by Piper Stone
“It’s a fairytale, silly. The gorgeous king found her, and everyone lived happily ever after. Why are you so interested? What in the hell does this have to do with your new assignment?”
Because I’m living the fairytale, only it’s a nightmare.
Why did I have the distinct feeling that wasn’t going to happen?
Why did I feel that death was all around us?
Shuddering as I glanced over her shoulder, there was no doubt he was there, standing only fifty yards away.
Watching.
Waiting.
And very hungry...
Chapter Eight
Luca
“You don’t know what you’re doing any longer, Luca. You act as if this is a game.”
Becca’s biting words forced a growl from my throat, her tone even more hard-edged than normal. She stood in full battle gear, two weapons holstered on her sides. I glared at her as she stood in my doorway, obviously ready to pick a fight. “I suggest you back down, Becca. I’m not in the mood for any games, including yours.”
Snorting, she gave me a hard onceover. “When my parents were killed, you saved me from the vicious monsters hell bent on destroying our little village. You gathered me in your arms, promising to protect me, no matter who our enemy was. Were you lying to me? Were the words you issued as you stood over their bloodied and broken bodies just a token of bullshit?”
I wrapped my hand around her throat, bringing her close. “I will always protect you, but things aren’t always as they seem. You need to understand that.” I could see tears in her eyes, something that almost never happened. “You must trust me. This Pride means everything to me. I need you as my soldier, my right hand. You are important to me.”
She smashed her hands against my chest, fighting to get away. When she did, she rubbed her neck, hatred in her eyes. “You’ve been everything to me. Everything. Fine. I’ll be your soldier. I only hope you don’t end up betraying your own kind because of a human. If you do, there will be no one by your side, including me.”
Becca’s words continued to haunt me, yet the meaning was clear. The decision I was about to make would alter the course of the Pride forever. I closed my eyes, attempting to remember when our kind had no ability to shift.
When we were truly lions, the pride of the forest.
From the day I’d shifted the first time, I’d known there was a powerful reason the various Breeds had succumbed to the effects of the horrific chemicals used for warfare. Given no choice, we’d been forced into a life of servitude, even if humans hadn’t seen it that way.
However, their fear of us had likely kept us alive.
Until now.
While I couldn’t entirely comprehend why my hunger for Clarise was all consuming, my instincts told me that she could be my salvation.
And that of the entire Pride.
I’d been drawn to Clarise, even more so after the night we’d shared. The taste of her remained on my tongue, her scent wrapping itself around every muscle and tendon much like the vines had kept her attached to the tree.
A growl pushed up from the bowels of my being, the scattered sound terrifying the various creatures living in the wild areas of the park. As they ran away, terrified of beast hunting for prey, I inched closer, my cock pushing hard against the tough fabric of my pants.
She stood like a beacon of need, sunshine spilling over her shoulders, highlighting the copper and blonde strands in her hair. I gathered a whiff of her scent and my balls tightened.
I want you.
I need you.
The words were whispered in my mind. There would be no holding back.
The ache I felt wouldn’t go away until I fully mated with her. Soon. It would need to come soon. I wasn’t a patient man.
Unbridled hunger rolled through me, the desire intense and unpredictable. I’d left work, gathering her fragrance within minutes, able to find her with ease. My vision was cloudy, my entire body alive as if the electricity we shared had increased. Even my mouth was dry, the pulse in my neck thrumming rapidly. I dared to inch closer, realizing within seconds that she was in danger.
I sensed two men watching her as well, their uniforms consistent with that of park caretakers.
But I knew better.
They were studying her every move. Something had occurred earlier, an action that had turned the DSIC’s attention directly on her. I doubted it had anything to do with the murders. Was she asking questions? Meddling? I cleared my mind, trying to read her thoughts. While our connection was strong while we were together, even several yards away it was difficult to tether.
Yet I could sense her fear, her knowledge that she was being watched.
I moved as close as I felt comfortable, able to hear the last of her conversation with her friend.
“I should go,” Clarise said.
“Maybe you shouldn’t take that job. I don’t like how upset you seem,” her friend told her.
“I don’t think I have a choice.” Clarise glanced over her shoulder and in my direction, narrowing her eyes.
“I know I shouldn’t say this, but I’ve heard how dangerous the Breeds are. We don’t know what they’re capable of.”
Clarise shifted her gaze back in her friend’s direction. “It’s the human population I’m worried about. I need to go.”
“Don’t be a stranger,” her friend pleaded.
When she finally broke free from her companion, I followed her, staying in the shadows. She tried to hurry, only once looking over her shoulder at the two men following her. When I was able to see a clear outline of the weapons they carried, my gut told me they were prepared to teach her a lesson in a different manner in order to keep her in line.
That wasn’t going to happen.
They would die by my hands if necessary.
My beast was dangerously close to the surface, my need to shift reaching a boiling point. I didn’t like the scenario at all, but there was no choice but to get her the fuck out of here.
My approach was silent and as I shifted my arm around her, I pushed her hard against one of the trees and out of sight of anyone with prying eyes, including any cameras. She instantaneously attempted to fight me, able to deliver a hard punch before I grabbed both her wrists with one hand, placing my other across her mouth.
