“That's it, come 'ere!” Jesse yelled and launched himself at her, grabbing her firmly by the neck and ramming the rag into her mouth, trying to jam it down her throat. Maddy gagged and choked, tears streaming from her eyes – her body trembled from fear and rage but she was helpless to do anything, unless....
Acting purely on instinct, she slammed her foot into the side of his leg where she hoped his knife wound would be.
“Fuck you!” she screamed around the rag. Jesse crumpled to the ground in pain, cursing and grabbing his leg, writhing on the floor. The two wolves behind him were doubled up laughing, howling in a lupine way.
“Nice job, Jesse!” one barked, practically in tears. “Way to show who's boss!”
“Yeah, what's wrong?” the blond laughed. “Too human for you to handle?”
“Shut up!” Jesse roared. “Dumb cunt, I'm going to slice you in half!”
The victory was short lived. Maddy couldn't scream anymore around the gag and she felt tears squeezing out of her eyes. All hope was lost. She couldn't scream, she couldn't fight, and now she had really pissed him off. She was done for.
She closed her eyes, praying for it to be quick. She imagined she could already feel the knife sliding over her skin....
“Hey... quiet!” the blond wolf said suddenly, cocking his head to one side. “Guys, shut up! Do you hear that?”
“What, Luke?” said the unknown wolf. “It was your neighbor's car.”
“No, I heard something upstairs... dammit Jesse, shut up!” Luke stepped forward and grabbed the writhing man from the ground, hauling him bodily to his feet. He pushed a heavy, dark object into Jesse's hand, and Maddy could see it was a gun. She grew cold. “I heard something. Go check it out!”
“Dammit, go check yourself,” Jesse growled, though he had already taken the gun and was limping to a stairwell that Maddy hadn't noticed earlier. A basement. “You're so fucking paranoid.”
“Shut up and do your job,” Luke barked. Jesse started up the stairs, leaning heavily on the railing, glaring at her over the top of it.
“I'm coming back for you,” he promised her, an evil glint in his eye. “Just you wait... you're going to regret that. Dearly.”
Maddy didn't doubt it – the hatred in his gaze was palpable. When she looked back to Luke, she saw that he and the other man had approached her chair and were standing close by, murmuring to themselves. She felt anxious and cold, her hands clammy and sweaty, her stomach tied into knots to the point that it hurt. She wanted to throw up. She knew what would happen next – she had grown up around thugs, after all. First they would take her clothes... when they were done with her body, they would kill her... after Jesse's promise, she doubted it would be quick.
She didn't dare hope that someone was actually upstairs. The situation left no room for that.
“Well, missy,” Luke said. Now he was the one wielding the knife. “Looks like it's just us three now. If you stay calm and cooperate, we'll make it as painless as possible....”
She glared, wishing she could spit in his face. Her legs were still free, but something told her he wouldn't be so easily fought off. He turned to the man next to him. “You take her legs while I work on her pants.”
The man nodded. Now that he was closer, Maddy could see that he was tall and broad, far more muscular than the other two. She tried to swallow, but the dirty cloth clogged her throat. She gagged instead.
The man dove for her legs unexpectedly. She tried to kick at him, to fight back, but he easily caught her by the ankles and overpowered her, holding her like steel. She moaned, whimpering deep in her throat, terrified as Luke worked his way in between them and began undoing her pants, struggling with the zipper. His hands were trembling, his eyes dilated in excitement – it made her want to puke.
Finally he started to slip her pants down her legs, and she writhed sharply to one side, desperate to destabilize the chair. Another sharp yank and the chair tipped to one side dangerously.
“Hold her!” Luke yelled, but too late – the chair clattered over on one side and Maddy hit the ground hard, pain lashing through her from the twisted position. “Goddammit, I said hold her–”
Bam! Bam!
The roar of gunshots shook the air. Maddy heard the sound of shattering glass. A second later there was a solid thump on the floor above them, one that was undoubtedly a body. She felt her heart jump even as she was doused in cold panic. Someone was dead – but who?
