Daniel managed to tame her with one bite.
“No, she-wolf. What is happening here is he exceedingly unnatural.” He barks a laugh. “For a creature as old as me that is something remarkable indeed. I kill your kind. I would have killed you had you not bitten and surprised me.” His eyes travel over my frame. He shakes his head in amazement. “I think you are my Bride.” He swallows convulsively, the pale column of this his throat bobbing. “It should not be so, because I thought she had already come and gone, but here you stand.” Placing his palms either side of my face he stares.
He becomes still as stone, gaze unflinching, chest paused mid breath.
I lean to nuzzle his cheek, but he remains frozen as he comes to terms with whatever he has to say, think, or feel.
What would get him to move again?
“Daniel?”
I run my fingers over his forearm. I enjoy how his flesh reacts to my touch. It tightens and goes goosepimply. Vampires can’t feel the cold and knowing I cause such an extreme reaction is thrilling.
He flinches and blinks slowly.
That was quick. I’m relieved because it is seriously creepy when he goes Vampire still. Short from pushing him into the hole, covering it then guarding it if Enforcers came, I had no other plans as to how to keep him safe in that state.
He runs his top teeth over his bottom lip. “You took some of my memories when you drank my blood?”
“I don’t remember much.” I wince. “There was too much for me to see properly, and it hurt.”
The shock on his face scares me a little. He’s becoming still again and we don’t have time for him to keep falling inward.
“I get you’re not used to being rushed and that you feel like you have all the time in the world, but you don’t. We have to find somewhere safe for you to rest for the day.” I snap my fingers and smile. “We’ll just go west.”
He stiffens. “That does not solve our problem.”
Clapping my hands and jumping up and down because he said ‘our’ problem rather than ‘my problem’ would probably freeze him into another immobile state. “Why not? We’d be there in half hour at the most if we ran. Once we’re past the boundary line we’ll dig you a new hole for the day and I’ll–”
“Beyond the boundary line is Vampire territory.”
“Yeah. It’s perfect.”
“Death is death I suppose.”
Troubled he’s so reluctant to return home, I bite my lip when I remember Daniel wasn’t only in danger from my Pack, but from his family too because he betrayed them. “You mean Lee.” I try to look reassuring. “We won’t be seen.”
His head jerks from side to side to break my hold. “Nej. Ben will lose what little mind he has left if he catches me that close to her.”
“Then we won’t sneak. We’ll walk right up to Castle and ask for help.”
“The risk–”
“I can’t protect you here. I’m sorry, but I just can’t. If my Pack come I’ll stand with you, but the idea of harming them isn’t something I’ll consider if it can be avoided.”
“They won’t hurt you.” His fingers twitch on my chest. “You are the daughter to the Pack Alpha. They wouldn’t dare.”
“I found the Vampire who killed our Pack member on our hunting grounds and didn’t call for help. If you were my Alpha how would you react?”
He blanches. “We must leave the hunting grounds.”
“We really do.”
A Lycan princess running from her enraged Pack as a Vampire leads. Not something I would’ve been able to imagine two days ago. My tombstone in the family graveyard will read, “Here lays the craziest bitch of them all.”
Claiming this Vampire as my own feels like it will be the making of me. I can turn away, but I don’t want to. My life has been unremarkable. I’m a princess, but confined to a stifling life. Born chained to a destiny I do not want. Daniel might be dangerous, but he’s mine for the taking, and that means more than he could know.
Maybe someday I’ll feel safe enough to confess how much this decision to keep him means to me.
The Human part of me isn’t accepting what the wolf sprit wants merely out of respect, but because I want to escape.
If he doesn’t want me for life, fine, I’ll live with it. Having a true mate is a dream come true, but it’s not the only dream I have. What I can’t live with is going back home and being trapped with no hope of living my life as I please.
Daniel can set me free so easily.
Lifting my chin to expose my neck, I touch my tongue to my bottom lip nervously. “Would you mark me?”
“Why would I do that?”
It’s a sign of great respect to offer this to a Lycan male, but he doesn’t know that. “Consider it a gift.”
