“By the goddess!” If he’d thought she’d sounded horrified earlier, he hadn’t understood the definition of the word. Her voice took a pinched quality that made him wince. “You’re kidding? Who botched up a mating spell and put a death compulsion in?” He shook his head. She just didn’t understand and who could blame her? He was likely to get his mate killed. Or, if his brothers were to be believed, kill her himself. Who knew how dark his soul had turned?
I do. Would you like an actual answer?
He tuned out his wolf. Sometimes it was hard sharing a mind.
You’re telling me. His wolf snorted.
“It’s just how it’s always been.” He sighed. “I can’t explain it to you, Elizabeth.” He had to admit, he really liked saying her name. “Because I’m not really certain of exactly how the connection is made. Mated pairs never discuss it. There’s no rule you can’t, but no one does. It’s like their mating brings out some compulsion not to discuss it with others. I’ve tried asking and no one ever tells me. Also, they become part of some club the rest of us in the pack can’t belong to. Like they’re somehow more trustworthy than they were before the mating.”
“You sound sort of resentful about it. Something you want to discuss?” He shook his head. “No. Not ever.”
Elizabeth never needed to hear the tale of the time his brothers had taken him down and accused him of treason. Well, the second time they had. Who could keep track of how many times it had happened?
Not that he could blame them. They could probably smell the evil seeping out of his pores.
Chapter Six
Elizabeth stared out at the dark night from the relative safety of Rex’s stolen car. She was sure he’d done one of his “borrowing” tricks in order to get it, but seeing as she’d probably be dead if he hadn’t saved her, she didn’t feel like giving him a hard time about it. At least not for the moment.
In fact, she felt perfectly content to lie against him and not move at all. The slow and steady beat of his heart sounded in her ear from where her head pressed up against his chest. His arm brushed slightly over her hair. Every once in a while, when he would adjust the wheel, she would get to smell the masculine scent of his skin against hers.
In another life—if they were both just regular humans—she could really relax and just enjoy a drive through the country with her boyfriend. Instead, they were racing for their lives to get to Florida to avoid getting caught by the twins from hell.
“Your thoughts just became unpleasant.”
She looked up at his hard face. There was nothing soft about Rex. Even his jaw muscles looked tight. She wondered if he ever relaxed, even in sleep. Looking at him, she had to begrudgingly realize he would forever make all other men look weak and uninteresting. “My thoughts are my own.”
“I can smell your distress.”
She nodded. His nose again. “I was contemplating things, which of course made me think of the twins.”
“Tell me about them.”
“The twins? What’s to tell? They are spoiled and bratty. It’s weird to talk about them that way since they are grown women, but dealing with them is like dealing with children. They want what they want. Their mother makes sure they get it.” He nodded. “And when things go askew they punish you by using their magic since your own was suppressed thanks to the curse.”
“You’ve nailed it.”
She didn’t tell him about the beatings and the emotional abuse. Those were her secrets. The shame she hadn’t been able to protect herself from anything ever would stay with her for the rest of her life. For some reason, it felt pivotal to her Rex never knew that side of her.
Luck was never on her side but maybe, just maybe, this time she’d get to keep her secret shame her own and not have to share it with the world for their ridicule. Of course, given he was Rex, he could probably smell she wasn’t telling him something.
“We’ll stop them, witch. I promise.”
She rolled her eyes. “I hate that you call me witch. Change one letter and it’s a completely hurtful word.”
He laughed, which made her want to deck him. “Maybe in the first few minutes of knowing you, I meant it like that.”
“And now?” Her heart beat hard against her ribs.
“Now you’re my witch.”
She grinned, joy filling her soul at his simple words. The whole situation was nuts.
They both knew it couldn’t work between them, but it felt good to belong to someone again. Even if he was a half-crazed wolf who thought he ruled the world.
She wanted to kiss him. Horrified at the thought, she almost pulled away from him before she thought about the twins and their spells. Goddess, she might as well tell him.
He could probably smell it anyway.
But would he want to kiss her? She pushed the thought from her mind. Kissing Rex would cause trouble she didn’t need. She had enough weighing down on her without adding passion for a wolf to the mix.
“Elizabeth.” His voice sounded like a sigh when he said her name. “You smell so fantastic right now. What are you thinking about?”
Keep it light. She had to remember not to get sucked into the sultry way his voice called to her soul. In no scenario could she afford to lose herself in Rex Kane. She’d never reemerge from the experience emotionally intact. Too much was going on for her to lose her head.
“I don’t know, but if it smells good, then I’m glad.” Liar. Before she’d been turned into what essentially amounted to a hideous beast, she’d never lied. When would she have been required to? Life had been simple, easy. She hadn’t needed to make moral judgments and weigh shades of gray.
Rex sniffed the air, his eyes getting wide.
“What?” He couldn’t have just realized she’d been contemplating kissing him. The thought had dissipated seconds earlier. How long did these things last?
“We’re about to be in trouble. Sit up.” He moved her off his lap. “Put your seatbelt on.”
