Without Mercy
Without Mercy
Midpoint
Praise for Without Mercy
“You won't want to miss how this story plays out. Be prepared to feel a handful of emotions come rushing at you while you read this short tale of Pack loyalty."
~ Stephanie Overton, My Guilty Pleasures
"Frantic moments of suppressed terror will grip you when you read this tale of desperation and lost control. Truly gripping!"
~ Lacey Weatherford, Author Of Witches and Warlocks series.
Dedication
To my husband, Mark
What man sits for hours, watching his favorite TV show on mute so his wife can write?
You. For that (and much more), you have my heart and soul forever. Thank you for believing in me. I love you.
To a greatly missed confidante, Craig
Thank you for encouraging me to write, even when I was adamant that I had nothing to say. It’s okay for you to say, “I told you so.” I deserve it. *grins*
Without Mercy
A Mystic Wolves Novelette
by
Belinda Boring
Copyright 2011 Belinda Boring
Moonstruck Media
Cover art by Lacey Weatherford
Smashwords Edition
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Without Mercy
The loud click of a gun being cocked stopped me cold. I didn’t need to turn around to see death had finally caught us. I closed my eyes for a brief moment and grimaced.
Seconds. We’d missed freedom by mere moments and with adrenaline coursing through my body, a feeling of defeat crashed over me. To come so close and be stopped was devastating.
I dug deep for courage as my hand was squeezed. Jasmine would be terrified enough without seeing fear in my eyes and if we were going to get out of this, I needed to keep her calm. Or at least calmer than I felt.
Giving her a look I hoped conveyed confidence, I motioned for her to stay quiet as I positioned her behind me and turned to look at our attacker. All night I’d sensed the person breathing down our necks, following closely but always just out of sight. Now I could put a face to our stalker.
I saw the gun, aimed straight at me. The finger poised over the trigger ready to shoot. The hand holding it was steady and trained to adjust to every movement. I shied to the left and back again. Without hesitation, the gun’s motion mimicked mine.
Damn. Judging from the precise motions; whoever was holding the gun knew what they were doing. If they took a shot, they wouldn’t miss and out running a bullet was too risky.
A quick sniff at the air and drawing on my other senses told me I was dealing with a human male and I couldn’t help but grin at the bitter scent of fear mixed in with the sweetness of his excitement. It was intoxicating
I may be a female but as a werewolf, I held incredible strength. My body began to relax. As long as I paid attention to the gun still pointed at me, and made no crazy moves, our chances of escape had just increased.
I looked beyond the weapon and recognized the determined face that stared back at me. The emotions rolling off his body caused my wolf to raise her head and howl. This wasn’t a pack mate or dominant wolf to play submissive with by showing my throat. Looking at our attacker, I could feel my hackles rise as she growled, desperate to take over.
I sent a silent command to the wolf inside me to stand down. I explained there would be no need for her to come forward because I had everything under control. She whined impatiently at being refused.
Something didn’t seem right about the situation. The man standing before me was Gary and although it caused a slight disturbance in the Pack, he had been declared an official friend.
Some pack members believed the more humans were aware of us, the greater danger we would be in. As Alpha, Mason didn’t agree. He deemed Gary safe and dismissed the subject, which seemed ironic now.
That’s what made this strange. Without a doubt, Gary knew who Jasmine and I were and our importance. He’d been warned any act of aggression towards the Alpha’s intended mate and sister was an instant death sentence – regardless of the person.
My wolf stepped forward again, this time nudging me harder. She sensed the disturbance and it unsettled her. She could smell the danger in the air and begged for permission to take control - to protect us. I could deal with the situation as a wolf but I was serious when I told Mason to try reasoning before violence.
It was the source of many heated discussions between us. He’d laughed at me each time I said we should try to take more peaceful approaches when dealing with conflicts. I didn’t always agree with the werewolf mentality of bite first; ask questions later. I’d seen too much violence in my life and I was tired of it. When I showed I wouldn’t back down, he nodded his approval. I think he got a kick out of the way I stood up to him because our debates always ended up with me pressed up against a surface, Mason kissing me as though he was hungry.
“You don’t want to do this, Gary” I crooned, putting as much compulsion in my voice as I could without triggering him. I stepped forward, only to stop when I noticed Gary’s eyes darting toward Jasmine. He held a crazed look and I needed his focus away from her.
“Don’t assume to know what I want.” He spat out, spittle flying from his lips.
My mind raced. Where had I told Mason I would meet him? Mentally cringing, I remembered our last words together. “You don’t need to come with us every time we leave the house. There’s no threat. We’ll be back soon.” My intentions had been to quickly grab something from the local convenience store and head home but sensing someone following, I’d made the rather stupid decision of drawing him out. Searching out somewhere private where no one could see a confrontation if I had to change. I wanted to laugh because my brilliant plan had clearly bitten us in the butt. I hadn’t saved us at all. We were now trapped between freedom and a madman with a gun.
