by Bonnie Vanak
Chapter 9
THE LAKE LOOKED cold and ghostly in the moonlight, as unforgiving and stern as the past that refused to relinquish its memories. Arianna chafed her cold hands to try to keep warm. Cold, oh, so cold.
“Do you remember anything?” he asked quietly.
“I remember ice, my breath coming in ribbons of steam. A cavern and chains.”
She’d thought she’d never experience warmth again.
“Were your parents there?”
“No.” Arianna frowned, flashes of memories sparking like lightning.
“They loved you very much. They taught you to hunt. Must have, because you had skills when I first started working with you, little pint. Skills someone taught you.” His voice deepened. “Remember the good stuff. The times you were happy.”
Lulled by his soothing tone, she reached for memories long buried and began pulling them free, like dusty photo albums from an attic trunk.
“My parents left their pack a few years after I was born. They taught me to track Lupine scents when I was little. Because I’m a pureblood, my senses are more heighted.”
“Knew it from the moment I started to teach you,” he said quietly. “You’re a damned fine tracker.”
“They were biologists who wanted to save wild wolves. They left the pack, moved to Montana and formed an organization to rescue wolves, breed and then release them. I played with the pups, even ran with them.”
Arianna smiled, remembering the pups cavort, the loving way the wild wolves raised their young.
Kyle muttered a low curse. “Rescue Wolves of Montana. After I’d found you and Aiden started searching for your parents, we checked it out. But it had closed and locals said the owners returned to Alaska with their daughter. Damnit. If I had only known...”
She leaned against him, needing his support. “I stopped playing with the pack when my dad heard rumors there was a wild wolf girl running with the wolves. And then the operation became too large. They hired a Skin to feed and care for the wolves. Things got bad when Josh started working for us.”
Arianna stared at the lake. “Josh did things. Mistreated the wolves, teased them. I warned my parents, but they’d already decided to shut down the operation. My dad worried about my first change because blooded Lupines were most vulnerable the first year of shifting. They gave the wolves to another organization to release and let Josh go.”
A muscle jumped in his jaw. “Losing his job must have really pissed off the Skin.”
“It should have, but he didn’t seem to care. If only I’d known he was hiding something.”
“It’s not your fault, Ari,” he said gently. “You were a child. What happened next?”
“Before we finished packing, I experienced my first shift and came into heat. It was intense and scary. Mom and Dad wanted me to learn to defend myself before we left for Alaska, but needed a place where the Skins couldn’t see me shapeshift.”
Her voice dropped. “They chose Mitchell Mountain because of its rugged terrain. We hiked and an hour later realized Josh followed us with a shotgun. He, he...”
Thin wisps of her ragged breaths fogged the air as strobes of memory flashed in her mind. Arianna squeezed her eyes shut, seeing sticky crimson stain pure white fur.
Kyle threaded his lean, warm fingers through hers. Opening her eyes, she whispered, “I don’t remember. I don’t remember, so stop asking me!”
“It’s okay,” he soothed. “Deep breaths, Ari. Just breathe.”
For a few minutes, she gulped down the crisp, cool air. When the shaking stopped, Kyle jerked a thumb at the path.
“Let’s walk. The kids will be fine.”
They followed the trail behind the cabin, cutting deep into the thick forest. Silver moonlight dappled deep green pines as moonbeams pooled on the ground.
After they’d walked a while, she stopped. Kyle squeezed her hand. “You okay now?”
Arianna nodded.
“Jessie said the man who wanted to buy them was nearby. Somewhere on this mountain, that sick bastard is waiting to snatch more Lupine young. Where is he hiding? Ari, how would you track him?”
Just like old times, when Kyle would question her, nudge her into thinking of solutions while they hunted. It was his method of teaching, but later, became their comfortable way of working together.
She must work with Kyle to hunt the new threat to Lupine young and stop whoever wielded this sinister, dark magick.
“I remember an underground prison. The one who wanted the young must have a well-concealed stronghold to keep the young hidden until they reached puberty. But who has that much magick other than a wizard like Tristan?”
