Night Creatures: Book 1

by Ebony Brightman

  It wasn’t just lust or the novelty of his lycanthropy. It was that when she was with him, he made her feel strong. He reminded her that there were things in this life worth fighting for, and that sometimes the greatest pleasures can only be found when you genuinely let go. It was a chance to be happy and she’d be damned if she wouldn’t take it.

  When they’d arrived back at the house, the party was over. All of the guests had left or retired to their rooms, and the staff were almost finished breaking down tables. Benny had walked Nisa straight up the lawn and into the house without stopping to cover his nudity. He’d definitely gotten some looks, but they’d rolled right off his naked back.

  He’d led Nisa to a bathroom on the bottom level with a shower and guest robes, then asked her to come to Willa’s office once she’d cleaned up. He’d phrased it as a request. But something in his eyes told her it wasn’t optional. Standing under the stream of hot water had been nice. She’d washed the great outdoors out of her hair and off her skin, and most of the evidence of their nighttime escapades. It stung her feet but it also soothed sore muscles she hadn’t realized she had.

  She’d come out of the bathroom, barefoot again but wearing one of the robes. Toby had been waiting for her with a bag for her soiled dress and shoes, then he’d taken her to Willa’s den. Benny, Shelby, and Shane were walking out just as she was about to walk in. Shelby’s eyes got big, her mouth forming a perfect “o,” but then she caught herself and resumed her usual haughty look. Nisa wanted to be angry with the girl. But right then, all she felt was pity.

  Shane was a different story. He had a strange look in his eyes, as though he was seeing Nisa for the first time. He’d composed his face to look worried and contrite, but she’d caught the unguarded expression he’d had just before that—he looked electrified. Willa was sitting on the edge of her desk in pressed gray slacks and a matching gray sweater. She watched with calm, shrewd eyes, reading glasses dangling from her hand. Not at all like a woman who’d been brawling in the woods. Shane had wrapped his arms around Nisa and asked if she was all right, but Nisa hadn’t hugged him back. He’d also offered to stay. But Willa had made a disgusted sound and waved him away.

  Now here she was sitting on the sofa in Willa’s den. Willa had offered her bourbon, but Nisa had drank enough tonight. She wanted to keep her mind clear. Willa seemed to respect that, and they’d settled on hot tea and sandwiches instead.

  “Thank you, Toby. You can set the sandwiches there.” Willa tilted her head toward the oversized ottoman, then sipped her tea. She’d moved from the edge of her desk to a chair across from the couch, never taking her eyes off Nisa.

  Nisa gave Toby a small smile and then took another sip of tea as well. Here he was being kind again and she wanted him to know she appreciated it. Willa waited for the door to click shut as Toby left.

  “Well, shall we get to it?” Willa reached over and grabbed half a sandwich.

  Nisa nodded, grabbing half a sandwich too. “I guess we shall.”

  She hadn’t realized how hungry she was. She’d barely bitten into the first half and she was already reaching for a second.

  “I need to know that you won’t tell anyone what you experienced here this weekend. Not your therapist, not your mother, not your best friend. Our safety is leveraged by anonymity and we can’t afford for outsiders to compromise that.”

  Nisa set down the sandwiches and the tea. They suddenly didn’t taste so good.

  “I need to see Arlo. I need to know that he’s safe and unharmed.”

  “He’s fine.”

  “I need to see him.”

  “No,” Willa shook her head, “you won’t be seeing him again. At least not this weekend.”

  “Willa.”

  “Nisa. No.” Willa wiped her hands on a napkin. “I understand that you and Arlo shared an intense experience, but Arlo broke the rules. He showed extremely poor judgment and he won’t be given the chance to jeopardize or embarrass us any further.”

  “What rules?”

  “The rules of common decency for one, and the rule that our kind will always be discreet. Attacking a houseguest and whisking a married woman away into the woods in front of a party full of people makes him dangerously noncompliant in both categories. You’re a very beautiful woman, Nisa, but what Arlo did tonight was a slap in the face to every single one of us.”

  “And just how many of you are there?”