“A gift for whom?” Daniel’s hand moves from my chest to wrap around my neck. “What if I desire something else?” His body presses into mine and my heart jumps when his groin connects with my stomach.
Our gazes lock.
He’s testing me, unable to judge how far I’ll let him go. He stopped last time. I would have given him everything, but he stopped to tell me his name, knowing I would leave because of what he’d done.
His fingers rub against my skin teasingly. Tighten. “I do not understand you.”
“Ditto.”
His eyes flicker. “You don’t care if we understand one another?”
“Yes, but I want what you can give me regardless.”
His sleek eyebrow arches. The hold on my throat becomes a caress. “That is?”
I say nothing more; worried he’ll misunderstand and withhold what I need.
With a swift move he has me on my back. Gently spreading my legs he lowers himself between them and hovers over me. A look of determination hardens his expression and he rocks his hips against me.
I tremble, but don’t ask him to stop. My heart is beating so hard it hurts, but still I say nothing.
His head cocks. “More?”
Thrusting my chin out, I nod once. To him this might be nothing more than a passing diversion to appease his curiosity, or a way to fulfil a baser need, but by claiming me and marking me as a mate he can give me what I want.
The thing I desire almost as much as a true mate.
He hitches my skirt up. His gaze locks on mine, eyes hooded and hot. The moment is edgy. Fragile. I shake even as I try to hold still, my heart hammering loudly, the white noise in my ears making it hard to think. I’m nervous. Silk hardness pushes into my slick heat, rubbing the swollen flesh. My moan hitches. My fingers dig into his shoulders, and I make a small noise. Breathing in harsh gulps, he pushes forward to spread my legs open wider. I bite my lip in anticipation; thrilled I enjoy his heavy weight. Turned on as I squeeze his waist with my thighs.
“I should stop.” A muscle jumps in his jaw and his voice is desperate. “Tell me to stop.”
All my fears fall away. I kiss him hard on the mouth. “Don’t leave me.”
“It’ll hurt.”
“Living life always does.”
He enters me in one short thrust and my breath catches. I give inside and tears prick my eyes.
He buries his head between my neck and shoulder, body held taut. “Harmony? Sweetling.”
My back arches, and I wrap my arms around him. “I’m good. Move.”
He pulls back then works in deeper. Our gazes tangle. The intense blue of his irises have darkened to stormy indigo. I score my fingers down his sides. My sharp nails pierce skin and a metallic tang of blood fills the air. His eyes narrow. Grinding his teeth, he fucks me harder.
“Yours.” I lean my head away to offer my neck.
He laughs weakly. Pearly fangs peek from behind his parted lips. “Madness, but yes. You are mine.” They sink into the hollow of my throat.
Gasping, I hold him there, knowing this is only the beginning for us. I sink my teeth into his neck. Blood wets my lips, sweet yet salty. His scent is everywhere and everything. The memories infused in his bloo
d come, but this time I’m ready. I don’t fight. I relax and watch as they blur past, trying not to freak out as my eyes threaten to roll into the back of my head.
Daniel kisses me. The gentle touch of his lips is at total odds with the forceful bucks of his hips.
I tighten my thighs around his waist, and lock myself to him, welcoming his possession.
He drives into me hard, digs his fingers into my flesh so deep I’m thrilled he may never be able to physically separate from me again. The sensations shimmying across my nerves endings rush to coalesce with the relentless pounding between my thighs, exploding in a cataclysmic outburst of pleasure, so intense, I squeeze my eyes closed and burrow my head into his chest.
Daniel groans, hips jerking. One hand at the back of my head, he presses his pelvis into mine and holds himself there. He eases us down flat. His chest heaves heavily on mine before he rolls away.
The silence between us is stunned. Delicate. I don’t want to be the one to break it.
For the first time, I’m thinking I may be out of my depth.
I’d lost my virginity to my mate. There is nothing more a Lycan female should want to ask for. The experience was more than I’d ever thought to ask for.