“But what about the twins?” Elizabeth felt unwelcome panic start to rise in her throat. How could Rex just decide to leave her swinging in the wind unprotected after he’d said he’d take care of her? Why was she surprised? The whole world turned against her eventually.
“This isn’t the twins. It’s my kind of trouble instead.”
“What?” She didn’t understand. Weren’t his issues happening on an island off the coast of Maine that any witch with half a brain knew to stay away from?
“My father has made a bunch of man-made wolves. He kidnaps the homeless or drug addicts. For some reason, others decide to sign up voluntarily. I’m not exactly sure why.
But he uses a combination of witch magic and science to make his wolf-army.” Rex scowled as he spoke. “The only problem is they don’t live very long. They’re addicted to a drug keeping them loyal to him. For the brief time they live as shifters, they are crazed, deranged and out for blood—specifically the blood of any member of the Westervelt Wolves.”
“How would they even know you were here? And how do you know they’re around?
We’re in a car, for goodness’ sake.”
“My nose. They’re out there.” He pointed to the woods on the side of the road.
“They’re running hard. They may tire themselves out and have to stop or they may catch up to us.”
“We’re going really fast.” She looked at the speedometer. It read sixty miles an hour.
“There’s no way a wolf can catch up to us.” She hoped. Elizabeth had never studied canines. It was possible they could run that fast but she doubted it.
“These aren’t regular wolves. I can catch this car as a wolf and I’m not magically enhanced by black magic.”
She swallowed, her throat suddenly dry. He’d used the words that made every witch she knew cringe. Black magic. That was a pretty serious accusation. Even the coven leader who had cursed Elizabeth to look hideous wouldn’t be accused of black magic.
She might have crossed a line, but she hadn?
??t gone into the black zone.
Rex’s head jerked left. “Shit.”
“What?” She didn’t think he cursed very much. Most of the time he sounded pretty formal.
“I can see them. They’re very close.” His voice had gotten lower; his words sounding almost like a growl. She turned to stare at him. His eyes were all wolf. Gone were Rex’s remote depths holding a million secrets. In their place was the gaze of an animal intent on eliminating an enemy.
“Rex?” She hadn’t realized she could deal with the animal while the man was still present. Looking at a wolf when it appeared as a wolf was one thing, Rex in this mixed wolf-man phase scared her. If he wanted to, he could reach out and snap her neck.
“I can smell your fear.”
“I’m not surprised.” Was her voice shaking? “You say we’re under attack by some rabid wolves, and now in the car you are changing. How will you drive the car if you shift?”
Maybe she sounded insane. She didn’t care. Her life had gotten so out of control she couldn’t even recognize it anymore. Just years earlier she had been living a simple existence. Her whole life had been planned out in a way she liked. Now? She would probably be killed while she ran for her life with this wickedly handsome wolf driving her crazy.
“I am not going to shift, witch.” Rex smiled. “Not every wolf can do this.
Maintaining my human body while letting the wolf loose is not a big deal for me. I am of royal blood.”
Rex had just gotten finished telling her what his father had done to their entire pack.
His words about the strength of his lineage didn’t reassure her. But this really wasn’t the time to remind him of his background.
Elizabeth gasped as Rex pulled the car to the side of the highway. She looked around. It was dark and she had no idea where she was. They’d been on one turnpike or another for the entire night. How long had they been travelling? She had no idea. “What do you think you’re doing?”
“Protecting the humans on this road.” Rex undid his seatbelt. “And apparently confusing the made-wolves. They’ve stopped moving. I don’t think they anticipated I would stop the car. Perhaps they are regrouping.”
“I don’t understand any of this. What do you mean protecting the humans?” She wanted to throw something.
“If I do not get out of this car and take down the wolves, they will leap out onto the car. I’ve been in one car accident recently. I do not crave another.” He shook his head.
“First and foremost, I will not risk you. Second, I would not place any of the humans who are driving here in danger because I am too cowardly to face my enemy when they would attack.”
The formal speech had returned, which told Elizabeth he wasn’t focusing on sounding normal. She blinked. How did she know? They’d never discussed it and yet she knew it as if she’d understood him for years. Bizarre.
“Elizabeth, I require your attention.”
“What?” She felt like a parrot. Every other second she had to say “what.” He touched her head gently, almost like one would caress a newborn baby. “Is your head bothering you again?”
Who was this creature touching her? It wasn’t Rex, not exactly. For as much, as he’d terrified her seconds earlier, the feel of his skin against her cheek moved her. She hadn’t expected gentleness from his wolf. Was it possible the beast was more compassionate than the man? “No. Do I seem out of it?”
He shook his head. “Your attention wavered and this is a most inopportune moment.
I wondered if the whack to your head caused you trouble again.”
“I think I’m fine.”
“Good. I regretted removing you from the hospital before you’d had all your exams.
I had no choice. You understand, yes?”
She nodded, totally transfixed with Rex’s mouth. He could talk all day; she’d stare at the way his lips moved.
“Good. Now, stay in the car.”
She shook her head, coming out of her sensual stupor all at once. “You want me to stay in the car?”
