by Stella Night
Just as he was about to relax, two dark spots in the landscape seemed to come to life. Two men from the looks of it. They’d been frozen still, blending into the shadows. There was no mistaking them now. And there was no question they were after the woman.
The men moved swiftly. It was only a matter of time before they caught up with her.
Dylan wasn’t about to wait around to find out what would happen once they did.
***
Rory was halfway across the field of broken trees when the wind shifted. Instead of blowing in her face, a gust of breeze hit her back. That was when she caught their scent.
Two men. Maybe three. They were close.
She risked a glance behind her and saw them gaining ground quickly. Panic flared within her. There was no way she’d make it to Dylan’s house before they caught up to her. Her limbs burned and her body was on the verge of collapse. Still, she had no choice but to stand and face them.
Rory positioned herself in front of a waist-high tree trunk, keeping her back protected. If this was where her journey ended, she wouldn’t let them take her without a fight.
“All right, you bastards,” she shouted. “If you want me, come and get me.”
Sinister laughter floated towards her as the men approached her. One of them was at least a foot taller than her. The other was about her height with a shaved head.
“You’re a brave one,” the tall man said. “I’ll give you that.”
“Yeah,” the bald man said. “I like my women to have a little fight in them.”
Rory shot them a confident smile, even though it was forced. “You’re so ugly, I bet every woman you hit on puts up a fight.”
The bald man scowled, but his friend laughed.
“So feisty,” the tall man said. “It’s a shame I have to take you back to Bishop.”
“I won’t tell him you found me if you won’t,” Rory said, flashing a cocky grin she didn’t feel.
The tall man shook his head. “Funny, but no deal. You wanna come with us peacefully or are we doing this the hard way?”
“If you assholes want me, come and get me,” Rory said, growling in a low, threatening rumble.
The arrogant expressions faltered on the men’s faces. The tall man looked at her appraisingly, sizing her up.
“You come from a strong line,” he said. “But I doubt you can take two of us.”
“I’m willing to find out,” she shot back. “Are you?”
“You wouldn’t be running that pretty little mouth of yours if Bishop was here. Hell, we wouldn’t even be having this conversation.”
“Then why isn’t he here? Too afraid to face me himself?”
“He’s taking care of things back at the clan. Lots of people are asking questions about what happened. He’s making sure everyone knows what you did.”
Rage erupted inside her and she shifted into bear form. Rory savored the feeling of intense power transforming her limbs. She felt her thoughts shift subtly too, becoming more raw and animalistic.
Fight or flight? Those were the two options flashing in her mind. Run and she might live. Fight and she would surely die. Rory was tired of running.
She gazed directly at the tall man and growled. The sound of it cut through the quiet night like a buzz saw.
The tall man took a step back and held his hands up in front of him, palms out. “Now, hold on there. We have orders to take you back unharmed, but if you fight, I can’t promise you’ll make it out alive.”
Rory hesitated. Her desire to fight was strong, but the man was right. If it had been a one-on-one fight, she wouldn’t back down. But she was outnumbered. She wasn’t sure she could survive.
At the same time, she refused to go back to Bishop and the Stone Bear Clan. She knew what awaited her there. Either a cruel death or a crueler mate. Neither option worked for her.
She growled at him again in response. The tall man shook his head.
“Have it your way,” he said.
A third man emerged from the darkness behind Rory’s two attackers. This man towered over the other two men. Rory’s heart sank. There had been a chance of survival against two bears, even if it had been slim. But there was no way she could win against three.
The third man shifted. He’d been big in human form, but as a bear, he was enormous. He was the biggest bear Rory had ever seen, and that’s when she knew exactly who he was.
It was Dylan.
The tall man sensed the threat behind him and shifted, too. But Dylan was already on him lashing out with claw and fang. The bald man gaped in surprise, and Rory didn’t hesitate to take advantage of the situation.
She sprang at the bald man, who was still in human form. She pinned him to the ground with her claws pressed hard into his throat.
The man knew better than to shift. He was already beaten.
Rory turned her attention to the fight beside her. Although calling it a fight was a little generous. The tall man was a thug. Dylan was a trained killer. It wasn’t even close. The tall man fell swiftly, shifting back into human form as the life drained out of him.
Dylan shifted back as well, although his transformation was by choice. He hauled the bald man from beneath Rory and slammed him against the side of a fallen tree trunk.
“Give me one reason I don’t kill you right now,” Dylan said.
“Please, I was just following orders,” the bald man whimpered.
“That’s no excuse. Who sent you?”
“Bishop Blackpaw.”
