by Beverly Rae
“Ow. Take it easy, you jerk.” She fought against the restraints, her hands already starting to tingle from the lack of circulation. If she kicked him in the balls, would she have time to get away? Doubtful, but she figured the satisfaction would be worth the consequences.
“Shut up or I’ll gag you. In fact, I might do it anyway.” John grabbed one of the filthy rags scattered around the room and held it up. “Not exactly up to your usual clean standards, but prisoners can’t be picky.”
“Go to hell.”
“Now, now, sweetie. Is that any way to talk to your boyfriend?”
“Where’s Bobbie? I swear, John, if you do anything to hurt her, I really will turn hunter. Then I’ll track you down and skin you alive.”
He snickered. “Forever the bitch, huh, Lauren? Better readjust your thinking. After the boys and I get through with you, you’ll wish you’d treated me better.”
Lauren swallowed the bile that rose to her mouth and threw eye-daggers at him. If she got out of this mess, she’d make John beg for mercy.
“Are you comfy?” John cackled and pinched her nipple. “What? No more sweet words? Well, don’t worry. I’ll come back in a few and then we’ll have a real good time. Until then, sit back and make yourself at home.” Chuckling, he rose to leave.
“John?”
“Yeah?”
Did he look hopeful? Like he expected her to beg him not to leave? “You disgust me. You have since that first hunt. I pretended to be your girlfriend so I could keep going on hunts and messing them up for you.”
The heat of his fury rushed to redden his face. “Why, you lying cunt.”
She smiled her sweetest mean-girl smile. “Oh, and John?”
“What, bitch?”
The vein in the middle of his forehead throbbed, his rage building. “You suck as a hunter and you suck even more as a boyfriend. Consider us over.” She grinned, pleased to have finally made the break.
He tried to say something but garbled his words in his anger, then gave up and exited through the nearest hallway.
Lauren stared at the mirrors surrounding her. Maybe if she could get free of the ropes, she could find her way back. But whoever had built this fun house had done a good job of creating one helluva confusing trap. Seeing her image, her mussed hair and streaked makeup only made her angrier.
“Bobbie!” Her voice echoed, bouncing off the mirrors to reverberate through the hallways. “Can you hear me? Are you okay? Bobbie?” She paused, hoping to hear her friend’s call, but none came. “Damn that son of a bitch.” Had he taken her friend to a different mirrored room? Or had he let the hunters have their way with her? Did she dare hope that he’d let her go? After all, Bobbie wasn’t involved with either the hunters or the werewolves. Yet she knew John wouldn’t release her friend. Not when she was a witness.
“Are you having fun, my sweet? This place has a great echo.” John leaned against the doorway and dry-swallowed a handful of pills.
Lauren wished she were a shifter. If so, she’d sprout fangs and tear his heart out. Okay, maybe nothing that gross, but at the very least, she’d make the pain he had now feel like a mother’s caress. “Where’s Bobbie? I swear, John, I’ll—”
“You’ll what? Come on, Lauren, you’ve already threatened me once and look how well that worked out. Besides, what can you do? Sic your werewolf boyfriend on me?” Placing a finger to his lips, he feigned a thoughtful expression. “Oops. You already did and now he’s dead.”
Daniel couldn’t be dead. If he were, she would feel it and she didn’t. She clung to that small bit of hope. “Are you sure about that?”
The waver of his confidence was a good sight to see. Even if it didn’t last long.
“Of course I’m sure. I left my best men to finish the job. Although a part of me does wish I’d shot him myself. I would’ve loved seeing his brains splattered all over, including all over you.”
Was he that cruel? How had she ever found anything appealing in this murderer? “If he’s dead, I’m going straight to the police.”
His roar made the mirrors shake, but the laughter soon turned cold. “Don’t be stupid, Lauren. You won’t tell anyone. Would you like to know why?”
She didn’t answer, refusing to play into his game. Not that it made any difference.