“Another wizard almost as powerful.” Kyle rubbed the back of his neck. “That would explain why the Brehon haven’t discovered his crimes. And if he didn’t steal many young, the disappearances would be explained as unfortunate.”
“Maybe it was Tristan.” The thought nauseated her.
Kyle shook his head. “First rule of the guardian wizards. Protect the innocent.”
“Second rule. Don’t shift in front of Skins or you’ll be the star attraction at their next bonfire. Real sweet guy.”
Kyle’s broad shoulders stiffened. “Tristan saved my ass long ago. If not for him, I’d be dust.”
He turned and regarded her with the same intensity as when he’d straddled her naked body. But this was not borne from sexual need.
Impulsively, she reached up and touched the cruel brand on his left cheek. “Tristan saved you after you were kicked out of your pack.”
A lucky guess, but the scar flared white beneath her gentle touch. “I was twelve. Scared, starving because no one had taught me to hunt prey. I screamed out Tristan’s name to enlist his help. He took care of me for two weeks, taught me how to survive.”
Twelve, same age as when she’d lost her family. “You called upon him, asked him to save you?”
His eyes flew open, and his expression shuttered. “I asked him to kill me.”
A cold wind rustled the canopy of pine boughs overhead, sending an icy chill skating down her spine. Or maybe it was the quiet words he’d uttered and their monotone delivery.
How terrible it must have been, for a young boy to lose all hope. A heavy weight compressed her chest. She reached for his hand and felt strong bones beneath his calloused, cold skin. With a small sigh, she placed his palm upon her cheek.
Kyle gave a strangled groan and stroked a thumb across her hand. Need flared, spiked by the waxing moon and the tantalizing scent of the male standing before her. Though she still could not fully recall the horrors of her time in the dark cave, fear began to wink out like a dying candle.
Because Kyle, too, had suffered and knew what it felt like to feel alone, lost and abandoned.
Arianna lifted her face, her expectant gaze locked to his intent one. Kyle slid his hand across her nape and lowered his mouth.
Warmth spread through her, heating her blood, surging into the very marrow of her bones. His kiss was sweet and gentle, his mouth moving softly over hers as if inviting her to dance.
Closing her eyes, she accepted, and parted her lips.
Still, he remained gentle, his tongue rimming her lips. Kyle tasted of coffee and strawberries. His intoxicating scent wrapped her in warmth.
A rustling sound pulled them apart. Arianna’s eyes flew open as Kyle tilted his head. His nostrils flared.
“Two Ogres at three o’clock, moving toward us,” he whispered.
Startled, she watched his gaze narrow, the mouth that had kissed her with exquisite gentleness now flattened in cold concentration. No trace of the tender male, he’d morphed into a ruthless hunter. It was hard-wired into him to protect the young sleeping peacefully inside the cabin, Arianna realized.
A rank smell of rotting cabbage assaulted her nostrils. Yeech. “What is that?”
“Male Ogres spray it. It’s irresistible to females.”
And that stench attracted them? Ogre sex was way o
verrated. “And I thought I had problems.” Remembering what she’d seen earlier, she frowned. “They can’t be after me.”
He gave her a sharp look. “Not taking chances. If we shift into wolf, we’ll blend into the environment and can take them down easier. Shift now.”
Her pulse fluttered. Shifting on demand never came easily. “No,” she muttered, fisting her hands. I’ll stand my ground like this, not going down on four paws like...
Like they did.
Crimson on white. Shaking her head, she chased away the memory. Her wolf was stronger, much stronger than her Skin form.
She shifted.
In wolf form, she retreated from the narrow path, following the lead of the massive timber wolf. Lips drawn back in a silent snarl, Kyle crouched into attack position behind a tree. Arianna did the same. Senses singing with the night, she scented the Ogres drawing close, the prominent stench flooding her nostrils.
And then the stench finally faded. A Skin stepped out of the woods onto the path. She recognized the big, brutish man in leather pants and jacket. The biker she’d seen earlier, the same one from Spuds.
The Skin looked around, sniffed the air. Seemingly satisfied, he waved at the woods.
