“Now we will send her to the Howlund and be certain she meets her mate,” Master Two smirked in Y’s head. “And when we get there, I may need to…ah, borrow your voice for a moment, Y. I’m sure you won’t mind.”
“Can…can you do that?” Y’s fingers crept up to the chip implanted under his left ear again. Could the Master take over him enough to use his vocal chords and voice? If so, then he was in worse trouble than he had suspected.
“I do believe I can,” Master Two said. “Come now, let us follow the little female to her mate. What a delightful meeting that will be, I am sure. I cannot wait to see it!”
* * * * *
Kate was having the strangest dream—so vivid it almost seemed real. A sweet and somehow familiar scent had drifted from the garden and into her little room somehow. It tickled her nose until she got out of bed and followed it, walking slowly to the open door and taking a step into the garden.
Wait…why is the door open? asked a little voice in Kate’s brain. Didn’t you close it before you went to bed?
It was an interesting question, but not one that bothered her, for some reason. Kate walked out into the garden, feeling the cool grass tickle her bare feet. The soft breeze played with her hair, teasing the curling tendrils around her face in a mischievous way.
Kate frowned—what a lifelike dream! She couldn’t remember being able to feel such subtle sensations in any other dream she’d ever had.
Are you sure it’s a dream? asked the voice in her head—was it the voice of the Knowing?
Of course it’s a dream, whispered a new voice. It was familiar, though Kate couldn’t think where she had heard it before. You wouldn’t come out of the house and stand in the garden in the middle of the night for no good reason if you weren’t dreaming, would you?
Kate frowned. Where had she heard that voice before?
Never mind about that, the voice whispered. Since you’re having such a lovely dream, why not take a walk in the forest?
No, whispered the voice of the Knowing. No, Kate, don’t do it! You’re in danger!
But somehow she found herself doing it anyway. Her feet seemed to be moving independently of her brain or her intentions and before she knew it, she was on the border of the little plot of flowers, right among the tall, lily-like purple blossoms. Tante Corii’s voice seemed to echo in her head. “These are purple gloved staybacks. A male in his Beast form can’t stand the scent of them.”
Reflexively, Kate reached down and grabbed a handful of the long-stemmed flowers. A sharp tug and a twist and she had them. Carefully, she held them down by her side, keeping the small secret to herself—at least, she hoped she was. The strange dark voice that spoke in her brain didn’t say anything about them.
Kate clutched her bunch of flowers tightly as her feet carried her into the dark forest. What else could she do?
As the shadows of the trees closed around her, a long, animalistic howl sounded somewhere to her left. Kate’s skin prickled into goosebumps and her heart began to pound. Why was she doing this? Even in a dream, she knew it was dangerous. So why was she going into the Howlund at night with the full moons overhead and dangerous males all around?
Never mind, whispered that dark voice. Just keep going—keep going until you find him.
Until I find who? Kate thought desperately, but she was dreadfully afraid she already knew. It was Rone she was going to find. Rone in his Beast form.
But I can’t tame his Beast—I’m not ready, she thought. I can’t—
Suddenly a huge, naked male appeared before her—a male who wasn’t Rone.
A shaft of moonlight shining through the leaves above her seemed to light him from above as he towered over her. His eyes were a blank silver filled with nothing but hunger and lust.
Kate bit back a cry and pressed herself back into the shadows of the tree behind her. He was massive—over seven feet tall and covered in hair. Not just on his chest and his arms, like the Beast in the illustrations she’d been looking at earlier, either. No, this male looked like he was wearing a curly fur coat and a pair of trousers to match. Fur-form, indeed. In fact, aside from his face, the only part of him that didn’t seem to be completely covered in hair was his cock. It sprang up from between his thighs like a long, angry club, eager to pillage and despoil.
Oh my God—has he seen me? Kate tried to keep still, trembling in the shadows as she prayed the massive Beast-male would pass her by. But she had no such luck.
His face lifted and he sniffed the air. Then those blank, silver eyes turned to look right at her.