“No? Oh, come on, Lauren, babe. Tell me what you think is going to happen. What? Still not talking? Then I’ll tell you.” He squatted in front of her, took a strand of her hair and rubbed it between his fingers. “You’re not going to the police because no one’s going to believe you. Hunters killing a large wolf in the city limits? Get real. They’ll think you’re some weirdo claiming to see monsters. Besides, my men know how to clean up their messes.” He let go of her hair and dropped his hand to her shoulder. “And secondly, babe, you won’t be around to say anything to anyone.”
Lauren’s heart thundered against her chest. Was he serious? Had he decided to kill her even though the other hunters were against it? Was that why he’d taken her into this room? To murder her without witnesses? She tried to keep her voice level. “How are you going to explain my death to the other hunters?”
“Accidents happen all the time, don’t they?” He gazed around the room. “Especially in old abandoned places like this. A misstep here, a fall there. You get the picture.”
“Accidental deaths don’t include rope marks on wrists and ankles, dumbass. Don’t you think the coroner’s going to notice subtle things like that?”
She’d caught him off-guard with the question. He blinked, unable to give her an answer. But he wasn’t thrown for long. Instead, his evil mind took another turn. Dropping his gaze to her breasts, he slid his hand along her shoulder to the hollow of her neck, then walked his fingers lower. Lauren hunched her shoulders in a futile effort to keep him from touching her, but he merely scoffed at her pitiful attempt and slid his hand inside her shirt.
“Get your paws off me, damn you.” Her breathing quickened, not in desire but in fear, lifting her chest under his hand.
“Come on, babe. Why not have a good time? You know, sort of a goodbye fuck.” He cupped her breast, rubbing her nipple to attention. “See? You want it. All you sluts are the same. You say no but you mean fuck me.” He licked his lips, sliding his tongue in agonizing slowness from one side to the other. “I bet you’re already getting wet just thinking about my dick inside you. Or did you want to suck me off first?”
She tried not to smirk, but failed. “Yeah. Let me suck on it. Then I can listen to you scream when I bite it off.”
John’s leer froze on his face, then gradually grew into a grimace. He reared his arm back and closed his fist. Lauren lurched away from him, threw her body sideways, but she wasn’t fast enough. He struck the side of her head and fire sprinted through her skull. She landed hard on her shoulder. A blackness flashed by, then John’s blurry image solidified, reflected in the mirror across from her. She flipped over onto her back, kicking out with her bound feet. Her first kick missed him, but the next one struck him in the stomach, doubling him over. She kicked out again, but he’d had time to recover and knocked her legs away.
“Argh! You bitch!” John gripped the rope binding her legs, effectively stopping her attack. “Knock it off.”
The blow on her chin left her dazed and she gasped for air. But that didn’t stop her. She tried to yank her feet out of his grip and failed. And still she wasn’t giving up. If nothing else, she would die fighting.
“I said to knock it off, bitch.” John fell on top of her, pinning her to the dirty floor, his eyes wild and blazing. “We’re going to do this the way you like it. Doggy-style.” She struggled again, but she was no match for his drug-induced strength. He unbuttoned her jeans, using her struggles to help him pull her pants down. Her underwear came away with one tug. Flipping her over, he pushed her face against the floor and straddled her, holding her in place.
The image in the mirrors of John on top of her, her hair wild around her bruised face was to
o much for her. Closing her eyes, she listened to John unbuckle his jeans.
“You’d never do doggy-style with me no matter how much I asked. Why is that, bitch? Did you have to have a real dog to do it this way?”
“Go to hell.”
“Yeah, no doubt I will. But it won’t be because I got rid of vermin like you and your werewolf lover. In fact, maybe that’ll buy me passage past the Pearly Gates.”
“Daniel will tear you apart for this.”
“Do you mean his ghost? I doubt he can hurt me when he’s rotting in some sewer. In fact, I’ll bet the rats are having a gourmet dinner with your Daniel as the main course.”
He ran his hands along her bottom and spanked her. She cried out and tried to buck him off.
“No, no, babe. Save your energy for the good part. The part where I ram my dick inside your junk. I promise you’re going to love it.” His chuckle was pure evil. “Or, at least, you’ll love that part. But the part that comes later? Not so much.”
He leaned over her, grabbed her hair to jerk her head back and placed his mouth next to her ear. “Open your eyes, babe. You’re gonna watch me fuck you.”
