Carnal: A Dark Shifter Romance

by Piper Stone

  Dear God, Tyler had pulled out all the stops in planning, but the man was also lying. “From what I know about your laws, you are not allowed to kill the mate of another alpha.”

  “Your mate is very much alive,” Tyler hissed.

  “You were the one who made an attempt on her life. You made certain the call was made, drawing her to the park. It was you I fought, not your lackey.” The sight had given me the answer even then.

  I heard both Stone and Gregor inching closer, snarling as their beasts inched toward the surface.

  Tyler allowed a slow growl to form, baring his teeth as his eyes began to shift. “You happened to come along. To protect her.”

  “And I will protect her to the death.”

  “You can no longer protect her. I’ve claimed her as mine, the beginning of the end of the Wolfen.”

  “Tell me, do your elders know what you’ve done? Do they know you had innocent people in your attempt to rise to power, turning a human into a wolf for that purpose alone?” I was taking a chance, hoping that the Lycan would go against one of their own.

  “What is he doing?” I heard Gregor whisper.

  Tyler shifted his gaze to the circle of wolves, giving them a nod. “What I did was necessary in order to take back what belongs to us, what was stolen centuries ago.”

  “By using extortion and murder. We are not to blame for the sins of our past. Only in peace can we flourish.”

  He narrowed his eyes, laughing conceitedly. “You must be joking. We plan on eliminating the Wolfen breed for what you did. You all deserve to die. My pack is prepared to destroy you and your ugly little town.”

  I tilted back my head once again, issuing a keening cry, allowing the transformation to begin. “And as told in the ancient scripts, the Lycans were released from the protection of the Wolfen for abducting and killing almost every female in an effort to drive the Wolfen to extinction. Unfortunately, the sins of a few were paid for by an entire pack. That will never happen again. Not as long as I am alpha.”

  “You can’t save her.” Snarling, Tyler allowed his beast to rise.

  “That’s where you’re wrong,” I said quietly.

  A massive rustle of trees floated throughout the field as thousands of Wolfen and other packs transcended on the location. They would help protect the peace that had been built. I continued the transformation into my wolf, embracing the spirit animal that had always been with me. The earth beneath my feet began to rumble, the thunderous noise of the others as they roared their appreciation echoing.

  Within seconds, Tyler had also transformed, immediately lunging for my jugular. As we began to fight, the other Lycans retreated, yet remained on the outskirts. Within those precious seconds as the fight ensued, claws ripping into skin, I gathered the sight, able to see exactly what the monster had planned.

  And what he would do to my mate.

  I’d tried for so many years to push aside who and what I was. As the sun began to dip along the tree line, highlighting the glorious beasts, I knew my wolf would always be a guiding spirit, a part of me. I kicked out, thrusting him down, standing over him as I bared my teeth, releasing a battle cry.

  Tyler responded, rolling to the right, raking me with his claws, his growl as intense as mine. Within seconds, I lunged, propelling him against a tree, knocking the wind out of him.

  He refused to be defeated, roaring as he thrust his body in my direction, landing several punches into my kidneys and jaw. My anger swelled and I lashed out, the hard blow catching him just under the chin. Once again, he was tossed onto the ground, his breathing ragged.

  I moved closed, wiping blood from my mouth before dropping to my knees, wrapping my hand around his neck. I lowered my head, snarling. Time to finish this.

  The carnage and near war hadn’t been about perceived noble revenge for the past or fear for his people. Tyler had broken the trust of his pack as well as what was left of his humanity and for that, I sentenced him to death.

  As I bit down on his skin, twisting and turning my head, visions of Kathleen were a reminder of the man inside, the passion and joy I’d shared with her. Then there was blackness.

  Nothing.

  As if she was gone.

  The rumble of the earth wasn’t brought on by another swarm of wolves, but an explosion entirely manmade in nature. As I swung my head in the direction of the garage, flames licked into the air, the entire building erupting from a fire meant to destroy my life.

  And my future.

  And as I threw my head back, the cry of desperation and pain was no longer wolf but entirely man.

  Her lover.

  Her master.

  Her protector.

  Her wolf.

  “No!”

  Chapter Sixteen

  Max

  Death.

  Destruction.

  Anger.

  I knew all three well, far too much so. I also knew something else that had become my friend.

  Whiskey.

  The damn liquor tasted better today than it had in some time. I’d been responsible for the avoidance of a war, but in my mind, that was little comfort. I wanted nothing more than to drown my sorrows in a damn bottle of booze.

  I dropped my head, closing my eyes.

  “Come here, little pet,” I growled, pointing to the floor.

  Kathleen dropped onto all fours, purring as she crawled forward, her eyes never leaving mine. “What do you hunger for?”

  “From you? Everything. Every. Damn. Thing. Including your full submission.” As she wrapped her hand around my cock, I threw my head back, howling into the wind.

  “Yes, sir.”

  “Fuck,” I snarled, slamming my fist against the railing. The fantasy was bittersweet.

  As I heard the rumble of a motorcycle coming up the driveway, I wanted nothing more than to retreat to the cabin, but it wasn’t something I’d been able to do. I was alpha after all. Besides, there could be some news about my father. He lay close to dying, the strongest wolf I’d ever known reduced to a shell of himself from the frailties of a disease I thought only humans were capable of getting.