Leaning down, I blew across her face as she glared at me, her eyes glistening from rage as well as the same yearning that forced my beast to the surface. I allowed a single growl before whispering in a husky tone, “Do not fight me, Clarise. There are two very bad men prepared to hurt you. You are coming with me. Do you understand? There is no other choice if you want to live.”
She nodded, her eyes immediately darting from right to left. Her scent was intoxicating to the point my mouth watered, my need to taste her almost overtaking my need for protection. Whatever the reason, she was without a doubt my mate. I would die in order to keep her safe.
“You’ve been following me as well,” she hissed between clenched teeth.
“I knew you were in danger. That’s all you need to know.”
I took her by the hand, purposely leading into the thick forest. I would shift if necessary, although in broad daylight, that was akin to a death warrant.
To her credit, she was almost able to keep up as I dragged her through the dense foliage. I was able to hear her rapid heartbeat, capturing every thought she had with ease.
What the hell is going on?
Who is this creature?
Is the fairytale true?
I remained quiet, aware that the two men had followed us in through the forest.
They were gaining ground. Damn it. Even the various scents weren’t throwing them off. My rage reaching a point of no return, I tossed her over my shoulder, allowing my beast to surface just enough. As I took off running, sprinting through the trees, my vision cleared. Within seconds, I was able to toss her into my truck, pushing her to the floor. “Stay down,” I instructed then took off, guiding the vehicle onto the crowded city stre
et.
Her breath skipping, she peered up at me, her eyes burning with questions.
Keeping a careful watch, including the rearview mirror, I shifted to the side streets, taking the truck down a series of alleys. I knew the city like the back of my hand, having navigated out of harm’s way more than once. The bumps of the broken pavement startled her, but she obeyed my command. I made my way onto the back roads within minutes.
I kept the truck going at an excessive rate of speed in an attempt to get as far away from the city as possible. If the two assholes wanted to catch us, they’d be hard pressed. However, if they were working with the DSIC, then all hell would break loose. I couldn’t afford to risk taking her with me to the camp, at least not at this point.
Only when I hadn’t noticed a single human being did I reach for her arm, prepared to pull her into the seat.
“Don’t you touch me,” she snapped, crawling as far against the door as was possible.
A growl slipped up from my throat before I could stop it, and as I turned my head, I allowed her to see the change in my eyes.
“None of this makes any sense,” she whispered more to herself as she closed her eyes. “None of this can be real.”
“I assure you that this is very real, Clarise.” I gathered a scent of several other Breeds on her. “You were at the science ward.”
She gave me a hateful look, taking several shallow breaths. “Yes. That’s part of my job with police integration. I’m supposed to study the Breeds in order to make them more comfortable with their surroundings.”
“Then you found out that what is occurring there is a lie. They are killing the Breeds after experimenting on them.” I waited to see her reaction.
“No,” she said, her mouth twisting. “That’s not true. That can’t be true but...” Her words faded off.
“That is very true. They have abducted dozens of various Breeds, using them until they break. Then the bastards are discarding them as if they mean nothing.”
“How the hell would you know?”
“Because I am alpha.”
Clarise shuddered visibly and covered her face with her hands. “That’s what they said to me. The alpha is coming.”
“Who?” When she didn’t say anything, I grabbed her by the wrist. “Who?” As I dug my nails into her skin, she gave me another defiant look.
“Two of the Breeds, a wolf and a bear.”
They knew an alpha was coming. My entire body was lit from the rage increasing deep within. This was all about attracting the alpha.
“Why were they following you?” I demanded.
“Those two fuckheads? How the hell should I know?”
“They had a reason. Tell me. What did you do?” She’d pushed limits in her effort to obtain information.
“Do? I was doing my job, asking questions. I wanted to know... what was happening. Why the Breeds went crazy.”
“Breeds don’t kill without a reason.”
“That’s what my friend, the scientist told me. I was trying to find out if that was true or not.”
“You are being used. Going back to your job isn’t safe any longer.” I was angry with her. Our entire Pride needed her help. How the hell were we going to gain access short of burning down the building?
Snorting, she adjusted her position, still scanning the interior of the cab. I couldn’t help but admire her rebellion, so much so, my cock twitched, my hunger off the charts.
“No one uses me, Luca, or whatever your name is. Here’s something for you to keep in mind. You don’t own me,” she retorted. “I don’t care what you think. I’m not your freaking mate. I’m human, which means our DNA is not compatible. Besides, for all I know, you’re working with the DSIC, trying to keep me in line. Jesus. What the hell am I saying? Just let me go, Luca. I have work to do. If you don’t, I will hurt you.”
“You don’t understand. You’re in danger and you are not going anywhere.”
She laughed, although I could easily sense her increasing fear. “Because of the existence of the lions.”
“Yes. I am taking you to safety,” I stated as I pressed down on the accelerator. I’d found and repaired the old truck, one that the electro pulses hadn’t been able to destroy all those years ago. While the liquid gasoline was hard to find, the camp the lions had sequestered had found and maintained a decent supply, enough to power the few vehicles we’d managed to secure.