Dylan growled at the sound of his name. “I know that son of a bitch. What does he want with the girl?”
“She’s to be his mate,” the bald man said, his voice shaking with fear.
Rory shifted so she could speak. She wavered on her feet at the effort it took for her to shift.
“That’s a lie,” she said.
Dylan nodded without looking back at her. “Looks like your boss is mistaken. Go back and tell him that, and I’ll let you live. Or you can end up like your friend here.”
The man’s eyes turned to look at the still form of his friend. He shuddered. “I’ll tell him.”
“And you tell him not to get any ideas about coming back here. You tell him that Dylan Sinclair will be waiting for him if he does.”
The man’s eyes widened at the sound of Dylan’s name. “Holy shit, you’re Dylan Sinclair?”
“I am, and all those stories you heard about me?” Dylan said, leaning in so he was right in the man’s face. “They’re all true.”
Dylan let the man go. He stumbled to his knees, as if his legs had gone weak.
“Get the hell out of here before I change my mind,” Dylan said.
The man scrambled away, moving faster over the fallen trees than seemed possible. Dylan watched him go, as if making sure the man did as he promised. It wasn’t until after he had disappeared into the forest that Dylan turned around.
Rory turned away from him and let her hair cover her face, suddenly nervous now that Dylan was standing right in front of her.
“Are you alright?” Dylan asked.
“Yeah, thanks to you.”
From the corner of her eye, she could see Dylan gazing at her, like he thought he might recognize her. Dylan’s hand grasped her chin firmly, but gently. Then he tilted her face towards his, illuminating her features in the moonlight.
Dylan looked like he’d seen a ghost. “Aurora?”
Chapter 2
Aurora was the last person Dylan expected to see tonight.
“Aurora,” she said and smiled. “You’re the only person who ever calls me that.”
Dylan searched for a response, but he was too taken aback by her sudden appearance at his home. Noah had told him to wait for something to happen, but in a million years, Dylan never would have guessed Aurora would tumble back into his life.
She looked up at him with her long, dark eyelashes framing even darker eyes. Those eyes looked black in the moonlight, like shimmering pools of night sky.
He knew that during the day they were a dark chocolate brown that was equally as enticing.
“What are you doing here?” he asked, barely able to think clearly.
“I didn’t know where else to go.”
“I thought you never wanted to see me again.”
She barked out a short bitter laugh. “You were the one who said we couldn’t be together.”
“Aurora, please—”
She held up her hand to interrupt him. “Save it. I’m not here to have that fight again. I’m in trouble.”
Aurora swayed on her feet. She looked exhausted, like she could barely stand.
“Bishop?” Dylan asked. “What’s he got to do with this?”
She rubbed at her eyes. “I’ll explain everything. I promise. I just need a place to rest for now. Just for a bit while I figure out what to do next.”
Dylan nodded. He didn’t like being kept in the dark, but he wasn’t going to press her just then. “Follow me.”
Aurora took a step towards him and her knees buckled. Dylan reached out and caught her before she fell. His arms encircled her waist and she leaned wearily against his chest.
Dylan gritted his teeth at the feelings surging inside him. It had been a long time since he’d held her in his arms. He’d never forgotten how good it felt, but the memory paled in comparison to the real thing.
Aurora was soft and curvy in all the right places. Her soft breasts pressed against his body, and he stiffened at the feeling. After everything that had happened, he had no right to feel this way. He knew it was wrong, but his instincts roared at him, telling him it was right.
His hunger for her overwhelmed him, eclipsing rational thought. He wanted to pull her even closer, to plant his lips over hers, and to take total control over her body. The feeling was instinctual, primal, and savage. His body trembled with barely suppressed desire.
He grasped her shoulders and gently pushed her body away from his. It was one of the hardest things he’d ever had to do. It was almost as difficult as when he’d told her they couldn’t be together four years ago.
He looked down into her dark eyes, searching for any sign that she’d noticed his reaction. He couldn’t let her know the effect she had on him. Not if he was going to keep things from getting complicated again. It was a painful lie for Dylan, but he was convinced the truth would hurt her. He’d take the pain for both of them if it would spare her.
No matter what had happened between them, he would always do whatever it took to protect her. Even if it meant keeping her safe from Dylan, himself.
She looked up at him, a flicker of annoyance dancing in her eyes. “So I’m not even allowed to touch you now?”
Dylan looked away. “I never said that.”
“You didn’t have to say it. I heard you loud and clear. Let’s just go, all right.”
Frustration welled inside him. How the hell could she drive him crazy so easily? It was a skill only she possessed. No one else could get under his skin but her. He searched his brain for some kind of response, but he didn’t have the words.
