"Won't I? I think it's long past time I force the issue. You will be mine, if I have to fuck you without your consent."
She stilled. He wouldn't do that. She'd tell everyone he raped her. Though it wouldn't matter at that point. Once he took her, she would be forever bound to him.
And he knew that. Had he become so desperate to have her he was willing to resort to rape?
Don't do this, Peter. Don't ruin both our lives.
He pushed her forward, heading for the bedroom. Okay, time to think. She had to clear her head. She had to force herself to relax, calm down and stem the panic that bubbled up in her suddenly dry throat. She had to think this through, figure out how to stop him before it was too late.
As a human she was no match for him. Peter was much taller and stronger. But as a wolf, she'd stand a better chance of either wounding him in some way or maneuvering her way free so she could run.
"Peter, stop this. You don't want me this way."
His voice was barely recognizable, dripping with sarcasm. "I'll take you any way I can get you. With or without your consent. Trust me, Katya. You'll like it. I'm good, baby. Really, really good. I'll have you whimpering to come in no time at all."
The visuals conjured up by his words made her nauseous. But she let him push her down the hall, relaxing against him as if she'd given up the fight and would go along with him now.
In response, he loosened his hold, enough that when he laid her down on the bed she forced the shift. Her teeth elongated first and before he had a chance to pin her down, she sank them deep into his arm.
Peter screamed and yanked his arm away. "You bitch! You'll pay for that!"
She scrambled off the bed but he caught her hair before she could escape the bedroom. Tears filled her eyes as he dragged her back by her ponytail, then threw her to the floor, shifting partially so that his strength overpowered her. Pulling his arm back, he struck her across the face, his unsheathed claws tearing into her skin. An explosion rocked her temporarily blind. Searing fire burned along her temple and cheek, rendering her momentarily dazed.
While she fought for clarity, he sat on top of her middle and began to tear at her clothes.
No! No, no, no! This was not going to happen!
Dizziness pounded at her and she struggled to keep Peter's face in focus. Warm liquid oozed down her neck. She didn't need to touch it to know it was blood.
He ripped her shirt open, reaching for her breasts and squeezing them so hard that pain shot through her.
"You're going to pay for making me wait," he growled. "And for riding that bastard Devlin instead of me!"
She wished she was still dressed instead of just her long shirt and underwear. He quickly tore her panties, reaching for the zipper of his pants and yanking it down.
Bile rose up in her throat and she was afraid she'd throw up. She was too angry to feel the fear. Too livid to just lie there and let him rape her. No way was she giving up without a fight. She tamped down the nausea and continued to force her body to change, her strength growing more with each passing second.
It was a race to see which one of them could complete the transformation first, since he could easily take her in wolf form, too. Her fingernails became claws and she lashed out at him with wolf strength, pushing him off long enough to scramble onto her haunches and tear into his upper arm with her teeth. Peter screamed, but his rage made him stronger and he jumped back on top of her, flipping her over onto her stomach and pressing his knee into her upper back.
She couldn't breathe! He'd cut off her oxygen, the shock delaying her ability to completely change. But he'd had plenty of time, nearly half shifted now and growing in strength.
"I want to take you like this. Human to human. I want to hear you scream when I sink my cock into you."
"I won't scream for you, you sonofabitch," she managed between gasping breaths. "And if you rape me, you will suffer the consequences," she bit back, her teeth clenched in an effort to force him off her.
His laughter spoke of near hysteria. "I know the laws here as well as you. Lupine law supersedes human and you know that. Now spread your legs so I can take what's mine."
She'd die fighting him before she ever let him touch her. She'd just wait him out again, relax enough that he'd let down his guard. Only this time she'd go for his throat.
But when she felt the tip of his cock against her buttocks, she began to worry. If he succeeded in penetrating her, all was lost. He could rightly claim her as his.