Daniel studied the run-down building. “I’m open to suggestions. Anyone have a good idea on how we get into the fun house without endangering Lauren?” Devlin, Tucker and the remaining shifters who’d come along stayed silent. “No ideas? Great. Then I guess it’s a commando mission.”
“Wow, man. Listen to you get all military on us.” Tucker grinned and dodged Daniel’s halfhearted punch. “Seems to me the only question we have is whether we go in as humans or as werewolves. Personally, my vote is for fangs and claws.”
Daniel noted the flimsy nature of the door but decided on an alternate way. “They’ll expect us to come through the door. Which is why we’re going in through the roof.”
“The roof?”
“Yeah, Dev, the roof. We need the element of surprise. I don’t want Lauren getting hurt.”
“Roof it is then.” Devlin shucked his clothes, motioning for the others to do the same. “We’re going to need all our strength to break through. I suggest you get your tail moving.”
Daniel didn’t need his brother’s encouragement. He sensed that time wasn’t on their side. Lauren was in trouble and needed him fast. Having gotten rid of his clothes in record time, he morphed, closing his eyes to the ache the change always brought. Yet he didn’t mind. He’d suffer any amount of pain to save Lauren. Hunkering down, he crawled forward, darting behind bushes, old rides and carnival booths to edge closer to the fun house.
“Ready?” Daniel glanced at his group and waited for anyone to voice a concern. “Remember. Keep Lauren safe no matter what else happens. And, unless you have no other choice, try not to kill them.” He caught the telling glance Tucker sent him but ignored it. His friend would rather kill the hunters, but he didn’t want any more deaths. “Let’s do this.”
The werewolves spread out around the perimeter of the fun house, leaving Daniel and Tucker at the front. Tucker growled softly, then bowed his head. “You first, boss dog.”
“Dog, my ass.” Daniel dipped his head in return, crouched and leapt to the roof. Thankfully, the sound he made landing wasn’t as loud as he’d feared. The other werewolves spread out across the roof, all eyes on him, all eager for him to lead the charge. Lying down, he pressed his ear to the shingles, closed his eyes and listened. If he could hear Lauren or the hunters, then he’d know the best location to enter the building. He strained, calling on his acute werewolf hearing. Was that a woman’s voice? Lauren’s? He listened again, blocking out the other sounds, intent on hearing Lauren. But the sound he’d heard seconds earlier was gone. Still, it gave him a place to start. Pulling his mouth back to expose fangs, he growled and ripped the shingles off. The pack did the same, tearing through shingles and wood. In a matter of seconds, they shredded the roof, then dove through the holes they’d made.
Daniel dropped through the roof, landing on his paws, his head down. Snarling, he lifted his head and inhaled sharply. A startled John and a tear-streaked Lauren gaped at him. John, his dick in his hand, fell away from Lauren’s exposed bottom, his horrified eyes locked on the black werewolf.
Fury, hotter and wilder than ever before, surged through Daniel. His vision blurred with the intensity, the saliva in his mouth flowing, his claws digging into the dirty linoleum floor. His earlier thoughts of not killing fled him. Instead, he was consumed with the need to taste John’s blood on his tongue, to feel John’s heart in his mouth. He howled, the vibrations rattling the glass walls around him.
John grappled with his jeans, pulling them up as he scrambled backward. Lauren, hands and feet tied, tried to tug on her jeans. She crawled away, her eyes wide and fixed onto Daniel.
Lauren had seen Daniel in his wolf form before, but this was different. Before, she’d always found the humanity behind those amber eyes, but not this time. Now he was all animal, all beast, all killer. She gathered her clothes around her, positioned her back against the nearest wall and held her arms in front of her chest, a pitiful shield against the unexpected. Looking at the ferocious werewolf, she wondered if he recognized her. If not, would he kill her along with John?
John. She had to help him. Not that he deserved her help. Not that she wanted to give it. But she had to save John for Daniel’s sake. Daniel would regret killing him and she knew he couldn’t handle any more guilt in his life.