  “You’re asking the wrong question.”

  “What’s the right question?”

  “The right question is, what are Callum and I willing to do to fix this.”

  Nisa blinked. “To fix what?”

  “The predicament of you knowing our secret. We’re not monsters, Nisa. We don’t eat people, but we do have a legacy and a business to protect. Even if Arlo can’t accept it yet, we’re protecting him as well. We’re lucky that only Shane and Shelby got a look at him tonight. We were able to contain them before their hysteria spread to anyone else.

  “So here’s what I have to offer. Callum and I will buy Shane’s script with a guarantee that as soon as we secure financing, production will be a go. In addition, we’ll buy his next two scripts, which will also jump to the top of our production lineup. And here’s what I negotiated for you.

  “Callum and I are not dummies, and neither is Benny. We all know that your talent factors heavily into Shane’s work product. From now on you will share credit on anything of his that we produce. The two of you can split the writing fee as you see fit, but you can start building a name for yourself. Regardless of what happened here tonight, Callum and I are committed to help you do that.”

  “Forgive my bluntness, Willa, but I don’t give a fuck about any of that. All I care about right now is seeing Arlo and making sure he’s okay.”

  Willa waved her off as she’d waved off Shane. “Arlo is fine.”

  “I want to hear that from him!”

  “Well that’s not going to happen.”

  Nisa had always liked Willa, but right now she wanted to punch her in her smug, superior face.

  Willa continued. “By now you’ve deduced that, like Arlo, Callum and I are also Lycan. So I advise you to temper how you speak to me. Unlike your husband, I’ve always shown you courtesy and respect, but if you continue to play this game of aggression, you’ll lose.”

  Nisa laughed. “You sit here and acknowledge that Shane is a nightmare, not just as a husband, but as a human being, and yet you suggest with your tawdry bribe, that I continue to write with him. Really I should say write for him, because that’s what I’ve been doing all along. I’m willing to admit it. Shane is a piece of shit. And as of tonight, I am DONE with that turd—”

  “No, you’re not,” Willa said quietly.

  “Excuse me?”

  “No. You are not done with your husband. That’s part of the deal. For whatever reason he wants to stay married to you, and part of him keeping his mouth shut means that I need to persuade you to stay with him.”

  “I won’t.”

  “You will. If you leave, Shane will be revealed as a mediocre talent and he’s not willing to let that happen. I’m not going to dictate what you do in your marriage, but you will stay with him and you will continue to write together.”

  “And if I don’t?”

  “Arlo will be cut off from the pack.” Willa stood up, walking over to the credenza to pour herself that bourbon. “Lycans are highly social creatures, just like wolves. We don’t have to be together all of the time, but our pack connection is a necessary and emotionally tangible phenomenon. Arlo is my nephew and I love him, but I’ve let him get away with far too much for far too long. If we can’t work this out tonight, I will cut him off.”

  “Okay, so he’ll find another pack!”

  “Will he? After tonight who else would have him?”

  “I’d have him.”

  Willa laughed. “Would you really be so selfish as to make him choose you? You’d ask him to wither and die, just to kee
p satisfying what’s in between your thighs?”

  Nisa felt small all of the sudden. Sick and small.

  Willa went to sit behind her desk. “I didn’t think so.” She put on her reading glasses, clicked a few keys on her laptop, and her printer kicked to life.

  Think Nisa. There has to be a way around this.

  Willa walked over to Nisa with the freshly printed papers. It was a contract—a nondisclosure agreement saying that she would never reveal to anyone what she’d witnessed here over the weekend and outlining the writing agreement Willa had made with Shane.

  “How did you draw this up so fast?”

  “It’s hard to keep secrets from your pack. We were well aware of what Arlo got up to last night. We didn’t know that this is how it would culminate, but we were already prepared to make you some kind of offer.”

  “I-I’m not ready to sign this. I need to think about it, at least overnight.”

  “It’s best if you leave as soon as possible. Shane has already changed your flight. You’ll have just enough time to pack your things and leave for the airport. You’ll need to sign this right here, right now.”