Sweat poured from her as she fought. Her skin burned where his claws dug in to hold her down. When he growled and ripped into her shoulder with his teeth, she knew she had to do something now. But she couldn't breathe with his weight on top of her. Without air, she couldn't struggle, couldn't fight.
Goddamn it! She hated being a woman.
Peter would pay for this. Somehow, someway, if she had to kill the prick herself, he'd pay for what he was about to do. She gritted her teeth and prepared to fight him, no matter the outcome.
Suddenly, his weight on her eased, then disappeared.
She sucked in a breath, oxygen filling her compressed lungs, then flipped over, stunned to see Conner snarling at Peter as he held him in a chokehold. Peter dug his claws into Conner's forearm in an effort to pull him off. Despite the fact the men were about equal in size, Conner controlled him as if he was a small pup.
Katya struggled to stand, then dragged the cover off the bed and wrapped it around herself. Exhausted from that slight effort, she flopped onto the edge of the bed, her limbs shaking too hard to stand.
"Are you all right?" Conner asked, still maintaining his hold on Peter.
Her throat was dry and she was near tears, hating her body's reaction to this event. She nodded and croaked out, "Yes."
Conner turned his attention to Peter, squeezing Peter's throat tighter. "When a woman says no, it means no," Conner snarled. "Haven't you ever learned that?"
"She's mine!" Peter choked, his face red with fury. "She's always been mine."
Conner's lethal smile was unnerving. As was his calm voice when he said, "Didn't look to me like she was yours. In fact, what happened in here looks suspiciously like attempted rape."
Peter stilled. "You have no authority here. Stay out of our business."
"I'm here, and I'm knee-deep in your business, dumbass. Pay real close attention because I'm only going to say this once. You touch her again--I'll kill you."
"And I said--"
Peter's next words were cut off because Conner growled, his claws extending further until a line of red appeared at Peter's throat, precariously close to a vital artery. "Are you listening now?"
Katya couldn't resist the upward curve of her lips as Peter finally stopped struggling. His eyes looked like they were going to pop out of his head, his cheeks red and puffed out as he struggled to speak. "Yes. I hear you!"
Noah tore through the doorway, skidding to a halt. His gaze darted in all directions of the room, quickly assessing what move to make first. "Got everything under control in here?"
Conner nodded, his face and body returning to human state. "Yeah. Take this scum and lock him up somewhere until I've had a chance to talk to Katya."
Noah glanced over at Katya. Seeing the horror and anger on his face, she resisted the urge to smooth her tangled hair away from her face and wipe the blood from her cheek. She had to look a lot worse than she felt.
Then again, she felt pretty bad right now. "Is Elena with you?" she asked Noah.
"She was earlier, but then she left, saying she was going in to town to meet some friends and she'd be out the rest of the night."
Katya nodded. Elena knew many people in the valley and often stopped off to visit with them. She wouldn't be back until morning.
"You need me to go find her?" Noah asked.
Managing a smile despite the shooting pain in her cheek, she shook her head. "No, I'll be fine. Just get him out of my room."
"Gladly. Come on, prick. Doesn'
t take a rocket scientist to figure out what happened in here tonight. You're lucky Conner found you first. He's much nicer than I am. Otherwise you'd be dead by now."
Noah dragged Peter from the room. As soon as they were out of eyesight, her shoulders slumped and she began to shake, hating to show weakness in front of Conner but unable to prevent the physiological reaction to the attack. One of the drawbacks to being partially human--dealing with human biological functions.
And now a stranger tended to her. He sat next to her on the bed, looking as uncomfortable as she felt. Twice he lifted his hand as if he'd wrap his arm around her, then settled it down at his side again. Tension tightened the muscles of his thigh as it brushed against hers.
"Let me go get someone from the hotel to help you."
He stood but she reached for his arm. "Please don't. I don't want anyone to know." Calling attention to herself was never a good idea. And being lupine meant the hotel doctor couldn't be called in. Since Conner was well aware of that fact, she knew he wouldn't offer to fetch the physician.
He studied her, then nodded. "Tell me what you need."