Night vision, Kate remembered. They have much sharper senses in Beast form. And here she was trying to hide in the shadows like a frightened rabbit, hoping the fox would be too slow and stupid to see it.
I’m the slow and stupid one, Kate thought frantically. I’ll never be able to outrun him. He’s going to kill me!
Or worse, breed her and form a bond with her—a bond she didn’t want with a man she didn’t know.
Oh God, what was she going to do?
The huge, hairy male snorted and moved towards her, a crafty look on his animalistic features. Clearly he had seen her and just as clearly he was moving in to kill…or to breed.
OhGodohGodohGod!
Kate felt frozen to the spot. She closed her eyes and clenched her hands into fists, the long stems of the staybacks crunching against her palm…
The staybacks! In her panic, Kate had forgotten she was carrying them. Now she realized they might give her a chance to get away—she hoped, anyway. Heart pounding in her throat, she waited until the huge Wulven male was right in front of her. Then, just as he was bending down to grab her, she lifted her arm and thrust the cluster of purple blossoms right in his face.
“Get away from me!” she shouted as loudly as she could. “Go on—get back you horny bastard!”
With an angry roar, the hairy male stumbled back. He was swiping at his eyes and nose as though Kate had shoved a bouquet of bees in his face instead of a bunch of flowers. But she didn’t have time to watch him—she’d bought herself some time but not much. The huge Wulven was blocking her way back to the cottage so there was only one way to run.
Gripping the flowers even tighter, Kate fled deeper into the woods.
Chapter Twenty-four
Rone paced the moonlit glade, waiting for his Beast. He had taken off his shirt and boots but he was waiting until he felt it coming closer to strip completely. But, though he had been holding it back by force of will for the past several days, now it seemed strangely reluctant to come out. He’d been waiting and pacing for hours as the moons rose overhead and began their convergence and still his Beast was playing coy, refusing to come to the surface even though he knew it wanted to.
“Come on,” he muttered angrily, speaking to the other half of himself. “Come on, what are you waiting for? You’ve been demanding to come out for days so why won’t you?”
Deep down, he knew the reason why. It was Kate—the Beast didn’t want to come out unless she was there. It wanted to breed her—to claim her and form an unbreakable bond that meant she could never leave them. But that wasn’t going to happen—not if Rone had anything to say about it.
“She’s not coming,” he told his Beast savagely. “And I wouldn’t let you at her, even if she did. The two of you are never going to meet—not if I have anything to say about it. So you might as well come out now because Kate will never be bred by you!”
Still, he felt its resistance, its unwillingness to reveal itself until it could have what it wanted—who it wanted—Kate.
“Fine,” Rone muttered to it. “Be stubborn if you want to. The moons are almost in full convergence. When they meet and fully overlap, you’ll be forced out and you know it. You—”
Suddenly a familiar voice screamed in the woods behind him.
“Get away from me!” it cried. “Go on—get back you horny bastard!”
Oh my Goddess—Kate—that’s Kate! Rone turned towards the dire
ction of the voice. Where was she? And who was after her? The woods were filled with Beasts tonight—it could be any male in the nearby town or the outlying areas. Any one of them—or a pack of them!
He knew it was dangerous to meet her with his Beast so close to the surface but he couldn’t let her be attacked and taken by any other male! A wave of protective anger rose in him and he felt the Beast surge inside him—now, it wanted to come out.
Grimly, he pushed it back down. He had to get to Kate and make sure she was all right, then escort her back to Tante Corii’s cabin before he could let it out. Had to—
Suddenly Kate burst into the clearing he had chosen for his change. She was wearing the long white and green petal dress Tante Corii had made for her against Rone’s wishes and her long, curly red hair was flying out behind her. There was panic in her luminous green eyes and a moment later, Rone saw why.
A huge male in his Beast form came charging out of the forest after her, trampling underbrush and breaking bracken as he ran. His arms were outstretched to grab at Kate’s flowing gown and there was a hungry lust in his pure silver eyes that caused Rone’s gut to knot tight with anger.
