are you always like this?
Only on my good days, sweetheart.
She rolled her eyes. So how exactly are we going to get out of here?
No sooner had she spoken than howls ripped through the woods at the front of the property. The guards were on high alert instantly. Silently, they began to reform, the guards at the house taking up defensive positions while the outer guards were drawn away.
“Now’s our chance,” Nik said, taking Alara’s hand. “Get ready to run.”
Shouts rang from the woods, followed by gunfire. Nik’s gut twisted. He hoped his brother knew what he was doing. Nik was more of the “plow or punch through anything standing in the way” approach, while his brother favored sneakier tactics. Such as distractions.
He just hoped he didn’t get shot in the process.
Nik, came Jason’s voice in his head. Gage had tracked him down earlier shortly after Nik had walked out on the High King. No were could ignore a summons by his Alpha. He had no idea what the pup had been up to, but he was glad to hear his voice.
Where are you? Nik answered back, gripping Alara’s hand tighter. Her palm had begun to sweat. It made him nervous. He could easily lose
his grip on her. No matter. He would pick her up and carry her if he had to. Are you close?
Coming up on the left… with backup.
Backup?
An engine growled and then a black Mustang slid around the driveway, spewing gravel everywhere as the driver swerved to miss the guards. They ducked out of the way as the car blew past, slowing as Nik ran out with Alara in tow. The car screeched to a halt, and Jason reached across the passenger side and opened the door.
“Get in!” Nik shouted, shoving Alara toward the door.
She refused to let go of his hand. “What about you?”
“I’ll be right behind you. Just let me bid our hosts good-bye.” Turning, he met the guards head-on as they rushed the car. They might have been armed, but it didn’t matter against Nik’s brute strength. Gage always told him he should have been a professional fighter. When you fend for yourself on the streets in some of the roughest cities in the world, you pick up a thing or two about surviving. Nik was just as much an animal in human form as wolf. By the time it was all said and done, few shots had been fired and no less than six guards lay on the ground, unconscious.
Nik grinned, cracking his knuckles as he got in the front seat of the car. “Never stood a chance.”
Jason stared at him, mouth gaping open. “Remind me never to piss you off.” He threw the gear into drive and floored the pedal. The tires spun a few seconds, then found traction and the car shot forward.
Danica smiled at Nik from the backseat, where she was seated by Alara. “You two all right?” he asked, giving them both a quick scan.
“We’re fine,” Danica replied, though her brow creased with worry.
Nik smiled at her. “Don’t worry. Gage is one of the fastest wolves I know. He’s agile. He’ll be fine.”
She crossed her arms, a scowl on her pretty face. “That’s not what I’m worried about.”
Nik raised a brow, and Jason sank a little farther in his seat.
Nik looked at the younger were, noticing the tip of a tattoo above his collar. He pulled the cuff back, exposing the swirling blue tattoo made up of moons and clouds running down his skin. “Jesus,” Nik said, “you mated? When the hell did that happen?”
“Ask him with whom?” Danica muttered and Jason’s eyes widened.
“Shut up!” he hissed.
Nik frowned. For the tattoo to appear, there had to have been witnesses. “Who is it, Jason? Spit it out. And why the hell aren’t we stopping to pick up my brother?” He was growing more anxious—and irritable—by the minute.
“There’s kind of been a change in plans,” Jason began.
“What?” Nik said stonily. “No one told me of this.”
“You were kind of busy playing ‘knight-in-shining-armor.’”
Nik grabbed a fistful of Jason’s shirt, making him jerk the wheel. “Where the hell is Gage?”
“Fine! Take it easy! My mate’s coming with a backup car. She’ll grab him.”
“And who is this mate? How do we know we can trust her?”
“Hey!” Jason shouted angrily. “Don’t talk about Shawna like that!”
Nik sat back, stunned. It took a few moments for what Jason had said to sink in. “You—what—with her?”
“Yeah?” Jason drawled. “So what? Is there a problem?”
“She’s a living mattress.”
“So are you.”
Alara cleared her throat, pressing her lips together and glaring out the back window.
Nik groaned. Can it, kid, before you get me in trouble.
You started it, he grumbled back.
Nik sank into his seat, massaging his temples. “Just drive. We need to put as much distance between us and this place as possible. It won’t take them long to realize we’ve kidnapped their princess.”
They drove through the night, switching to an SUV at one point and ditching the other cars in a parking lot. Alara had never stolen a car before or broken the law in any way, but that’s not what bothered her the most. It was the fact she was stuck in a car with a woman who was obviously one of Nik’s one-night stands, all while Jason’s proclamation Nik slept around kept replaying in her head. She barely spoke as Shawna prattled on and on about the raunchy, impromptu “mating ceremony” she and Jason had while everyone else had been running away from the shooters. Alara’s fist tightened more and more, until her nails dug into her palm.
When Shawna started going on about how Nik couldn’t compare to Jason’s stamina, Alara snapped. “Just shut the hell up!”