Grateful he hadn't tried to treat her like a helpless woman, she said, "I'll be fine here alone."
"No, you're not going to be alone. I know enough about trauma to realize that's the last thing you need. You're injured. How about we start by cleaning you up and assessing the damage?"
She was almost afraid to look, but Conner was right. As it was, she could barely stand up.
"Any bones broken?"
She shook her head.
"Where does it hurt?"
Turning her head to look at him, she said, "Everywhere."
He grimaced. "Looks like it. Noah's right. I should have killed him."
"You made the right choice. My people will deal with him in their own way."
"Can you stand?"
She nodded. "Might need some help. My legs won't stop shaking."
"That's just a fight-or-flight reaction. From the looks of you, I'd say you put up one hell of a fight."
The pride in his voice made her smile. "I tried. Sonofabitch was bigger than me."
"Which is why he should have never forced himself on you like that. Goddamn it! It pisses me off when men get their rocks off by overpowering women."
He slid his hands under her arms and lifted her to a standing position, then let her lean on him as they moved into the bathroom. He seated her on the ample corner of the tub.
"Sit here. I'm going to run a bath for you and see if we can't eliminate some of the bloodstains."
We? What the hell did he mean by "we"? She watched him turn on the faucets and test the water temperature, then rummage through the bath salts on the edge of the tub. "This isn't quite muscle relaxing, but it'll do," he said, pouring some lavender salts under the tap water.
The smell of lavender shortly filled the room, relaxing her enough that her legs stopped shaking. "I think I can take it from here."
But instead of leaving, he crossed his arms and shook his head. "I'm not leaving you alone, and since your cousin's not here, you're stuck with me."
"I'm not bathing with you in the room."
"Yeah, you are, because I'm not leaving you alone."
His voice was commanding, yet gentle. Not at all like Peter's show of power. The fact he didn't coddle her or treat her like a victim was comforting. He was just...here. And that helped. Much as she'd rather have crawled into bed and pulled the covers over her head until she healed, Conner was right. She needed to clean up and assess the damage, at least estimate how long before the lupine part of her healed her body.
When the bath was full, Conner shut off the water and turned to her. "Drop the blanket and get in. I'll hold onto your hands for support."
Oh hell. He'd already seen her naked when he flew into the room and pulled Peter off her. She wasn't at her most attractive right now, though. Funny how that annoyed her. She dropped the blanket and reached for his hands, grateful for his strength as she wobbled a little lifting her leg over the edge of the tub. Conner squeezed her hands and stepped behind her, nestling his body against hers for support.
Nice. Hard, well-muscled body, she thought, then wondered how she could even think of a man's body after what she'd been through. It was probably a good sign, though, because it meant she was already beginning to heal.
Katya kept her gaze focused on the bathwater instead of on Conner, not wanting to see the reaction in his eyes. Would he cringe over the bruises that covered half her body? Damn, she'd fought harder than she thought judging from her injuries. And they hurt like hell, the cuts burning in the hot water. She settled in, laid her head against the cool back of the tub and closed her eyes.
Her eyes flew open when she felt something soft and warm against her injured cheek, only to find Conner had rolled up his shirtsleeves and was on his knees, leaning over the tub to press a washcloth to her face.
He smelled good. Not like cologne. Like soap. And man. Pure, sexy, his natural scent soaking into her senses.
"Does this hurt?" he asked, tenderly wiping the dried blood from her face.
"No." It felt good, actually. Getting Peter's scent off her was paramount. Despite the shock she knew she should feel, anger permeated her every thought. How dare Peter try to take what she hadn't offered?
She lay still while Conner washed her face and neck. Despite the fact he could see into the water, he didn't once glance down at her body. Instead, he focused on the areas he was cleaning. When he left and brought back a large bowl, then proceeded to lather up her hair and rinse it with clear water from the sink, she felt more like she'd been spending a day at a spa than recovering from a brutal attack.