  “I had no idea what a bitch you are.”

  Willa leveled her with an icy stare. “None of what’s transpired this weekend is your doing, but if you continue down this path, you’ll see exactly how much of a bitch I can be.”

  The door again clicked softly and Callum walked in. Nisa had never before seen him look unfriendly, but this was a weekend of many firsts. He sat on the edge of the desk just behind Willa and crossed his arms as he looked down at Nisa.

  “By now Willa’s explained that you and Arlo won’t be seeing one another again, at least not without grave consequences for Arlo, which I’ve just finished explaining to him. But I’m here to amend that. Sign the contract and we’ll allow you to say your good-byes. Otherwise you can leave here now, contract unsigned and we’ll see what happens.”

  In that moment it occurred to Nisa how they’d become such a power couple. This was a man and a woman who worked in tandem. They weren’t intentionally cruel, but they’d learned to let nothing get in their way, and anyone or anything that did simply got crushed. Their stipulations were intolerable, but her mind was too exhausted, her body too overwrought to come up with an alternate plan. They’d played her, and for now, she’d have to let it stand.

  “I need a pen.”

  CHAPTER 17

  Nisa was a tall, reasonably in shape woman but keeping up with Callum was proving to be a challenge. She’d always thought of him as a bumbling older man. Watching him stride down the backyard path made her realize the bumbling had been an act. This confident, self-assured gentleman is who he’d been all along.

  The temperature had plummeted. They’d given her flip-flops to go with her borrowed robe. But the night air was cutting right through to her skin and her feet were nearly frozen. By the time they reached the stables, her body was starting to go numb.

  It was cozier inside. Not the same as being in the house, but bearable as they walked down the center lane. John was leaning against the wall, still in his party clothes, only now his hat brim was tilted over his eyes. He looked at Nisa, then gave Callum a nod and without a word disappeared into his office.

  Callum walked ahead of her, stopping at the pen that John had been standing in front of and then turned to look expectantly at Nisa. Her heart began to pound. The horses stirred in their enclosures as she made the agonizing walk to the other end of the barn. Callum stepped back from the gate, making room for Nisa to peer in.

  Arlo was still in Beast form, tucked in the corner, his body turned away from the gate. The light was dim, but Nisa could still see it—the huge iron collar fastened around his neck, and the matching heavy chain securing it to the wall.

  Nisa’s eye pricked with tears. “Oh no. Callum this isn’t right.”

  Arlo opened his eyes, mustering a growl aimed at Callum, but whining at the sight of Nisa and again turning away.

  Nisa’s temper flared. “What have you done to him?”

  “He’s fine, just sulking is all.”

  Nisa held her hand out. “Give me the key, Callum.”

  “Can’t do that, Nisa.”

  “Give me the goddamn key.”

  Callum turned and walked off, calling over his shoulder, “You have twenty minutes. I’d suggest you use them wisely.”

  Nisa swore, wondering how the night had taken such a wrong turn, but then remembered she didn’t have time to contemplate. She only had twenty minutes.

  She unlatched the gate to Arlo’s stall and slipped inside. The stables in general were clean, especially this pen, but she could still smell the hay and horses, and somewhere underneath that, her Beast.

  “Arlo?” She walked a few steps closer. “Arlo? Please look at me.”

  Arlo huffed and turned farther away. Even with his fur, she could see claw marks across his back and a bite mark on his ear.

  “Arlo, we only have twenty minutes. Please.”

  But instead of looking at her, his eyes fell closed as though he were going to sleep. Nisa breathed deeply, holding back a sob. This was not how she would let their story end. She shivered as she slipped off the robe, hung it on the sidewall, and stepped out of the flip-flops. Their relationship had never really been about talk. She was going to use what, in the last two days, she’d become very good at.

  She crouched down next to him, reaching out tentative fingers to run along his cheek and up behind his ears. He huffed, leaning in as she did it again. But the third time he pushed her away. When she tried to grab his hand he snarled and snapped his teeth in her face.

  Oh, really?