A beam of moonlight shone on a tall woman joining him. She had long, dark hair and wore a leather dress and boots. Her features were coarse, yet she wasn’t unattractive. Striking, perhaps.
The male grunted, the rough sound ruffling Arianna’s fur. Her wolf wanted to rush the creature and defend her territory. But the woman inside the wolf cautioned patience.
“Safe now,” the biker said in a gruff voice. “Tell me what happened.”
The woman shuddered. “I was walking through the woods, following a trail, and the ground gave way. It was a trap dug into the ground. Clawed my way out. I ran and hid until I smelled you coming.”
Oh yeah, you could smell him coming from ten miles away, Arianna thought.
“Arlene, Diane and Gail safe?” the woman asked.
“Yeah. They’re back with their mates. We found ‘em locked in a cage near some rocks. Freed them. I told the others to leave. I’d search for you.”
Insight hit Arianna. The male Ogres on the mountain weren’t attracted to her or the pheromones she emitted. They’d been searching for their mates.
The duo suddenly transformed, shifting to their true forms. Arianna’s eyes widened and her wolf suppressed a snarl of disapproval. The female’s ass was big. Bigger than two basketballs taped together.
And Darius thought she looked like this? Terrific.
The Ogres shuffled away on the path leading down the mountain.
In wolf form, Kyle turned to her, nuzzling her throat in an affectionate, reassuring gesture that asked, “You okay?”
He gently licked her nose. Suddenly she envisioned Kyle in Lupine form thrusting hard and heavy, knotting deep inside her to ensure his seed took root.
Shocked at the visceral reaction, Arianna closed her eyes. Desire had come to her many times in Skin form, but always accompanied by terror. As wolf, she had no fear of the larger, heavily muscled male who could easily mount her. All she felt was the raw, earthy desire to submit to his sexual demands.
She rubbed her head against him, her tail held high and to the side. His nostrils flared and he growled low as he scented her desire.
Then he moved behind her, and she felt his hot breath against her bottom.
Shocked, raw pleasure filled her as he began licking her slit, his tongue rough and wet as it dragged over her pulsing flesh. Arianna stilled, her senses careening. Arousal pounded into her. Bathed by the silver moonlight, she lifted her head and gave a long, low howl into the night.
Oops. Way to go. Let the whole world know there was a female ready for mating.
Kyle stopped and trotted onto the path. Not now, she wanted to scream, the woman inside the wolf desiring more of the delicious friction of his rough tongue.
Though his red, shiny wolven penis slid from its sheath, he stayed his distance. When Arianna joined him on the path, he gently nudged her toward the cabin.
But she was too filled with joy of sexual excitement without the accompanying dread. Panting, she turned to regard his wolf. Arianna playfully dropped to all fours, feeling a rush of heady excitement, and yipped, her tail wagging back and forth.
She wanted to run wild with the night.
As the timber wolf advanced, she raced away. Paws crunching the pine needles, she felt wild abandonment, the earthy smells filling her nostrils.
At the cabin, she bounded up the steps. Wagging her tail, she watched Kyle leap over the railing and land on the porch. She shifted back, not bothering with clothing, and sat on the steps.
He shifted back as well. Muscles flexed as he crouched down, his body hard and taut, his penis semi-erect. Her loins felt full and heavy.
“You okay?” he asked quietly.
She ran a hand through his thick, dark hair. “It was good. My wolf craved it. I wondered, I wanted... I wasn’t afraid. Just not sure what to do.”
Unsmiling, he regarded her, his expression intense and hungry. “Later, I will teach you,” he said huskily. “I will show you the pleasures of mating in Lupine form.”
Pulling her upright, he herded her into the cabin and clothed himself. Doing the same, Arianna heaved a disappointed sigh. She could stare at his naked body all day. Odd how shifting into a wolf had released her inhibitions.
Kyle glanced at the stairs. “Now I know they’re not safe. The wizard who wanted them has to be the same who captured the female Ogres. I’ll call Aiden, tell him to send the parents to the cabin. Cell reception sucks up here, except by the wood shed.”