At the sight of another male threatening his female, Rone’s own Beast surged forward so strongly he could barely contain it.
Mine! it roared. She is mine!
For once, Rone agreed with it. Growling fiercely, he charged forward to meet the male, putting himself between the other Beast and Kate.
Taken by surprise, the male snarled and tried to get around him. He didn’t even want to fight—he just wanted to get to Kate and breed her.
Just the thought—the idea of any other male touching his female—made Rone so angry that for a moment his vision turned pure red as the Rage took him.
“You bastard,” he said thickly, shoving the other male’s broad, hairy chest as hard as he could. “Stay the fuck away from my mate!”
The other male snarled again and reached for him, his fingers hooked into claws. Rone ducked his clumsy lunge and plowed his fist into the Beast’s nose. There was a loud crunch and blood that looked black in the moonlight was suddenly pouring down the other male’s jaw and chin.
He made a wounded gurgling sound and clawed at his face while Rone stood between him and Kate, who had stopped just behind him.
“Get back,” Rone said harshly when the other male roared in anger and tried to come for Kate again. “Get back or I’ll fucking kill you.” He heard more than a little of his own Beast’s growl in his voice but he couldn’t help it. With Kate this close and in obvious danger, his other half was fighting to get out—determined not to let another male breed her.
The other male roared again but then Kate stepped around Rone and ran at him.
“Kate,” he shouted. “What in the Seven Hells do you think you’re doing? Get behind me!”
But she didn’t listen. Instead, she shoved something she’d been clutching in one hand directly into the other male’s face.
“Go away!” she yelled.
As the male roared and backed away, clawing at his face, Rone’s sensitive nose detected the stinging scent of stayback flowers. How in the world had Kate known to use them? And why had she come to the Howlund in the first place?
But such questions would have to wait. Rone stayed balanced on the balls of his feet, his fists ready in case the other male tried to come at Kate again.
But clearly the hairy Beast had had enough. Between Rone’s punishing punches and the fiery touch of the stayback flowers, he was no longer interested in pursuing Kate. Moaning and gurgling to himself, he stumbled off into the woods still pawing at his face.
“Rone?” Kate gasped in a high, frightened sounding voice. “Rone is he…will he come back?”
“I don’t think so.” He turned to her at last. “What are you doing here?”
“I don’t know.” She shook her head. “I…I thought it was a dream. But if it is, it’s the worst nightmare I’ve ever had and I don’t…don’t know how to wake up.”
“This is no dream,” Rone said grimly. “Come on, we have to get you out of here before my own Beast comes out.”
Even now he could feel it straining against the mental leash he kept it on. Mine…MINE! it was roaring, demanding to get closer to Kate, to taste her honey and breed her…to bond her completely.
No! he told it sternly. I told you, you can’t have her! But despite his struggle, he could feel it getting closer and closer to the surface, closer and closer to taking him over completely…
“Rone?” Kate was looking up at him with fear in her eyes now. “Rone, your eyes…the pupils are…are shrinking. They’re going silver.”
“Like I said, we don’t have much time. Come on, I know a short cut back to Tante Corii’s.” He grabbed her by the arm and walked as swiftly as he could. But when he got to the edge of the small clearing, his head smacked suddenly into something he couldn’t see. “What in the Seven Hells?” Rone rubbed his forehead and then tried again, pushing to get out of the clearing.
“It’s like the invisible barriers they had at Flame and Frost,” Kate said. She, too, was feeling in every direction, trying to find a way past the thing which blocked their path. But there didn’t seem to be an exit.
“In fact, it is exactly like those barriers. My master learned to make them while he was watching over your activities there,” a deep, male voice said.
“Who said that?” Rone looked around, his eyes narrowed and his nose open for the scent of the intruder. But he could smell nothing but Kate’s own sweet, feminine fragrance and a lingering trace of the spicy staybacks she still clutched. “Who are you? Show yourself,” he demanded.