Sometimes being a werewolf is an amazing experience, but in moments like this, my cockiness astounded even me. I should have rushed back to Mason and let him and the pack deal with this. That’s what has been drilled into me since birth. It doesn’t guarantee I always listen though.
I mentally crossed my fingers as I assessed the situation. Hopefully, this would be another case of me escaping by the skin of my teeth with no harm done.
Jasmine’s soft whimper drove home the seriousness of the moment. I knew she was scared and I needed to get her out of here. The gun made me nervous but I didn’t care about my safety. She was more important and my mind kicked into hyper drive, thinking strategy.
I took in Gary’s expression and noticed the trickle of sweat rolling down the sides of his cheek. The man may have nerves of steel when it came to handling weapons, but he wasn’t as unaffected as he let on. Judging by the slight tick in his right eye and the way he kept licking his lips, he was nervous and I could use that to my advantage.
My brain scrambled for what I knew of him. Mason asked Gary last summer to help with the home renovations he planned. Even though they had little in common, something about the human endeared him to the Alpha and started including Gary in Pack activities.
How he’d over looked this major character flaw was anybody’s guess. Werewolves live and breathe violence but no one’s radar went off with Gary. I suppose it meant the saying was true – it’s always the quiet ones.
I wonder what triggered him. Something had pushed him over the edge and made him lose control. I wasn’t sure how to handle the situation because causing Gary to freak out would make him fire the gun. If I launched myself at him, my werewolf strength might overpower him and knock him out. Or I could be patient and see if talking my way out this helped. Either choice was a gamble. Right now he called all the shots and that left very little wiggle room for me to act.
There’s two sure fire ways to get a response out of a man – turn him on or piss him off and judging by how my pack brothers carried on, I figured turning him on would be the easiest way to resolve this.
The idea was I’d batter my eyelids, toss in a pouty smile, and flirt the gun right out of his grip. I knew the effect I had on men when I turned on the charm, the way they became putty in my hand. People joked how Mason governed the Pack with an iron fist but all I had to do was crook my little finger and he’d come running. I would need all my confidence to pull this off because the very thought I’d have to touch him made my skin crawl. My stomach tossed about as I offered a silent prayer. Here’s hoping it didn’t have to go that far.
Men respond to a third thing, my wolf growled as she paced beneath the surface. Violence.
She craved to be let loose so she could pounce on Gary and eliminate him. She was blood thirsty and enraged, and I struggled to control the feral energy she gave off. I needed to keep her restrained because there wasn’t a chance in hell he’d survive her attack.
I took in a deep breath, desperate to release the tension in my muscles. I had to move with grace if I was to play the role of the seductress.
I felt my lips curve into a smile as I lifted my arm to touch him. I forced my hands to look soft and not curl into claws to rip out his throat. Lowering my voice, I whispered, “Come now Gary, there must be something we can do to move past this. You don’t want to hurt me.” I let my other hand roll down the length of my body, hoping to keep his attention.
His focus remained on my face and panic flickered in his eyes before he hid it. But I’d caught it. He didn’t like what I was doing. Gary was becoming anxious and that I could work with.
“You need to stop whatever it is you’re doing,” his voice came out in a rushed puff. Yep, definitely nervous.
I closed the distance between us, never taking my eyes off him. Digging deep to steady my hands, I caressed the side of his cheek, making sure I continued to breath in and out. He hadn’t shaved, the stubble feeling coarse under my fingertips.
My wolf growled, fighting hard for dominance. She didn't like this, but I couldn't let her out. She nipped at me, showing her displeasure and I struggled to ignore her.
Bile rose up into my mouth as my fingers traced over his cheekbones. "See, we can work this out, Gary. There's no need for violence." I wanted to add he could put the gun down but I didn’t want to remind him he had it.
I pressed my body against his. His eyes instantly widened, pupils dilating.
Leaning in, I purred into his ear. "Is there somewhere we can take this? Maybe a little more private? Let Jasmine go, Gary. We don't need her."
I forced my other hand to rest on his chest for a moment before it began to journey downward, making sure to let out small moans of appreciation as if touching him pleased me. It felt like bitter ash in my mouth and all I could think of was the long hot shower I would need to scrub his scent off me. If it was even possible
He didn’t move a fraction. Gary remained stiff, his arm still stretched out with the gun now aimed at Jasmine. I couldn't tell how receptive he was based on his body language.
"You need to stop.” The words exploded out of his mouth through clenched teeth. “What kind of idiot do you think I am? You are the alpha’s mate, his most beloved, and you expect me to believe that you want me?” Scorn and disbelief dripped heavily off his words and I lost my hold over him as his anger rose to the surface.
"Shhhh," I tried to bring Gary back to me as I moved face to face with him, my mouth a breath away from his. His lips felt dry against mine and I fought the urge to lick my lips to moisten them.
"What Mason doesn't know won't hurt him. You can't tell me you're not curious about what it's like to be with a werewolf.” I lowered my voice to a sultry tone, “The heat that’s created. Not knowing what's woman and what’s animal. They say it’s quite the experience."