  Cancer was really the ugliest beast.

  I’d laughed more than once at the irony. There was no rogue wolf, no disease lying in wait, at least from what I’d been able to ascertain with the help of the leaders of other packs.

  Including the Lycans.

  Perhaps my idea of a summit meeting of sorts was too conventional, but I didn’t believe there was a Wolfen prepared for life on the run. There would be peace among us as long as I was in charge. I felt sorry for Brody, his taste for blood preventing him from being reformed. There was no chance he could walk life as a human again. For now, he was imprisoned in a safe location until I made the determination what to do with him.

  As far as the rest of the Wolfen, they’d returned to normal, going about their day to day lives as if an actual war hadn’t almost ensued.

  It was only their new leader who would never see life again in the same way.

  As Stone eased out of the cab of his truck, he shoved his hands into his pockets. “You just going to sulk for the rest of your life?”

  “It doesn’t appear I actually have a life,” I said, half smiling. I had my work, still maintaining a presence as a special agent. Still pissing off my boss. I was also working with the local police in the investigation that had ensued on Kelly Industries. Tyler’s blackmail scheme and his threats had been fairly widespread. At least I’d been able to protect Kathleen’s father from criminal charges. The poor man had merely been worried about his daughter’s life.

  In other words, there was a hell of a lot of work yet to do in cleaning up the mess. At least it would keep me busy for a few weeks if not months. That would protect my mind to some degree from thinking about Kathleen, the heartache keeping me awake at night.

  “You need to move on with your life,” Stone said as he glanced up at the sun. While I couldn’t see his eyes given the thick, dark shades, I alread
y knew what he was thinking, the admonishment clear.

  “Not that easy, my friend. You’ve never been in love.”

  He laughed, kicked his boot against the dirt. “You don’t know that, Max. In fact, you don’t know me at all.”

  I offered him the bottle of whiskey, half surprised he grabbed it out of my hand, taking a long swig. “When I was in medical school, I was a playboy at first, until the sweetest girl dragged me to my knees with a single look one day in class. That was it for me.”

  “And what happened?”

  He took another long pull before answering. “I realized that she was far too fragile for a man like me. She deserved a hell of a lot better.”

  His words troubled me, another forced realization that we were truly animals in our own eyes. “I wish I could offer words of wisdom.”

  “Yeah, well...” He allowed the words to linger before yanking off his sunglasses. “That’s why I’m here. You just got to get over this.”

  “But she was my mate.”

  He took a swagger closer, planting his steel-toed boot on the bottom stair. “Then you do what any wolf must do.”

  I yanked the bottle out of his hand, taking a hard swig myself. This wasn’t the good stuff my father had bought. This was rotgut shit, the only thing I was in the mood for. The burn was exactly what I needed to feel. “And what’s that?”

  He fisted his hand, holding his arm in front of me. “You fight. You take what belongs to you.”

  I sucked in my breath, barely hearing his words, the wolf inside of me clawing at the surface once again.

  “You. Are. Wolfen. The alpha. And she belongs to you.”

  * * *

  Kathleen

  “You belong to me.”

  The word, his words lingered in my mind. I hadn’t been able to get them or the man out of my thoughts for days. I stood at the window of my apartment, holding out both arms. By all rights, I should be dead, the fire nearly consuming me, stealing away a life I’d fought so hard to save. But I was healed. No scars. No burn marks of any kind.

  And the only reason?

  Because I was a wolf.

  I shivered, holding my arms and trying to drown out the lovely jazz music my sister had insisted on playing. She deserved to have her happiness and I was in no mood to play maid of honor. The damning events had taken a significant toll, and not only on my physical body but my heart and soul.

  I’d pushed Max away, fearful of what I was becoming, terrified that I’d succumb to some desire to kill people. Eat them. I half laughed at the thought. I’d read everything I could find on the Wolfen, although there was very little on the internet. They weren’t true werewolves, or so Max had told me.

  Then what the hell were they? Even all the memories of what my grandmother had told me didn’t seem real.

  “Do you think red roses or white?”

  Somewhere in my mind I heard Celia’s question, I just found it difficult to respond.

  “Or how about black?” she added.

  I finally bit back a moan before forcing a chuckle and turning in her direction. The look on her face was the same as she’d given me every time before. “I like black. Black is perfect.”

  “In your world,” she huffed, reaching for her glass of champagne. “The last time I checked, we were supposed to be celebrating.”

  Celebrating. As if I felt any desire to. “Of course. What was your question again?”

  Celia lifted a single eyebrow them patted the cushion on the sofa beside her. “Get your ass over here.”

  I found it difficult to drag myself away from the window. The damn case had been blown wide open, several highly respected people arrested for what was little more than a Ponzi scheme. While my father’s name had been mentioned for indictment, there’d been no push to arrest him. The poor sucker had been blackmailed by a true monster, falling into an abyss after further being pushed by several prominent citizens. I rubbed my eyes, trying to keep from laughing at the ridiculous nature of the reason my father would continue to be a free man.