  She hopped to her feet almost without thinking and slapped him across the muzzle. One of his canines sliced her hand but she didn’t care. Willa and Callum had humiliated her tonight, and in a few short hours she’d be on a plane back to LA. This could be the last time they ever saw each other. She wouldn’t let him waste it.

  Arlo hopped to his feet as well, snarling down into Nisa’s face, but she stood her ground and slapped him again. He grabbed her wrist, hard. She brought her other hand around to claw at his eyes, but he grabbed that wrist too. She tried to yank free, but he was way too strong and he used that strength to move her backward toward the gate.

  The chain around his neck snapped taut. He’d exasperated the length. She stumbled as he shoved her back and snarled again—a declaration that he wanted her to go. But his cock told a different story.

  She rushed him, catching him off guard as she threw her arms around his neck. It was his turn to stumble. Before he could get his bearings, she’d wrapped her legs around his waist. He growled at first, his hands moving to pry her arms loose, but then he closed his eyes and took in her scent.

  For a second, she wasn’t sure what he would do. Then he held her by the bottom and guided himself into her. She sighed, relief radiating through her body as she took his full length. Tears welled in her eyes. This might be the last time she could be with him this way.

  They moved slowly at first, wanting to make it last, but they were clumsy, their position tenuous. Arlo whined in frustration while Nisa held on tighter, worried he’d try to shove her off. Arlo didn’t push her away, but he did let go as he fell to all fours. It reminded Nisa of him prowling across the party to rescue her from Shane. She’d already locked her ankles together. Now she locked her hands to each of her elbows, too, and smiled to herself as Arlo began to rapidly thrust his hips.

  She clung to him, ecstasy ripping through her body as he pumped with belligerence and her pleasure emerged in a guttural scream. Her nipples were raw from the rubbing, but lost in the sensation of their primal lovemaking. In the background the horses whinnied, incited by the scent of sex and impending heartbreak.

  Nisa’s head fell back, surrendering to gravity. She wasn’t sure how much longer she could hold on. Not with her orgasm, not with her arms and legs. Her insides were forming a fist, tightening and tighte
ning until they’d simply have to burst. She dug deeper, grasping that final straw of strength, and for a second or two, everything squeezed tighter.

  “Oh, God. Oh, GOD!”

  She came with the force of an H-bomb, obliterating her body from core to limbs. Arlo came a second later in a rush of savagery and pulsating heat. His fur melted away, his muzzle retracting as he gasped for breath and with wobbly limbs, lowered them both to the ground. Nisa heaved and coughed, choking on her own saliva, but stayed wrapped around Arlo, afraid to let go.

  Arlo brought his hands to her face, sweeping her hair away and kissing her lips.

  “I love you, Nisa.”

  Nisa didn’t hesitate. “I love you. I love you.”

  They stared into each other’s eyes, kissing, touching, murmuring the words.

  A knock at the gate shattered the moment.

  “It’s time, Nisa. Your husband’s waiting.”

  It was John. He’d heard everything, but Nisa didn’t care. She hoped the whole fucking house had heard. Arlo’s chain rattled as he helped Nisa up. The collar was looser now but still not big enough to slip over his human head. He wrapped the robe around her shoulders.

  He kissed her face, her mouth, her eyes. He stroked and kissed her breasts. “I’ll find a way, Nisa. I swear I’ll find a way.”

  She slipped her arms through the robe as Arlo tied it shut, and kissed him one last time. He followed her for a step or two as she backed toward the gate, but that’s as much as he could manage.

  Arlo’s chain could stretch no farther.

  CHAPTER 18

  Fat tears rolled down Nisa’s cheeks as John escorted her back up to the house. She was shaking—not from the cold, but from everything she’d just lost. She was less than a hundred yards away from Arlo and she was already grieving.

  Arlo had sworn they’d eventually be together, but in this moment that was hard to believe. Willa had told her that she would cut Arlo off from the pack, and that he would wither. What did that mean exactly? She hadn’t lied when she told Arlo she loved him. She’d surprised herself, but it was true. Yet it didn’t erase the fact that they’d only met a day and a half ago. That wasn’t enough to ruin his life.