Everything became surreal after that. Luke and the other wolf stood still, staring at each other in disbelief A moment later the door burst open above them. Maddy couldn't see who it was coming down the stairs, but she could see the expression on Luke's face, and it told her all she needed to know.
“Gareth, I'm down here!” she screamed, spitting out the rag, loosened in the new position. “Help!”
From her position on the floor, she couldn't see her rescuer enter the room, but somehow she felt his presence. Somehow she knew it was Gareth. She wanted to scream, to cry, to yell his name over and over. He had come for her. She was safe.
Luke slowly stood up, his skin turning pale as snow.
“You want me?” Gareth's voice carried to her from the staircase. “You got me.”
* * * *
Gareth took the gun and emptied the shells out, one by one, letting them clink against the cement floor. For each wasted bullet, the wolves' faces grew paler. Perhaps a lesser wolf would have shot the two then and there, but he wanted the satisfaction of hearing their bones snap between his teeth. He had already taken care of the miserable runt upstairs... now to take out the rest of the bastards who had touched his lifemate. Maddy's fear filled the basement like a thick smoke, permeating the air, gathering in the corners behind the boxes of junk. Her scent was so dense and thick that it made the wolf come alive inside of him, fighting and screaming for release. He could tell by the other werewolves' yellow eyes that they were already Changing. He would need to beat them to it, fight them off before they could get to Maddy. Perhaps she had managed to fend off two humans, but two wild beasts?
“Maddy, close your eyes,” he said.
He heard a sob escape her; it ripped from her chest. “Gareth, oh my god I can't believe you found me. I'm tied, I can't get loose–”
“Maddy – close your eyes!” He allowed a growl to enter his words, asserting his Alpha presence. Her voice died in her throat. He hated to scare her even more, but he couldn't allow her to watch what he was about to do – no, not yet. Not when she was still so fragile. She may have seen the wreckage he had caused at her father's house, but he was about to do much worse than that.
He didn't check to see if she obeyed him – he knew she did. Instead he took a deep breath, turned and faced the two men in the room, and let a cold smile spread across his lips. He could have said something to them, but he decided to let his actions speak.
Without any more hesitation, he relaxed his muscles, allowing the wolf inside to take charge. The Change ran up his spine, spreading across his shoulders and throughout his body, firing along his veins and sinews. He let out a heavy groan as his bones began to shift. Painful... and yet oh so satisfying.
“You're next,” he growled, glaring at the two men. Then he couldn't speak anymore.
Chapter 10
The sound of a door slam brought her back to her senses.
Maddy started, unsure of how much time had passed, then realized that she must have passed out again. She could clearly remember the basement; it felt like everything had happened only a few minutes ago... Gareth had stormed in, she remembered his voice, his strong presence... and then there had been growling and snarling, boxes flying and crashing, howls and yelps... and blood. That had been when she'd passed out. The blood had seemed never ending.
She kept her eyes firmly shut, not wanting Gareth to know she had come to – at least not yet. She didn’t know what to say, and a large part of her was dreading the confrontation to come.
Instead she felt
him lean over her, and a moment later the seatbelt clicked, fastening her to the chair securely. The car started. They pulled away from the curb. Away from the massacred house.
She kept her back towards him, her head ducked down. She could smell him – god, how was that possible? His scent was intoxicating her, just being close to him was making her body tingle. How could she respond so strongly after the horrors she had just witnessed? The man next to her was a killer, just as surely as her abductors were. She hated the way her body reacted to him. She hated the things he did to her.
They drove for maybe fifteen minutes, then Gareth pulled into a parking lot and turned off the engine. She heard him unbuckle his seatbelt and open the door.
“Are you coming?” he asked.
She hated his voice, even though she loved the roughness to it. She didn’t answer. Yes, he had saved her... but at what cost? He wasn't human. She knew that now.
Then suddenly he reached over, unbuckled her seatbelt, and she felt his arms slip under her. With a firm movement, he lifted her from the car, pulling her out through the driver’s side. She didn’t know how he managed to tuck her past the steering wheel without bumping her.