I’ve taken an irrevocable step towards a scary, but desired future. I’ll fight to stay with him, to learn all I can about what kind of man he is. I’ll discover why my wolf spirit latched onto him as our true mate. A life with him must be possible.
If I fail to make a lasting connection, he’s given me a way to prove I am mated and gain freedom. I’m a Pack animal, but there are other Packs than the South Western. I can find another home if I look hard enough.
He clears his throat. “They’ll be here at dawn?”
Opening my mouth to answer, the smell of my Pack mate tickles my nose, brought to me on a stiff breeze. Tapping Daniel once on the shoulder, I roll onto all fours, crouching instinctively.
Daniel lurches onto his feet.
A wolf with russet fur emerges from the shadows, teeth bared, hackles rising in a furry ruff.
I recognise the male’s scent. “Aaron. What are you doing?”
“You tricked me.” Daniel eases away from me.
“Don’t go there.” I shoot a reassuring look at him before he allows this speculation to firm into belief. “He followed the newer scent trail to warn me. That’s why he came alone, but his wolf is taking over. Seeing us together is difficult for him. He smells blood and thinks I’m in danger.”
Scents tell tales. The Enforcers will follow my old trail, the one where I found Daniel. They will know I’ve been bitten and my body taken by a Vampire. They’ll follow my scent home then come this way. Aaron might have told them I’d come home, but I know he’d held back as much detail as he could to give me time to get past the boundary line. He must have followed me to try and convince me to go home with him. It’s the only reason he’d have to risk coming this close to a Vampire without his Pack mates.
Smelling the blood and sex, seeing me on the ground must have caused him to jump to the wrong conclusion.
“Aaron, let me go.” I sound calmer than I am. “I’ll be safe with him.”
He whimpers and shakes his head. Tossing his head back, Aaron howls to summon the rest of the Pack.
A dozen yipping replies pierce the night.
My she-wolf reacts to the bloodthirsty call by rising with the need to protect her mate. It adds strength to the power of my voice. “Back off.”
My nails lengthen into claws and my hands morph to paws. The change flows over me jaggedly. My body shifts from woman to wolf, but it stalls, and the dark fur sprouting across my body recedes. My teeth descend, razor sharp and longer than usual. Different. I feel my pupils contract to slits. My body clamours for the thick, lush blood I smell rushing through Aaron’s veins.
Pulling back in shock, I gasp, staggering as my body tries to make sense of what’s happening.
Aaron snarls as the Vampire’s arms come around me, pulling me into his side.
Daniel bares his fangs, hissing in warning. “There is no time for this.”
“Don’t kill him.” I’m jumbled, but lucid enough to see Aaron lowering his body. Despite it being suicidal for a lone wolf to attack a Vampire, Aaron’s reacting the only way he knows how. “He helped.”
Daniel ignores my grabbing hands and pushes me behind him.
The Enforcer barks, his powerful maw snapping as he inches forward. Darting forward again he leaps into the air, going for Daniel’s face. Daniel outmanoeuvres Aaron’s wild lunge. Spinning to grab the wolf’s torso, he slams Aaron into the ground with less force a creature like him is capable. Dirt sprays into the air. Straddling the Lycan’s back, Daniel wraps his arms around Aaron’s throat until the thrashing wolf slumps.
Letting the limp wolf fall, he stands and grabs me when I twist around him to see if Aaron’s merely unconscious or dead.
“He’ll live.” Spinning me into his chest, Daniel holds my chin and directs my panicked gaze to his. “Harmony, listen. Run for the boundary line and do not stop.”
Weak with relief, I sag into him and shake my head. “I’ll be faster if I shift. It’s not happening like it usually does and I need–”
Irritated, he storms forward tugging me behind like a naughty pup. “You will run.”
“But I–”
Spinning on his heel he glares at me. “Do not question. I’ll draw them away from you. Keep heading west and don’t stop until you reach Castle.”
“You don’t care for my kind, but, please. Please don’t kill them. They’re following orders.”
He casts me a scathing look over his shoulder before disappearing with a burst of speed.