"I think we got all the blood cleaned up. You ready to get out of there?"
She nodded and he lifted her, immediately wrapping a large bath towel around her. He held her hand as she stepped from the tub.
"Tell me where your nightgown is."
"Nightgown? I don't own any."
"What do you sleep in?"
"Usually, nothing. Unless it's really cold outside. Then I put on socks."
His eyes flamed for a brief second, then returned to normal again. "Here, wear this."
Now it was her turn to stare as he pulled off his long-sleeved shirt and took off the dark blue T-shirt underneath it. "It's clean. I just slipped it on after my shower, right before I heard the noises in here and ran in."
She was such an idiot! "I didn't even thank you for coming to help me."
"Not necessary. I'm glad I made it in time."
So was she, for reasons she couldn't explain.
He held his shirt out for her and she dropped the towel, his gaze flitting on her breasts for only a second before he met her eyes again. This time, that smoldering heat stayed around a little longer.
And she felt that heat. Felt it, and wondered how she could possibly feel attraction to someone after what she'd just been through.
She slipped his T-shirt over her head. It still held the warmth and smell of his body and she wanted to pull it closer against her skin.
"Again, thank you. Most people don't get involved in others' business. Most would have ignored the noises."
Reaching for his long-sleeved shirt, he shrugged into it and began to button it. "I'm not most people."
She was beginning to realize that.
Chapter Three
Conner poured two glasses of brandy, taking a moment to get his emotions under control before he stepped back into the room with Katya.
He still wanted to kill that sonofabitch. When he heard Katya's screams, he tore down the path and ripped open her front door, shocked to find Peter straddling her and ready to rape her. Blind rage filled him and he wanted to tear the lupine apart piece by piece. Instead, he'd forced common sense into his anger-soaked brain and lifted Peter off her bruised and bloody body, though he was perversely satisfied that she'd managed to wound the bastard a little.
The urge to choke the life from
him still thundered through his blood.
Weak men preyed on women. As a lupine, Peter was considered a danger. Any other pack would kill him. But Conner had to respect the lupine laws of the Braslieus. He could only hope Peter would receive the justice he deserved.
Staying on to help Katya bathe had been a lesson in frustration. But what was he supposed to do? He couldn't leave her alone. She'd obviously needed help. Yes, she was lupine and she'd heal, but they all healed at different speeds. And she was damn well battered. He'd had no choice but to stay and help her.
Not that it was a hardship. His thoughts hadn't once strayed toward the sexual arena.
Okay, maybe once. Or twice. Oh hell, his dick had been hard the entire time he'd bathed her. Despite the blood and bruise marks on her body, she was beautiful. Tough, yet vulnerable.
Quit thinking. It'll only get you in trouble.
He grasped the snifters of brandy along with the bottle and carried them into the living room. Katya sat snuggled in the corner of the sofa with a blanket wrapped around her legs. They'd compromised on the sofa after she refused to go to bed, saying she needed to sit up for a while, that she couldn't possibly sleep right now. Even though she'd told him she felt fine and he could leave, something prevented him from doing so.
Peter wouldn't be back to bother her tonight. Conner knew Noah would keep a watchful eye over him. But still, he felt compelled to stay.
She looked up as he approached, managing a tremulous smile. She was already starting to heal, the lupine recuperative powers working quickly. The massive gash along her cheek was no more than a faint red line now. By morning it would be gone. The bruises along her arms, neck and face were fading.
Katya was one strong woman. Most would have crumbled under an assault like that, even a lupine. But she had a steel backbone, showing more anger than fear. He admired her for that.
"How do you feel?" he asked, handing her the snifter.
She took a sip and licked her bottom lip. His cock twitched.
"Better. Thank you. You really don't have to stay."
"I know I don't. I want to." He took a long swallow, hoping the fiery liquid would numb his libido. Lusting after a woman who'd just suffered a near-rape wasn't a good idea. The last thing he wanted to do was frighten her or have her doubt his reason for staying.