“Did you recognize their voices?”
“No,” she managed to wheeze and took another huge inhale. “I don’t know who they were.” A terrifying thought slammed into her mind. “Grimm! Do you think they hurt Carla?”
“Doubtful. Those men are on a mission. Their purpose will be their target, which they specifically said is you.”
“Well, at least I don’t have to be afraid for her safety.”
“There’s no need for you to be frightened at all. Once you’re settled, I’m taking the fight to them, and I’ll win.”
“What do you mean?”
“They’re looking for a small woman, not a large wolf.”
Lacy could barely believe what she was hearing, and though she knew shifters were real, it was as if she had been thrown into an altered reality.
“Will you show me?”
Grimm craned his neck back with a curious look on his face. “Now?”
“Uh huh.”
“Remember that you have nothing to fear from me or my wolf.”
“Alright.”
Grimm slid his backpack to the ground before whipping his shirt off and handing it to her.
The transition happened so quickly, Lacy barely had time to blink. Where Grimm had stood in his human form, there was an enormous wolf. Its fur was thick, black, and shiny, mirroring the Grimm Lacy knew.
In a mix of awe and shock, Lacy dropped onto the ground on her knees. The beast took a step towards her, and then another. Their eyes were locked on each other and, to her surprise, she didn’t feel a single twinge of apprehension.
She raised her hand out to him.
“May I touch you?”
Clearly understanding her, he padded forward and lowered his head when he reached her. Lacy sunk her fingers into his hair. In response, a low rumble came from his chest, and he pressed closer to her, encouraging her exploration.
The sound of the downpour and the thunder above them, coupled with the intonations Grimm made, infused Lacy with a sense of calm and certainty that, like he had told her, he would protect her and not fail.
She closed her eyes, allowing herself to give over to the emotions she had for Grimm. The ones that had been cut short because of the predicament they found themselves in at that moment.
When her lashes parted, Grimm had changed and was looking at her in his human form. They remained where they were, and Grimm closed the small distance between them. His lips met hers in a soft caress and, with a sigh, she sank into it. His chest was still bare, and she released her clutch on the material to wrap her arms around his neck.
The man had laid claim to her, and Lacy was ready to let him do it completely. It didn’t matter that they were in the wilderness while a storm was building into a rage around them. She wanted Grimm.
“Take me.”
“If I do, there’s no going back to your old world, Lacy.”
What Grimm said didn’t trigger anxiousness about their being together. In its place, a sense of belonging swelled. As Lacy let the memories of her prior years flow through her mind, she realized they hadn’t treated her nearly as well as Grimm had in the little time they had known each other. She’d vowed to throw caution to the wind in Dark Moon Falls, and her instincts hadn’t been wrong in following her true self.
“Why would I want that life when I can have one with you?”
Chapter Eighteen
Joy rushed through Grimm at Lacy’s agreement to be his. He glanced around at their muddy, rain-soaked surroundings. When he made love to his mate for the first time, it wouldn’t be in that setting.
“Not here.”
“Alright.”
Grimm picked up his shirt and put it back on before shoving his arms through his backpack to have it rest on his chest rather than his spine. He crouched down and gestured behind him.
“Put your pack on, and then climb onto me.”
She didn’t hesitate and did as he asked. Once her legs and arms were wrapped around him, he took off. His gait was slow in the beginning, allowing Lacy to get used to his carrying her, and adjusting her hold to be more secure.
“Hang on, Lacy. I’m going to go at my full speed. I’ll tell you to brace when I need to leap. Don’t let go. No matter what.”
“I won’t. Promise.”
Grimm broke into a run, racing through the trees so quickly they began to be a blur, and the raindrops pelted against his skin like pieces of tiny hail. He switched direction, angling to a higher steep. He cornered around an immense boulder, staying as near to the tree line as he could in order to shield their visibility. Flowing water was ahead. It was a stream too wide and cold to try to traverse by swimming, and Grimm pressed himself harder to gain the speed he would need to make the jump across it.
Lacy said into his ear, “Grimm?”
He smiled though she couldn’t see it, and quipped, “Do you like flying?”
“What?”
“Hold on to me!”
His feet slammed into the ground as he grew closer to the edge of the water. Spying a rock overhanging the stream, he headed towards it and felt Lacy tighten around him as he sped upwards to the scraggly end.
Just before Grimm leaped, he shouted, “Don’t look down!”
They sailed through the air, over the rushing water, and landed hard on the other side.
Lacy grunted, “Ouch!”
Wanting to check on her, Grimm sniffed the air, glancing around to make sure that he had progressed a sufficient distance from the waterway and into the forest to avoid being seen. Once satisfied, he lowered himself, and Lacy eased off of him.
Turning to face her, he looked her over. “Are you okay?”
“Yeah. I got jostled a little rough is all.”
“Do you need a break?”
“How close are we?”
“Very.”
Lacy wiped a hand over her wet face and wrung out her hair. “I’d like to get warm and dry, so let’s keep going.”
“Fair warning, we’re going to have to climb.”
“Using rappelling ropes? I’ve done that before.”
Grimm shook his head and showed her his hands. He allowed his claws to lengthen to their sharp points.