I feathered my lips over his, barely able to suppress a shudder. I could faintly hear Jasmine behind me and I tried not to think what this looked like. She was loyal to her brother and even though she had to know this was an act, it mustn’t be sitting well with her.
I couldn’t sense if her wolf had risen. Jasmine was young and it could take a little effort at her age. Thank goodness for small miracles. I was having a hard enough time keeping mine corralled without dealing with a second one.
The rankness of Gary’s breath reached my nose, reminding me of my purpose. It reeked of cheap liquor and something else, a familiar smell. The scent triggered a red flag in my mind.
Gary had laced his liquid courage. It was so elusive, like it was on the tip of my tongue but I couldn’t quite remember. There was an otherworldly smell to his breath and it hinted at magic. When my brain finally finished trying to figure it out, I was stunned.
Vampire. The fool drank vampire blood.
A pulse of fear washed me, leaving an icy trail through my body that caused my skin to pebble and break into a light sweat. Here I was thinking I was dealing with a mere human, but with this extra boost, I had no idea what could happen.
I stood, hovered over his lips, my hand on his abdomen, my mind searching for my next move. So far, he hadn’t fallen for my act and time was running out. I needed to go all in and finish this.
Adding a wriggle to my stance, I reached for Gary’s belt buckle and pulled his body hard against mine. I wrapped my other arm around his back, pressing my chest to his. At the same time, I nipped at his lower lip to let him know I wanted access to his mouth. As his lips parted, my tongue dove in and I gagged as the rancid flavor of his breath touched my taste buds. I stumbled forward, but quickly recovered and applied myself more to the vomit inducing kiss.
The feel of the gun’s cold metal at my temple was unmistakable and my body stiffened.
I'd just willingly put myself into his hands because he hadn’t been fooled at all by my ruse. A quick inhale through my nose told me the fear I’d been able to smell on him earlier had morphed into arrogance.
Gary’s deep chuckle resonated through him chilling my blood instantly and I felt myself sag a little.
Everything changed and my wolf howled in triumph, knowing that I’d have to accept the inevitable; sooner or later I was going to have to release her.
Gary ground the barrel of the gun hard into my temple, a reminder of who was in charge. In a move that I could only attribute to the vampire blood in him, he turned me around and he faced me towards Jasmine. His arms circled my chest, crushing me.
Jasmine looked horrified as a steady stream of tears flowed down her cheeks. She appeared deathly pale and her body trembled, telling me she was in shock.
She was too young to witness something like this, she was still a teenager. Violence amongst the pack was one thing; senseless violence at the end of a gun was another.
I tried to move, twisting hard in his grip but it only made him tighten his arm and for a moment I couldn’t breathe as his embrace constricted my lungs. I continued to struggle, trying to find a way to break free. There wasn’t a weakness. Gary’s strength matched mine.
“Shhhh, what Mason doesn’t know won’t hurt him.” taunted Gary, mocking me with my own words. My knees gave out as I felt his slippery tongue trail a path on my skin, licking me from the base of my neck to my ear in one slimy motion.
Jasmine cleared her throat and I saw her step forward, the beginnings of courage on her face. Her wolf was beginning to break through the fear and assert herself. Great.
I raised my hand to sto
p her, pleading with my eyes as I mouthed for her to stay where she was.
“Oh by all means, come forward Jasmine. It’s actually you I’m here for.” Gary’s low chuckle rang in my ear. “You didn’t think it was you, Darcy? No, I’ve had my eye on Jasmine for a long time. I’m going to get what I want.”
Confusion hit me. Scene after scene from the last few months played through my mind as I tried to make some kind of connection. There had been numerous times when Jasmine and Gary were together, but never alone and not once had I sensed any attraction - especially on Jasmine’s side.
We were close and told each other everything. If she was falling in love with this man, I would’ve known about it.
Jasmine’s eyes widened in shock from the declaration and even though I knew I couldn’t move, it didn’t stop me from wanting to comfort her.
“What do you want with her?”
Gary’s arm tightened slightly as he adjusted his stance. “I want her as my mate, or whatever it is you freaks call it, but Mason said no. All summer long, I’ve been trying to show what a decent guy I am and because I’m not wolf enough, I didn’t even stand a chance.” It was impossible to miss the bitter anger as his voice rang out.
“I tried convincing Mason that it didn’t matter, that I would treat her well and follow any pack rules he wanted but that animal...” Gary paused to draw an angry breath and my wolf bristled at the tone being used against my mate. “Mason wouldn’t hear any of it. Kept apologizing to me and saying that it wasn’t the way things were done. That he had someone else in mind for his sister, but hoped we could still be friends. Friends!” Spit flew from behind me at the force of that last word. “We will never be friends.”
“Gary, pack marries pack. Mason is right…” I was silenced by the gun smashing hard against the side of my head. My wolf practically bounced off my skin in an attempt to break free over the quick act of aggression.
Without Mercy Page 1