“Put me down!” she shrieked, louder than she intended. He did as she asked, and she jammed her hands in her pockets again, still not looking at him. All she could think of was blood. He was silent, as though he wanted to say something, then he turned and walked toward a low, brown building. She glanced up and saw a bright neon sign proclaiming Motel 6.
She sighed. After a moment of hesitation, she followed him.
They entered the lobby. It was dimly lit by a few lamps, and the clock on the wall said that it was already past midnight. The carpet was thick and brown with a few waiting chairs. They walked directly up to the front desk where an old man was slouched over a computer screen.
“A room for two,” Gareth said, stopping at the desk. His voice was low and dark, and Maddy couldn’t tell what he was feeling. Was he mad at her? Withdrawn again? Was he thinking about Yvonne? Regretting his decision to get involved with a human? She couldn’t be sure of the answers, and she studied him while he was turned away from her, trying to get a clue from his tall body and powerful stance.
The old man looked up, glancing from Gareth to her, and a smile split his face. It was the first warm smile Maddy had seen in a long time. “We only have queen beds available. Would you like a cot sent up?”
Gareth glanced down at her, and for a moment his green eyes met hers, and she blushed scarlet.
“No cot,” Gareth said, turning back to the man. He handed over a credit card and a moment later the man handed back a key.
“Room 316, it’s on the third floor. Elevator is over there. I’ll have my boy send up the cot.”
“That won’t be necessary,” Gareth repeated.
“Actually, that would be lovely,” Maddy cut him off, speaking up for the first time. She wasn’t about to spend a night in bed with this wolf... saving her life or not, she still felt like nothing was resolved. And he had been so ruthless. What kind of person was he?
The clerk looked back and forth between them for a moment as Gareth glared down at her, his eyes narrow. She avoided his gaze, smiling instead at the old man behind the counter. Finally the man shrugged. “Whatever you want, little lady,” he said, his eyes twinkling.
Maddy allowed herself a burst of satisfaction. Finally she had won out over him. Maybe now he would take her seriously.
But Gareth just looked at her, finally heaved a deep breath, and nodded towards the elevator. “As you wish,” he murmured.
She didn’t know how to respond to that, and somehow she felt guilty, but she steeled herself against her own emotions. She wouldn’t let her body’s lust control her sensibility. She let out an annoyed breath and stalked towards the elevator. The doors opened with a quiet ding. She got in and slouched into the corner, as far away from him as she could get. Gareth followed.
They stood next to each other as the doors slid closed. Maddy looked determinedly at the carpet, the silence all too tense. She felt the hair rise on the back of her neck and forced herself not to respond. She could sense that he was looking at her. She would not give him the satisfaction of meeting his gaze.
Then suddenly he grabbed her, his warm hands shoving her against the wall, his body pinning her there, fiery hot against her rain-soaked clothing. She opened her mouth to scream, but his lips took hers and the sound was swallowed by his tongue. She couldn’t breathe, couldn’t think, not when he touched her like this. Everything was on fire – her skin, her lips. His hands traveled to her breasts, stroking and pinching as his tongue filled her mouth, then his other hand went behind her head and angled her for deeper penetration. He was pushing his body against hers, and she realized that the hardness against her belly was not his car keys after all. She gasped, and again it was taken by his mouth.
She was angry at him, hurt and betrayed and even more confused after the violence in the basement, but her mind was fuzzy and it was hard to remember why exactly she had been so upset. The bloody memories dimmed. Her fingers started to travel on their own, inching up his back to his muscular shoulders, then up his neck until they buried themselves in his thick, wavy hair. It was loose and free, soft as a feather against her skin. The brush of his stubble against her cheek was intoxicating. His lips were warm, firm yet pliable, and he knew how to use them.
His tongue slipped along her jaw and then down her neck, forcing a moan from low in her throat. Pleasure shot through her and she felt herself grow wet, dripping into her panties. His hand went under her leg, and suddenly he lifted her, wrapping her legs around his waist as he thrust against her. She gasped, whimpered, moaned again – he was so hard, and it felt so good, each thrust sending a spiral of pleasure through her stomach and straight to her crotch.