CHAPTER SIX
The boundary line is less a line and more a twenty-foot section of land that mingles wolf and Vampire scents.
I launch myself into the no-mans-land, but stop to search over my shoulder for a sullen Vampire hot on my heels.
Heart thumping its Taiko beat, as if a thousand warriors pound war drums, I scan the tree line. Each pass of my eyes intensifies my sanity thieving panic. It crackles along my nerve endings leaving doubt in its tingling wake.
Stormy clouds gather overhead and flash.
Thunder rolls.
Daniel emerges from the forest. He stands before the neutral space, staring at me.
I can’t read him.
Smiling tremulously, I hold out my hand. “Are your feet stuck?”
A howl of rage splinters the quiet.
The booming drumbeat ends with a deafening thump. My heart quivers and skips a beat. “They’re coming.”
“My life is forfeit.
I grab his arm. “This is no time to fuck around. Sy’s wolf makes Aaron look like a bumbling pup.”
“I am unconcerned. I will take my chances with the Pack rather than force Lee’s hand.”
I tighten my hold, eyes strained they open so wide. “You can’t kill my family. I won’t let you.”
Luminous eyes snap to mine. “Let me?”
If I were wolf my ears would flatten in submission.
There’s nothing I can do to stop Daniel if he wants anarchy. He’s stronger, and holds the knowledge of a few millennia. Deterred? Hell no. I’m pissed off. Weaker beings stage non-violent protests all the time and are successful.
Throwing my shoulder’s back, I manage to hold eye contact. Experienced as he is, Daniel has never taken on a wolf as stubborn as me. Letting him go is hard, but I do it. Fusing myself to his arm won’t stop him, and Daniel can shake me off easy.
My demonstration needs to be symbolic yet dangerous.
Skipping over the line onto the hunting grounds, I plonk my fabulous ass down. I pluck at the browning grass.
I can feel Daniel raging behind me.
“What do you think you are doing?” He’s using his scary quiet voice. “Seek sanctuary with Lee until these wolves calm their rage.”
The corners of my mouth pull down and my eyebrows lift. I
tap my bottom lip as if considering this. “Nah.” I smile beatifically, finding the perfect words. “I’ll take my chances with the Pack rather than force Lee’s hand.”
An explosion of aquamarine light fans from his pupil and makes his irises shine. His gaze darts from me to the woods. A range of expressions chase the worry across his radiant face before he settles on pissed. “Not funny.”
Arms crossing, I focus on the murky trees.
It won’t take Sy long to discover the Vampire is playing games and come after me. I’m sure he’s worked himself into a state of righteous indignation and disgust at the idea of me in the hands of a creature he detests. I remember how he’d gone after Ben’s throat when we patrolled the boundary line. He’d been angry enough I’d thwarted his attempt to claim my wolf, but Ben and Lee’s interruption had sent him feral.
Yeah, if he caught me here Daniel would have to fight, or watch his Bride struggle against a Beta wolf determined to mate.
“You expect me to believe you will sit there and.…” Daniel rakes an elegant hand through his hair. “You’ll let that mongrel…?”
So he does understand how a Lycan reacts when his claim on a female has been challenged. Daniel’s scent is all over me. His bite on my shoulder will send the Enforcers into the haze of rage that Aaron fell into when he found us.
“Sy is a dominant wolf and he needs to reassert his claim.” Shrugging is my new favourite thing. It suggests nonchalance with the right amount of disrespect. And it drives Daniel crazy. “It’s our nature. He’ll bite my neck to try and cover your fang marks, mount me, and the others try to fight you.”
“Get up.”
I wave him away, irritated now. Why should I listen if he’s not going to take this attraction between us seriously? “I’m comfortable here.” I jerk onto my hands and knees. “May as well assume the position. He’ll have to turn Human, but I figure you won’t care either way.”
Daniel stomps over the boundary line into Vampire territory. Resentful and bitter, his thoughts swirl in my mind like acid. “Get over here.”
Shuffling to face him, I turn my back to the danger. My nature screams not to, but I need to see his face. “We’re going to find Lee and ask for help.”