“Of course.” He moved as if he would exit the door, and she grabbed his arm pulling him back. No way was she strong enough to stop him if he wanted to go, but he stopped as if she’d yanked on him in a meaningful way. “What is it?”
“You can’t go running out there. You don’t even know how many of them there are.” He smiled as if she’d said something amusing. “But, of course, I do.”
“Your nose.” So that argument was not going to work. “How many of them are there?”
“Fifteen.”
“Fifteen?” she shouted, not able to help herself. “Then you certainly can’t go out there alone.”
“Little witch.” She hated that name immediately. Witch was bad enough. Little witch? No, not happening. “I cannot sit here and wait for reinforcements. As much as I love my pack, they are in no position to leave Maine and come to South Carolina.
They’re under constant attack. It is just us here. I will handle things, as I can. You will stay in the car.”
Well, now she at least knew where they were. Rex still planned on going outside by himself even knowing the crazy odds? Maybe he was the insane one.
“Rex, there has to be another way.” She squeezed his arm. “I need to help you. What will happen if they kill you?”
“I will not allow that to happen. In a million years, I would not leave you unprotected.” He pulled his arm from hers by gently disengaging her fingers from him. It felt like electricity shot up her arm when their fingers touched. He didn’t seem to notice, which made her heart tumble into her stomach.
Was she the only one having these types of feelings? Was he completely unaffected by her?
Suddenly, he whirled around. In two seconds, he’d pulled her over the center console and into his arms. His mouth met hers. She’d been transfixed with looking at him earlier and they’d briefly kissed once before. But it was nothing compared to this.
Maybe it was the danger awaiting him the second he moved out of the car. Or it could have been they knew each other a little better now. Perhaps chemistry just increased with time. In any case, all Elizabeth knew was one second she was very tense and in the next moment she melted into a pool of mush, supported only by Rex’s hand on the back of her neck.
His lips were firm but soft as they caressed her own. His tongue slipped between hers, and she moaned as she craved even more of him. She’d had sexual encounters in the past, but nothing like this. No one had ever made her think she might come in her pants simply from a kiss.
He pulled back to regard her. “Thank you. I’ve never gone into battle with a kiss from my mate before.” He raised an eyebrow. “Even if she is a witch.”
“Hey.” She whacked him. “Lay off the witch comments, and I don’t want you going to battle at all. They’re not attacking us yet. Maybe they’ll leave us alone.” Rex had the audacity to laugh, which made her want to whack him over the head.
As if she had manifested them with her words about them not appearing, three wolves leaped onto the hood of the car. She jumped back, squealing at the top of her lungs. Her hands shook as they instinctually covered her throat.
The three wolves sitting on the top of the hood of the car snarled as they threw their heads against the glass. Through the glow of the headlights, she could see their drool dripping down onto the car. In that second, she knew he’d been completely correct. Black magic was what made those things snarling on top of the car. Someone evil had done this.
“They’re people, right?”
He nodded. “They were. Az has some theories, but right now it looks like they won’t ever be again. I don’t have any choice. Their minds are gone. I’m going to have to eliminate them.”
“Hey.” She caught his attention. “That’s not a mark on your soul. That’s on whoever did this to them.”
“The wolf who did this to them doesn’t have a soul left.” He swallowed; she could see the tightness of his muscles in his neck. “And I don’t
have much of one either.”
“Randolph…”
He interrupted. “Lock the doors. Don’t get out of the car.” With a blink of her eye he was gone. He got the car door open and got out of the car.
With a click, he locked her inside the vehicle.
She couldn’t believe he had left. He had left her in the car with three drooling wolves-slash-people threatening her on the roof of the stolen vehicle.
Elizabeth would have preferred the twins’ magical assaults to the look of death in the red beady canine eyes staring at her through glass which suddenly seemed way too thin.
“Here, wolf.” Her head shot to the right as she heard Rex’s shout. He jumped into the air once. “Look at me.” The growling on the car increased seconds before, in unison, they lunged in the air at Randolph Kane. He’d used himself to lure them away from the car.
He had said there were fifteen of them. Rex was one man against a veritable army of wolves. Although she was smart enough to know she would most likely be in the way if he had to worry about her while he battled, she couldn’t help but feel she wanted to be there to help in some way.
Rex took off, running deeper into the woods. She couldn’t see a thing in the darkness of the night around them. Time felt like it ticked by. How long had he been gone? She looked at the clock, which was useless because she had no idea what time it had been when he’d left the car.
“Ah, hell.” She hit her hand against the dashboard. It stung and she wished she hadn’t.
The swooshes of cars speeding past her on the right acted as background noise to her terrified thoughts. When she looked over, their headlights blinded her. Goddess, how would she explain it to a police officer if they pulled up behind her? She was in a stolen vehicle without Rex. The cop wouldn’t even be able to look at her even if she could come up with an excuse.
Not to mention, the mounting pressure in her head every time she thought about Rex being injured. He’d become important to her. They’d only known each other a brief period of time and they clearly needed to discover more about one another before she could better define her feelings for him. But that didn’t matter. He’d cared for her when she needed him.