Retrieving his backpack, he fished out his cell. “Be back soon.”
But she took the phone from him. “I’ll call them.”
“With Ogres and Skins running through these mountains, I’m not taking chances. You stay here.”
Arianna sighed. “Me go. Jane, you stay here. Dial it down, Tarzan wolf. I need to do this. And I need a little space to think things through.”
With the edge of a thumb, he stroked a line down her throat. “Okay. But if you’re not back in ten, I’m coming after you. And I’ll hoist you over my shoulder and drag you like Ogres do to their mates. Got it?”
“As long as you promise not to spray rotting cabbage at me.” She wrinkled her nose. “How can Darius think my ass is that big?”
“It’s not,” Kyle said quietly.
“You’re just saying that to make me feel better.”
His gaze darkened to midnight as Kyle grabbed her ass and squeezed. Veins stood out on his neck and his breathing was ragged.
“It’s not big. It’s damned sexy and every time you wiggle it, I get hard as a rock.” He dropped her hand to the bulge in his jeans. Stunned, she felt his erection.
Arianna dragged her startled gaze upward.
“You made a promise to me back in the woods, Ari,” he said in a deep voice. “I’ll be indulging my favorite fantasy with your sexy ass. Warm oil will definitely be involved. Consider yourself warned.”
His gaze gleaming, Kyle let her go.
Her skin tingled with anticipation as she softly closed the door behind her.
Even by the shed, the cell phone signal was weak. Arianna glanced upward. The wood shed’s roof was sloped, but not as sharply pitched as the cabin. Maybe if she got high enough...
She climbed onto the roof, then dialed Beth’s cell. When her best friend answered, Arianna fended off joyous squeals and relentless questions and explained the situation. Then Dale, Beth’s mate, got on the line. “You okay? We’re all worried about you, Arianna.”
A lump clogged her throat. Her adoptive family. Her only family. “I’m fine. But you need to tell Aiden—”
“Aiden’s in the barn. Let me get Darius.”
Sounds of scuffling, shouts and then the pack beta’s deep voice sounded. “Arianna. I’m so glad you are all right. Damn, we were worried about you.
You okay?”
“Never better.”
“Right. If Kyle hurt you in any way...”
“I’m fine,” she assured him. “Kyle would never hurt me.”
“Maybe not in Skin or Lupine form, but the hunter does have a wild streak,” Darius said darkly. “If you get scared and need us, say the word and we’ll come right away, no matter how much he warned us to stay away. You’re pack, sweetheart.”
Now the lump turned into a baseball. Her fingers tightened around the phone until her knuckles whitened. “I’m pack. So what does that make Kyle?”
A moment of silence. Finally Darius spoke quietly, “He’s a hell of a good ranch hand, Arianna, and a good friend, but he’s not pack. He made that clear the day he hired on.”
Tears stung her eyes. For all he contributed, all the respect he’d earned and the friendships he’d made, Kyle was still an outsider.
“He’s pack to me,” she told him in a brittle voice. “And I trust him more than anyone. I don’t need rescuing, I need you to contact the parents of those scared young and tell them how to get to this cabin.”
“Right. Soon as I get off the phone with you.” A pause and then, “So, did the big bad wolf do the big bad deed?”
Sly bastard. “That’s private. Stop trolling for info.”
“We’re worried about you, Ari. Tristan doesn’t mess around. We have to protect you.”
Though the beta could be snarky, his words were sincere. Warmth spread through her chest. She had peeps who cared. And Kyle, who cared the most.
“Dumbass. Like you can fend off Tristan’s silverfire. With what? A battalion of fire trucks?”
“I was thinking more along the lines of getting him laid,” he quipped back, sounding more like the old Darius. “A great distraction that always worked for me. Good night, Ari. Take care.”
“Thank you. Oh, and Darius? One last thing. Kyle says my ass is sexy, not big as an Ogre’s.” She lowered her voice. “But his penis? That’s a different. It’s big. Like a damned flagpole. You should salute it in homage.”
The Lupine’s deep, amused laugh was cut short as she hung up.