Ding.
Suddenly her feet were on the ground. She had been wet, panting, wild against him – and then abruptly he dropped her, setting her on her feet and stepping back so quickly that she lost balance and bumped against the elevator wall. She looked up, bewildered. They had reached their floor… and he was already walking down the hall.
Her previous anger returned and a bubble of pure rage burst in her brain. Before she could think, she dashed out into the hall, her blood boiling.
“You asshole, you think you can just use me?” she demanded, her voice thick with rage. She was practically choking on it, her thoughts no longer coherent. “You think you can just kiss me and that’ll shut me up? Or just kill anyone who touches me? You're sick!”
He stood back from her, watching her carefully. “I did what was necessary,” he said slowly, holding up his hands. He glanced around the hallway, obviously concerned that they would be overheard. “They would have done worse to you.”
“Worse? Worse? You ripped them to shreds!”
“I told you to close your eyes.”
“Fuck you, you can't just tell me what I can see and what I can't see! What, you don’t like it that I know all your secrets now? All about your violence — or your girlfriend? No wonder you’re so rough all the time, fucking around with a bitch like her!”
Maddy didn't know where the words came from – they just flew from her mouth and she couldn't pull them back. Suddenly he glared at her; she saw pure fire in his eyes. His lips were set in a firm line, and for a moment a streak of fear ran through her. She backed up a step automatically, remembering the blood he had spilled less than an hour before. Her heart pounded.
Gareth started forward, walking toward her with a controlled power that made her think of a caged animal. Something told her the animal might break loose at any second, and the thought terrified her, but she forced herself to stand her ground. Her knees were shaking, but she gritted her teeth – she wouldn’t give him the satisfaction of seeing her cower.
He grabbed her a moment later, his hands hard and strong on her arms, biting into her skin, almost hard enough to bruise. He put his face close to
hers, and she could hear the low rumble in his throat – his eyes were glinting with an alien force.
“You want to play rough?” he growled. His voice was deeper and harsher than anything human. “Because I can be rough.”
Smack!
Her hand moved faster than her thoughts did, right across his face. It was pure instinct – the fear, the rage, the pain that throbbed in her heart with each breath, the bitter taste of betrayal… she couldn’t take it anymore. Her palm was stinging and all she could do was look at him. She saw the surprise that registered in his eyes for a fleeting moment, and she wished that she had hit him harder. Something to hurt him the way he had hurt her.
His eyes darkened.
Without a word, he grabbed her wrists with one powerful hand and yanked her behind him, so hard that she lost her footing and fell to the ground with a yelp. She hit hard, but he didn’t pause – he continued to drag her by her wrists across the carpet, pulling her easily despite her cussing and writhing. She couldn’t see where they were going, but a moment later she heard a key turn in a lock, and the door was kicked open to smash against the wall.
He dragged her into the room and slammed the door behind them, her last chance of escape gone. Then he hefted her up with one arm and threw her forward – briefly she was weightless, flying through the air, and then she hit the bed with an inaudible ‘oof.’
She tried to squirm away but he grabbed her leg, and then he was on top of her, layering his body over her back, pressing her down. She felt his teeth bite into the back of her neck, not strong enough to draw blood, but enough to make her go still. She could feel his teeth and they were sharper than they had been before – not human teeth, but fangs.
“You think you can just run away from me?” he growled, his voice so low that it rumbled through her body, sending chills of pleasure down her spine even as she fought her rising fear. “You think you can ignore me? Walk away from me? I told you once Maddy, I’ll tell you again – we’re bonded.” His hands traveled up her arms until one sank into her hair, and he released her, laving his tongue against the tiny pricks he had made in her neck. His tongue moved down to her shoulder, hitting all of her sensitive areas, making her gasp from the incredible sensations. Her body felt like it was electrified, so energized that she couldn’t breathe properly.