The werewolf tensed, dropped his head even lower, his gleaming amber eyes shooting venom at John. His ears flattened against his head, his tail lowered, but not between his legs. Vicious-looking white fangs glistened with saliva and a growl rumbled deep in his chest. Daniel moved forward, one step at a time, as though taunting John, daring him to run. The hunter, however, couldn’t find his legs, trying more than once to get to his feet. Instead, he brought his knees to his chest and sobbed silent tears.
“Daniel.”
The werewolf ignored her, taking another two steps closer to his victim.
Lauren fought back a nervous giggle and gathered her courage. Swallowing, she called his name again, louder, with more force. “Daniel.”
The werewolf stopped, then turned his head toward her. She searched his eyes, desperately wanting to find the man inside the animal, but couldn’t. He was a predator and ready to take his prey.
“Daniel, please don’t hurt him.” She almost cried when she saw confusion in those angry amber eyes. Did he understand her? Taking encouragement from his pause, she reached out, extending her open hand to him. “Please, come to me.”
For a moment, they studied each other, woman and animal. He had to understand her. If not, John wasn’t the only one in trouble.
The beautiful wolf shook his head. Was he denying her? Or was it merely an instinctual movement? She tried again, this time inching forward to meet him halfway. He growled, chilling her to the bone, but she kept her tied hands out.
The werewolf blinked at her and Lauren got the impression, for a second, that she saw the amber in his eyes fade. Keeping low, he came to her and placed his muzzle in her palm. She released her pent-up breath and placed her cheek against his. Closing her eyes, she blocked out the noises around her, even the sound of John’s footsteps as he ran from the room, and delighted in the touch of Daniel’s fur next to her skin. “I was afraid you were going to bite me.” She felt him change, knew he shifted, but kept her eyes closed until the shift was complete.
“I almost did.” Daniel was naked and sexy as hell on hands and knees. His eyes, returned to normal and filled with humanity, sought hers.
“I’m glad you didn’t.”
He ran his hand along her arm, his expression hardening. “Get out. Hide in the surrounding woods. I’ll find you when it’s finished.” Quickly, he untied her hands and feet.
She looked past him, then gave him a soft smile. “Why? I’m safe now. John’s gone.”
“I know. He ran off like the scared rat that he is, but he won’t get far.
If one of my pack doesn’t get him, I will.”
“No, please don’t.”
“I have to, Lauren. I can’t let him get away with trying to…”
He couldn’t say the words, but she could. “Rape me. He tried to rape me.” In the instant the words were out, she regretted them. The flash of anger in him frightened her, but she held her ground. “He started to, but he didn’t. Thanks to you. But I don’t care. I just want to go home.” She trapped a sob behind her hand. “Take me home, Daniel. Please.”
Daniel took her hand and pressed her palm to his lips. “I promise I’ll take you home, but first I have to end things. If I don’t, John will try again. He murdered my wife and was going to hurt you. How can you ask me to show him mercy?”
“Don’t you get it? I know what he did and I know what he would do if given the chance. But haven’t enough people died? I’m so tired of people getting hurt.” She wiped a tear away, a tear for Torrie and for herself.
“You didn’t kill Torrie. He did. I heard him say so.”
“I know and I’m glad I wasn’t the one who killed her, but I tried to. And even when you thought I had, you found it within yourself to forgive me.”
“That’s different. He enjoyed killing her and didn’t care who she was. Then he kept on killing. You didn’t. You changed.”
She had to make him see. If not for Torrie, she would never have known, never have understood that werewolves retain their human side even in wolf form. “I got lucky that day, Daniel. If I hadn’t seen Torrie, seen the person she was inside the animal, I’d still be hunting shifters. I’d be just like John.”
“Don’t compare yourself to that scumbag.” His voice dripped revulsion. “You’re not the same in any way.”
“Daniel, I’m asking you, begging you, for your sake, for our sake, don’t kill him.” She could see the struggle in his eyes, knew he wanted to give her what she wanted, but his need for vengeance was too strong.
“I’m sorry, Lauren. I can’t do what you ask.” After several seconds, with the sounds of a battle growing louder, Daniel morphed again, limbs shortening and bones cracking. Swishing his tail, he whirled around, sniffed the air and dashed into the left hall that led away from the screams and sounds of fighting.