Stunned silence fell over the car as everyone looked at her. Her clenched hands shook in her lap, but she set her jaw and didn’t apologize for the outburst.
Shawna was the first to recover. “Hey, where the hell do you get off yelling at me like that? Just because you’re high royalty—”
“Drop it, Shawna,” Nik growled in warning.
She ignored him, scoffing. “How dare you! You’re not my—”
“That’s enough, Shawna!” Jason shouted.
That shut her up. The female Alpha’s mouth flopped open as she blubbered for a response before closing altogether. Alara looked away and inwardly sighed with relief.
No one spoke the rest of the way. Nik didn’t even try to reach out to her telepathically, for which she was grateful. She needed time to digest this new piece of information. She supposed she’d seen him as some sort of dark prince charming. Sure, she had guessed initially upon seeing his appearance that he was a little rough around the edges, but as she started to fall under his spell, she’d hoped deep down he wasn’t that type of guy. The kind who bedded any woman he pleased without any attachments.
Was that the kind of deal he was hoping for with her if they mated? Would he have no respect for the bond between them?
By the time they crossed over into Tennessee and pulled up at a motel a few miles off the freeway, she was feeling sick.
Jason and Shawna patrolled the perimeter, trying to pick up on paranormal signatures. When they returned, they only had one paranormal to report and it wasn’t all that surprising—a succubus, most likely conducting some soul-sucking business.
“Other than her,” Jason reported, “there aren’t a whole lot of people here. The place is pretty deserted.”
“Good,” Gage said, unbuckling his seat belt. “I’ll get us rooms. Good thing I brought cash on me.”
He went inside with Danica while the rest of them waited in the car. Nik kept glancing sidelong at Alara, but she refused to look at him. She still had no idea what to think of these troubling new stories.
Gage and Danica returned a few minutes later, and everyone got out of the car. Nik caught Alara as she swayed. “I’m fine,” she said irritably, snatching her arm out of his grasp. “Just hungry.”
“Shawna and I will make a food run,” Jason said. “I can’t imagine a place like this having much more than a vending machine with out-of-date snacks.”
“Here.” Gage handed him some more cash. “I don’t want anyone using credit or debit cards in case the king can trace them.”
Jason nodded, and he and Shawna took off.
Nik tried guiding Alara toward the door, but she stepped out of his reach. “I can walk just fine.”
He muttered something in exasperation under his breath, and Danica glanced at her with worry.
The motel lobby was small with faded furniture from the sixties. The front clerk let them know there was complimentary breakfast served at six a.m. and there was also a pool. Alara didn’t know if she dared visit it, but swimming had always been one of her favorite physical activities. She used to swim laps around their pool to help her think. She’d already made up her mind to go for a swim by the time she reached her room.
Nik walked in behind her.
She stared at him. “What do you think you’re doing?”
“Looks like I’m settling in for the night,” he said, sitting on the bed and lying back. He tucked his hands behind his head.
Alara shifted her weight, un
sure what to say. “There’s only one bed in here.”
“Then at least it will be warm and cozy,” he said with a sexy grin that made her flush. He sighed. “I suppose I can sleep on the floor.”
“That’s fine,” she mumbled. “You don’t have to sleep on the floor.”
“Do you want to spoon?” he said with a wide grin.
She glared at him. “No.” Turning on her heel, she stalked out of the room. Her heart pounded as dizziness hit her. She probably shouldn’t swim on an empty stomach, but she wanted desperately to get in the water.
Setting off on her own, she found the indoor pool. There wasn’t anyone around, and it was surprisingly clean. She’d half-expected from the run-down exterior to find syringes floating in the water. A sign on the wall read SWIM AT YOUR OWN RISK. NO LIFEGUARD ON DUTY.
Suits me just fine, thank you. She’d been hoping for some privacy.
Taking off her heels, she dipped her toes in. The water was warm. She smiled. Normally, she didn’t like heated pools. She much preferred the shock of cool water. But tonight, it seemed relaxing.
I’ll just float and take it easy, she told herself as she slipped out of her dress and undergarments. Climbing down the ladder, she kept to the shallow end in case she felt sick again. She floated through the water, relishing the weightlessness. A wild thrill went through her at swimming naked. She was generally a “good girl.” She never broke the rules. Never crossed the line. But tonight, hearing her mother wishing for Izzy, the “perfect” daughter, made something inside her snap. That carefully laid mask had cracked, revealing the rebel within. She was weary of conforming to society’s expectations. When was she going to live up to her own ideals?
She sighed, feeling her body starting to relax. This was exactly what she’d needed. No drama, no frowning royals, no—
Splash!
Her eyes flew open to find Nik swimming toward her.
And he was naked.
She bolted upright and covered her chest with her arms. “How dare you! Get out of here!”
“I’m sorry,” Nik said, looking around. “Is this a private pool?”
Her face flamed. “No. I’m naked,” she mumbled. Dammit, stop sounding so breathless!