They were also off the grid, undetectable except for the cameras. Fortunately, there were thousands of the old-style vehicles, allowing my usage to go unnoticed.
I was surprised as she lunged toward me with disregard for what could happen. As she pummeled one fist against my face, she managed to grab the steering wheel with the other, yanking until we were thrown off course, the tires screeching.
As I issued an intense roar, doing everything to gain control, I was forced to slow down. Clarise used that to her advantage, tossing her body against the door until she was able to grab the handle, tumbling out and rolling.
“Fuck!” I slammed on the brakes, skidding to a stop. The woman had a death wish. I could see that she’d already gotten to her feet, racing into the forest.
As if she could get away from me.
I had to hurry. While I’d never experienced any alarms when hunting the forests for food, that didn’t mean they didn’t exist. What I did know is that she was racing into a potential catastrophe.
As I sprinted through the trees, the energy drawn from her electricity fortified the hunger furrowing deep inside. The damn woman was smart, heading into the densest part of the forest. Did she have any idea she was making her way into the forbidden zone? The area was ripe with dangerous and unforeseen caverns created by massive explosions years before. Buildings had been left to rot, other structures consumed by moss and vines. There were also manmade cliffs with horrific ravines, the drop-offs often fifty or more feet.
I sensed the danger increasing as she ran blindly, tumbling over rocks and fallen limbs in an effort to get away from me. There was no time to waste. She’d bolted toward one of the highest drop-offs. Unleashing a portion of my beast, my lion ran freely, weaving through the jungle-like environment, leaping over mounds of debris. There were twisted ruins everywhere, predatory animals and snakes easily hidden by the mass of dense foliage.
“No. No!” Her cries were muffled by the density of the trees, her heart beating wildly. “Go away. I can take care of myself!”
She would need to learn the hard way, taken under control.
As she twisted around to face me, gaging the distance, she lost her footing again, the force propelling her backwards.
I sprang into the air, able to catch her mere seconds before she tumbled to her death. As I leapt over the ravine, landing easily on the other side, she clung to me, pressing her head against my chest. Her single wail was muffled, her entire body quaking.
“You’re safe now,” I said as I held her, scanning the perimeter to make certain we hadn’t been followed. Fortunately, we seemed to be alone, the majority of humans never daring to enter the area.
One of the reasons the Pride hadn’t been detected was because of our location, adjacent to another city in ruins. Our houses had been mostly left untouched, the homestead of those who’d once worked in the quaint village.
Before they’d all disappeared.
“Safe. We’re never going to be safe.” She pressed her palms against my chest as she peered into my eyes. “Why are you so special to them?”
“I wish I knew.”
“I don’t believe you.”
I snorted as I walked us away from the edge, growling the second I heard the snap of a twig. When a small fox scampered out of a bank of trees, I curled my lip in a warning to leave us the fuck alone. The last thing I needed was another shifter announcing our presence.
She watched my every move, her face pensive.
Crouching onto my haunches, I eased her down, gathering her scent once again. Other than scrapes and cu
ts, she wasn’t damaged. I yanked the beast back into his lair before looking her in the eyes. “Are you hurt?” While I knew the answer, she needed to be able to trust to some degree.
Taking gulping breaths, she darted her gaze toward the ravine, her lower lip quivering. “Na... No. How could I be? I don’t have any understanding of what’s going on or why I’m important to you.”
“Yes, you do. You feel the attraction, the pull that cannot be denied between us.”
Clarise laughed nervously. “That’s bullshit.”
I leaned over her until our lips were centimeters apart. “Are you so certain of that, Clarise? Your scent burns within my muscles as mine does in yours. Your hunger has increased to the point you can’t sleep, can’t eat. You want nothing more than for me to take you right here, fucking that pretty pink pussy of yours.”
Her hand was quick, but not as fast as mine. When she attempted to slap my face, I twisted her arm and captured her mouth, thrusting my tongue immediately inside. All I could think about was ravaging her, driving my cock so deep inside she screamed out my name. The taste of her was even more magnetic, drawing me into the dangerous web that had been placed around us. Whatever the reason, we could now never be apart.
As I dominated her tongue, she clung to me, her body responding even while her mind refused to accept. The scent of her sweet pussy was bearing down, filling every cell until I was nearly drunk from the dark desire, my cock aching to the point of madness. I could sense her nipples swelling, her buds becoming hard little pebbles, waiting for me to pluck and twist until she called out in pain.
I would take her right here, re-marking my territory, continuing the mating process until she could no longer resist me.
Her moans were melodic, lightly echoing in my eardrums, filling my very soul. When I finally broke the kiss, I nipped her bottom lip until one of my canines bit into her tender tissue.
Yelping, she shoved me with enough force I was pushed backward, immediately dragging her tongue across the drop of blood. Horror filled her eyes as she stared at me, a single bead of perspiration trickling down the side of her face.
As I gathered the sweet coppery scent in my nostrils, my longing only increased.