“With these.”
Chapter Nineteen
“That damn thing took off with her before I could get a shot off.”
“Stop waving your gun around, Doug! I’m scared you’re going to shoot me by accident. Put it in your holster. You don’t even know if it was her.”
“Who else would it have been, Ron? Hey, did you see the guy she was with? That fucker was big.”
“Yeah, he was. Look. We can’t just shoot everybody in these mountains. The boss doesn’t want a bloodbath, just her dead for the insurance money.”
Both of the men’s breathing was labored, and Doug leaned against a tree trunk.
Ron pulled his cell phone from his pocket, seeing that he had no signal. Doug shoved his weapon into the holster at his waist and promptly fell into the mud.
He shouted, “Fuck it! I give up. We need to go back to town and wait for the other team. Those mercenaries are trained for this kinda shit. We aren’t.”
“Yeah, I agree. And I want to get somewhere warmer than this, maybe eat some food too. We could hang out at that diner back in town and wait for word the job’s done.”
“You think they’ll be that fast?”
“I overheard one of them say they’d track her down and make it quick.”
The men followed the same pathway they had taken when entering the forest to exit it. As they walked, the rain pelted down harder, and lightning sparked in the sky above them.
Ron said, “We gotta hurry. This storm ain’t playing around.”
Despite their desire to return to their vehicle as quickly as possible, the men were hampered by the slippery ground and darkness falling around them. A couple of hours passed before their car came into view. Pointing to where it sat, Ron yelled, “There it is! Let’s go!”
&nb
sp; Running the rest of the way, they jumped inside and slammed the doors behind them. Doug cranked the engine and turned on the heater to high.
Ron rubbed his hands together and blew on them. “Hey, they’ll be able to take the wolf out too with what they’re packing.”
“Fucking freaks. All of them. I can’t wait to get out of here, and be around normal people like us.”
“I hear that.”
As they waited for the team, the windows fogged, and Doug wiped his window with his hand. “I think that’s them.”
“The black van?”
While they watched, what looked like a group of hikers stepped out of the vehicle, carrying large backpacks that appeared to be fully loaded and heavy. The zipper of one wasn’t completely closed and the dark muzzle of a rifle stuck out of it, telling the truth of their reason for being there. Each of them was wearing earpieces that were obscured by the beanies pulled low on their heads.
If the weather bothered them, none of them showed it. A moment later and the team jogged into the woods, disappearing into the forest.
Doug murmured, “She’s a goner. Him too.”
Chapter Twenty
Lacy stared upwards at the sheer cliff that Grimm intended to climb with her hanging onto his back. He’d taken care of her so far, and she believed he thought he could make the journey safely. She wasn’t as certain.
“Are you sure?”
“I need to get the packs up there first. Watch me. When you see my speed, precision, and agility, you’ll trust me.” Grimm went to stand behind her and wrapped an arm around her waist. He jostled her a bit, and said, “It really isn’t that high, maybe 100 feet.”
“If you say so.”
Grimm let her go and stepped away. “Stay there, beautiful.”
“Be careful.”
He smiled at Lacy. “Where’s the fun in that?”
Grimm slung the bags, taking one over each shoulder, and then leaped onto the rock. He clung there easily by embedding his claws into the stone despite the falling rain making the side slick. Lacy held her breath as she stared at him while he hauled himself higher.
He called out, “Are you looking?”
“Yes!”
Grimm let go of the cliff with his right hand and waved down to her. He swung in the air left and right, and Lacy’s heart jumped in her chest.
“Oh, my God, Grimm!”
“It’s fine. I’m in total control.”
His chuckle filtered down to her, and she shook her head.
Lacy muttered, “Show off.”
“I heard that.”
Grimm disappeared over the crest, only to quickly return into her view. Lowering himself over the side, he eased his way to the ground and hopped off. “Ready? We need to move to shelter. We don’t know how many of them there were, or how well trained they are. They didn’t seem the outdoorsy type, though, from what they said and what I could catch they were wearing. The storm is going to grow even more intense and will hamper even the best equipped and trained. My guess is that they’ll come back in the morning and stake out the trail we were on when I scented them.
“And that’s perfect for me. I’d rather spend the rest of the night with you, learning how best to give you pleasure, so I can do it easily and often.”
If Lacy lived through the trek to the top, she was all in for what Grimm had in mind, and she nodded.
After she got into place onto him as she had before, he said, “Close your eyes if it makes this easier for you.”
Once again, Lacy thought Grimm had a fantastic idea, and she sealed her lids tight while she whispered a prayer to keep her mind occupied and not focused on the height Grimm was ascending.
He leaped onto the wall, and Lacy heard as gravel cracked and some pieces crashed to the ground. She tried not to imagine her body doing the same.
Grimm said, “What are you doing?”
“Asking God for a favor.”
He continued to pull them upwards at a steady pace. “Did he say yes?”
“I don’t know yet.”
Her grip on her rain-slicked arms was starting to slip, and she clutched herself as firmly as she could, pressing away the panic bubbling in her veins and threatening to take her over. If she allowed herself to devolve into a frozen state, she wouldn’t be able to react to save herself if she lost her grip around Grimm.