He gestured for her to follow him. He led her to the dirt road that wound like a snake through the fallen trees. Aurora lagged behind him so he slowed his pace, falling back to walk beside her.
Despite how tired and worn out she looked, he could still see the gorgeous woman he’d been in love with since they’d first met when they were kids. His chest ached when he looked at her, like there was a hollow place in his heart from when he’d told her they could never be together. That empty spot felt the pain of her absence. Even though she walked next to him, they were clearly miles apart.
Aurora looked at the devastation surrounding them.
“What happened here?” she asked, her words almost slurring from exhaustion.
“Nothing,” he said.
“Oh, come on. Clearly something happened here. Something ugly.”
Dylan didn’t feel like explaining it to her. It wasn’t something he wanted to share with anyone, particularly her.
“Just drop it, all right?” he said more harshly than he intended.
“Sorry I asked,” she said, looking away, offended.
He hadn’t meant to snap at her, but just having her near him had his thoughts all tangled up. This was exactly the reason he liked being alone. Things got complicated when other people were around. Life was simpler being alone. No one could get hurt that way.
They walked in silence until they reached his house. Dylan opened the door and gestured for her to go inside.
She shuffled gratefully through the door with her shoulders slumped and her eyelids drooping.
Aurora stretched out in a yawn. Dylan couldn’t help but stare at her as she extended her arms above her head. Her tattered blouse pulled tight against her ample breasts, outlining them in a very distracting way.
Feelings he thought dormant came to life when he looked at her. Old, disturbing feelings like ghosts coming back to haunt him. No matter how hard he fought, he couldn’t stop himself from thinking all kinds of inappropriate thoughts when he looked at her.
He cleared his throat. “Aurora, tell me what’s going on.”
She looked at him and frowned. Lines of disapproval darkened her face, but Dylan thought it made her look pretty anyway. He would have preferred a smile, but that was probably asking too much after everything that had happened between them.
“Dylan, I promise I’ll tell you everything. But later. Please, I just need to rest my eyes for a moment.”
Before Dylan could say anything, Aurora pushed past him into the living room. She curled up on the couch and closed her eyes. The air inside his house carried the chill from the autumn night. Dylan knelt to start a fire in the fireplace.
By the time the flames began to flicker and catch, Aurora was sound asleep.
She looked so small huddled on his couch. So delicate despite her ample curves. He felt that old overwhelming urge to protect her. The one he’d always felt when he looked at her. It was a primal, instinctive feeling. Just like the raging desire that awoke in him when she was around.
Aurora always balked at the idea of needing protection. Even tonight, he had seen her stand up to defend herself against Bishop’s men. Had Dylan not shown up when he did, she would have surely lost. But that didn’t stop her from standing her ground, fierce and brave in the moonlight.
Affection swelled inside him. It was one of the reasons Dylan had fallen in love with her in the first place. Aurora was no shrinking violet, no damsel in distress. She had a warrior’s heart just like he did. Just like her brother, Hunter.
Guilt pricked at his heart like thorns at the thought of Hunter. He and Dylan had been best friends since they were kids. And when they were called to war, they’d served in the same special forces unit.
They’d been members of an all-shifter squad called the Sin Eaters.
Certain government officials in high-level positions knew about the existence of shifters. It was a well-kept secret to all but the most powerful men in charge of the country.
Before the Society was formed and way before Dylan was even born, people from the government met up with leaders from the shifter world and offered them a deal.
The government promised to keep the existence of shifters a secret and to keep the government out of shifter affairs. In exchange, different groups from the shifter world had to provide soldiers for elite special forces units.
Shifters make particularly good soldiers. They have sharper senses, quicker reflexes, and their rapid healing abilities make them extremely hard to kill.
The various clans, packs, and tribes of the shifter world accepted the deal gladly. Even though it was essentially like being drafted, no shifters had ever been forced to join up. In fact, it was something of an honor to be able to serve on these elite units.
Many shifters volunteered to be a part of the deal, including Dylan and Hunter. They spent five years fighting for their country and keeping their people safe.
; Dylan came back. Hunter didn’t.
Hunter was the reason Dylan had distanced himself from Aurora when he returned from the military. She was his best friend’s sister. It was wrong to want her. It was wrong to love her.
He’d known that growing up, and his fears had been confirmed later when Hunter confronted him about it. Dylan tried not to think about it. Those memories were still too painful.
He sank down in a chair beside the window. He looked hard out across the field of broken trees, making sure no one else showed up looking for Aurora.