“I am Y—the scion of Master Two of the Dark Kindred.” A tall figure stepped out from behind the shadow of some trees. “And I bear a message for him to give to your master, Commander Sylvan of the Kindred High Council.”
“He’s not my master,” Rone growled. “And if you want a message carried to him, do it yourself.”
Suddenly the voice changed, growing high and evil.
“Oh, I think not,” it said and cackled with laugher. “I think that after what is about to happen to your sweet little female tonight, you won’t be able to help telling him. Because you’ll want him to help you take revenge. Or try to, anyway.”
Rone felt a sick roiling in the pit of his stomach but he forced himself to keep his voice steady and calm.
“What are you talking about? Nothing is going to happen to Kate—I’ll protect her with my life.”
“From other males, yes, certainly you can protect her as we just saw,” the high, evil voice sneered. “But can you protect her from yourself? From the Beast that lives inside you? I doubt that you can, Wulven—doubt it very much. At least, not indefinitely. Look above you—the full moons are almost completely in convergence. When they fully overlap, your Beast will come out whether you want it to or not. And your sweet little mate will be waiting.”
“No!” Rone felt the panic rising inside but he tried to damp it down. “No, do whatever you want to me but let Kate go! Don’t do this to us!”
“Why shouldn’t I? I know about your mission, Wulven—I know how you’re supposed to find me and spy out my whereabouts. Well, let me tell you—you’ll never find me. Not until it’s too late!” The evil voice cackled laughter again and the short hairs on the back of Rone’s neck prickled and rose in response.
“You bastard,” he said hoarsely. “Why are you doing this? You’ve already stolen Kate’s memories. So what if we were sent to track you—that’s no reason to torture us any further.”
“It most certainly is,” the voice proclaimed. “You see, I’m planning on making a metaphor here. A tasty little allegory of what is to come. What you’re about to do to your little mate—the rape you’re about to perform on her—will be nothing…nothing to the rape I plan for the entire Kindred nation!” The voice rose in pitch and fury. “Tell Sylvan that I still remember what he did to my people—to the Dark Ki
ndred. I may have failed to ruin him in the past but I will not fail again.”
“Look, I’ll tell him anything you want, just let Kate go. Just…” Rone swallowed and heard a dry click in the back of his throat. “Just don’t make me hurt her. Please.”
“Too late for pleading,” the voice taunted. “The moons are almost fully converged and so I must leave you. Do enjoy breeding your mate, my dear Wulven. And don’t bother trying to get out—the force-field I’ve placed around you is a bio-chemical construction which can only be melted by the light of the sun. And I think that we both know by sunrise tomorrow morning, the deed will be done.”
Still cackling that high, ugly laughter, the dark shape faded back into the forest.
“Wait!” Rone heard the hoarse, awful panic in his own voice but he couldn’t stop it. “Wait—come back here, you bastard! Come back and let us out of here—or at least set Kate free!”
But it was too late. The figure—who must have been Two, the Dark Kindred himself—had melted into the gloom. He was gone and with him, any hope Rone had of getting his mate to safety.
Already he could feel his Beast straining to be free, its determination to get to Kate unstoppable. There was no way he could hold it in all night—the moons overhead were almost fully converged and it was about to break free.
He was going to do something he had sworn to never do to the woman he loved—something he would rather die than do but couldn’t avoid.
They were trapped and for Kate, there was no escape.
Chapter Twenty-five
“Kate, you have to get back from me. Get away!”
Rone’s deep voice was more than half growl and when he turned to her, Kate saw that his eyes were almost solid silver, the black of his pupils swallowed by the pure, metallic color.
“I would, but…where can I go?” Kate backed away from him, measuring the small, roughly circular clearing they stood in. They were surrounded by trees but when she tried to reach for a low-hanging branch to climb one, she found the invisible barrier was in the way. Kate had a sinking feeling that all the trees would be similarly inaccessible. The evil Two wasn’t going to let a single detail go unnoticed when it came to ruining her life with Rone.