“When will you?”
Her teeth chattered when she responded. “Hopefully, in the next minute or so.”
Sounding as relaxed as ever, Grimm said, “We’re halfway up.”
Lacy yelped, unexpectedly feeling his warm palm on her ass. He patted it, and then shoved her upwards to a more secure spot on him. She noted that he hadn’t touched her with his sharp points and marveled at his having such an ability to use them at will.
“I’ll go faster. I was taking my time for your comfort, but your energy is drained after the day’s exertions. I hadn’t considered that.”
“Please, Grimm.”
His hands slammed into the cliffside harder and more quickly as he continued their flight upwards. Even so, he checked on her frequently to adjust her until he reached the summit.
When he did, he grabbed her arms around his neck and pulled her up and over him. She slid over his back, grasped the earth once she could reach it, and clambered to the safety within the cave. She went to sit against a stone wall far away from the entrance. Her breath was coming in panicked inhales and exhales as she couldn’t contain the terror from spreading anymore.
Warmth enveloped her as Grimm gathered her to him and gently rocked her. He didn’t utter a word of derision, or tell her to snap out of it like another man probably would. He also didn’t try to get her naked the minute they were alone, and she knew by what she could feel pressing against her backside that he wanted to. Her Grimm simply waited for her emotions to ride themselves out.
When he spoke, he gently said, “It was scary for you, and I’m sorry for that. Would a fire help?”
Lacy looked up into his face from where she was in his lap. The concern he had for her was evident in his scrunched together eyebrows and pursed lips. His genuine thoughtfulness touched her, and some of the fear she held melted away. Grimm wouldn’t have let her fall to her death. She knew that in her heart. He’d checked on her almost the entire trip up the cliff to make sure she was all right. And he was doing the same thing now to calm and comfort her.
“I think so.”
“I’ll get you a blanket until it’s ready.”
Grimm lifted her, carried her to the thick mattress on the floor, and set her on it. He wrapped the coverlet around her, and she held it close. She then took a moment to look at her surroundings. She hadn’t noticed, but the area was stocked with everything they would need, aside from a shower or flushing toilet. She decided to ask him about the facilities later when she needed them.
Grimm went to the back of the cave, and when he returned, he carried a load of chopped wood to a circle of stones. He tossed them into the center of it, and then using a bit of kindling, started a tiny spark. He leaned towards it, blowing gently, and it began to spread.
Lacy watched him as he worked, preparing their space for the remainder of the afternoon and night or, as she thought about it, however long they would be there. She had no idea. Her entire world had changed the moment she’d stepped foot into Dark Moon Falls.
Chapter Twenty-One
Grimm sensed the moment Lacy’s energy tapped out. He’d been glad they weren’t higher up when it happened. He’d been a quarter of the way up, not the half he’d told her. A fib, but a necessary one in his estimation. He’d made sure of her security, though he had wondered how he might be able to climb holding her with one hand, only using his other to ascend. Thankfully, she was safely ensconced in what he considered home, wrapped in material containing his scent which would transfer from it to her skin. Should he be unsuccessful is his attack on her predators, his pack would recognize her as his and protect her. But he had a
n even better plan for making sure she was covered in his individual aroma—doing that via skin-to-skin contact.
Squatting beside the fire, he allowed his gaze to wander over Lacy. Her clothes were stuck to her, and her hair was dripping water. She needed to get dry before she got sick. Grimm didn’t know much about humans, but from what he’d heard on TV commercials, it seemed they had an odd tendency to get ill in their chests from being cold.
Grimm stood, approached Lacy and held out his hand. “You should take off your clothes and then get closer to the fire.”
Lacy nodded. “You’re right. That’s Basic Survival 101. Thanks for giving me a minute to gather myself.”
She got up and dropped the blanket onto the mattress. Facing him, she bent down and unlaced her boots before yanking them and her socks off. She then slipped her tops off.
“Toss them to me.”
Lacy did, and he laid them out on the floor.
She unbuttoned her pants, shimmied them over her hips and got out of them. Grimm roamed over her with his eyes until he met hers, and a deep rumble resounded in his chest. He’d wanted to express to her how sexy and alluring she was to him and dispel any notion of issues she might have with her body, but his wolf was ahead of him in doing that.
Taking a step towards her, he said, looking at her as desire to take her raged through him, “You’re so beautiful, Lacy. I’d like to remove the rest myself. May I?”
She whispered, “Yes, Grimm.”
Grimm went behind her, pulled the material of her sports bra away from her skin with one hand, and with the other extended a single claw to slice through it from the top to the bottom. Lacy remained where she was while he eased the straps from her shoulders and it fell to the floor. Grimm slid his palms over her ribs, and she leaned against him as he filled them with her breasts. Her nipples pebbled, hardening into peaks that Grimm couldn’t wait to wrap his lips around. Lowering his head to her neck, he nuzzled her and groaned when her feminine scent rose in the air. He let go of her and took hold of the sides of the last bit of cloth hiding her from him. A moment later and they sailed across the room.
Dark Moon Falls: Volume 2 Page 75