  He’d been blackmailed by a wolf, the threats horrible and extreme. I understood his fear, his loss of sleep and sanity. How could there be wolves living as humans issuing threats in a savvy manner?

  At least the proposed development for Roselake was off the books—so to speak. The various investors had distanced themselves given the murders. Sadly, Kelly Industries stock had taken a significant hit, my father losing a good portion of his fortune. Even the majority of the board members had resigned. The fiasco was a terrible blow for the city.

  Even the medical examiner had been indicated, although her involvement was little more than faking a few tests. Her very sick daughter had been threatened by Tyler in his disgusting drive to take over the world.

  Or at least the Wolfen.

  I shifted closer, my feet heavy, finally sitting down beside my sister. Celia had asked very few questions, commenting little on the fact I’d healed from my significant injuries within days. She’d merely remained by my side in the hospital along with my mother, fawning over me as the two women usually did when I was sick or had fallen into some level of despair.

  This was entirely different and I had no words to explain anything I’d been through.

  Celia grabbed the bottle of champagne, topping off both glasses. The hard thud as she placed the heavy crystal back onto the table was an indication of her mood. “Take a glass. We are freaking celebrating whether you like it or not.”

  “Yes, ma’am.” I laughed as I grabbed the glass, lifting it into the air. “I’m very glad that Zane is such an incredible man.” I’d been completely wrong about him and was happy to admit it.

  She moved her glass from one hand to the other before even clinking together the crystal stems. “You’re miserable.”

  “I’m... fine.” I realized my hand was shaking even offering the words.

  “No, you’re not. You’re my big sister and I know you better than anyone. I realize you’re worried about Dad, but he’ll regroup. He always does. You need to concentrate on you.”

  “Celia, I’m working on finishing the case and trying to move on.”

  She tipped her head in my direction, her face scrunching. “You miss Max. You need Max. He was the only person, the only man to make you happy in your entire life.”

  His face shifted into my mind; the dominating yet gorgeous smile, the way his eyes raked over me the moment I walked into a room. “We’re not good for each other.”

  “In what language?”

  “You don’t understand.”

  Celia took a gulp of her champagne, keeping her face tilted away from me as she spoke. “Because he’s Wolfen?”

  I was floored beyond belief, words stuck in my mouth for a full five seconds. “How... do you know that?”

  She glanced in my direction. “Father. He told me some things I didn’t believe. Then I started paying attention and reading. When you almost died yet miraculously healed within days, I knew. Max turned you.”

  “No. It’s just a myth, some crazy legend.”

  “And you know better.” She finally turned toward me, taking my hand. “I don’t know exactly what’s going on and God knows I still find it difficult to believe, but I know you love him. You are meant to be with him.”

  “I can’t.” I shivered at the thought once again.

  “You mean you won’t.”

  “Yes.”

  Sighing, Celia stood, moving away yet sweeping her arm around the room. “I’m engaged. I’ve never been happier. I found the love of my life. Don’t you deserve the same thing?”

  “Um... Yes, but reality has to set in. There are no such things as wolves or creatures of the night.”

  “Why can’t there be? And how do you explain the fact you healed? Every doctor in the hospital said you should be dead right now, your burns were that extensive. Here you are, my beautiful and intelligent yet hard-headed sister. Tell me how to understand that.”

  I had no words, e
ven though I did get it. I knew. I was Wolfen.

  “Go to him, Kathleen. He is the love of your life. Whether or not he’s some magical creature that we don’t understand just can’t matter.” She laughed softly, shaking her head. “I know how crazy that sounds, but you two belong together.”

  “I just... I can’t.”

  “Why?” she demanded.

  I had no honest answer. “Too complicated.”

  “Then uncomplicate it. Period.”

  The knock on the door forced a growl from my lips but as soon as I stood, I found myself lightheaded, my heart racing.

  Max.

  He was here.

  He’d come to find me.

  To take me.

  I pressed my fingers across my lips. “I don’t know if I can do this.”

  “Follow your heart, sister. That will always be the answer.”

  I gave her a look before walking toward the door, hesitating for a few seconds before opening it. There was no hesitation, no understanding really of why I craved this man.

  My lover.

  My mate.

  But there was no turning back. He was everything I’d ever wanted, the force of nature behind my excitement, and the man who would be in my life forever.

  Come hell or high water.

  While I might not understand what I’d become, the dark cravings and longings that I couldn’t seem to get away from, I knew what I needed.

  Max.

  “You are mine. Period. And you’re coming with me,” Max said in a husky voice, his penetrating eyes more intense than I’d ever seen them. As he reached out, yanking me against his chest, I’d never felt so protected or loved.

  And I wanted this.

  This man and this life.

  God help me, I was a wolf.

  * * *

  A spanking.

  He was serious. Again.

  “You know you deserve this. You left me without talking to me. You refused to believe anything I was telling you. And what was worse, you couldn’t trust me,” Max said in a dominating tone.

  “I do trust you,” I whispered. I trusted him more than anyone. More than any human at least. We’d spent two days sequestered together, the passion swelling to the point we were little more than ravenous animals. And still, I hungered for him.