by Bella Night
“What the hell?” Everyone turned to see a tall man with dark hair and too many tattoos emerge from a booth in the back of the shop, where two more women peeked around the half open door. He stopped short when he took in the grotesque scene.
“Shit,” Etti muttered.
A moment later Jake stalked out of a room dragging his pale artist like a hostage.
“I think we’re done here,” Derik said, sounding bored as he began licking the blood from his fingers. “Finish having your fun and torch the place,” he ordered.
Mêlée broke out in the lobby as Derik’s pack lunged for the male tattoo artists. The dark-haired one was putting up one hell of a fight. Grey pulled Etti closer—that territorial instinct screaming at him to protect her from harm as Derik’s eyes raked over them. They stood still amongst the chaos, Grey possessively tucking Etti to his side, his thumb absently stroking her arm to soothe the fear he scented from her.
Derik caught the intimate gesture and stopped suddenly. He grinned, his eyes narrowing with growing challenge. Grey could feel Etti shaking as the Alpha sauntered closer. His sadistic smile made Grey’s hackles rise. Grey let his nails slide out and he bared his teeth—something he knew to never do to his Alpha if he wanted to live. But Grey wasn’t thinking of himself. He wasn’t thinking at all. The only thing on his mind was Etti—and protecting her at all cost. Panic flooded him and Grey let his wolf instincts take charge. Without warning he turned on Etti and sunk his teeth into her neck.
11
Etti
Pain exploded in Etti’s neck where it met her shoulder. She screamed as her hand flew to her tearing skin. She tried to fight the shifter off of her but it was useless. She was no match for his strength. Follow his lead, her ass! The lying mutt was trying to kill her! He caved to his merciless Alpha’s demand after all and was going to rip her throat out.
But Etti wasn’t going down without a fight. She swung wildly at Grey who simply fisted her wrists, immobilized her as though she was no more than a small child throwing a tantrum. She closed her eyes waiting for the pain that would come when Grey tore her apart—but it didn’t come. Instead Grey stilled, his razor sharp canines still buried deep inside her neck. Her stomach flipped as she realized he seemed to be savoring the taste of her. Then it flipped again when she realized there was a part of her that found pleasure in his bite. What the hell was wrong with her?
Pleasure and panic warred within her. “Grey?” she whimpered, ready to beg for her life, but to her surprise he let her go. He simply retracted his teeth and pulled his powerful jaws away from her neck. Her hand went immediately to her neck as she stared at him, wide-eyed. He didn’t look anything like the man she’d let seduce her. He was more lupine than man now—silver rings glowing near the center of his wild gray eyes. His terrifying beauty stole her words.
Tucking her behind him, Grey stepped toward Derik aggressively. “I’ve claimed her,” he growled.
The other shifters who’d been toying with Marc and Wes suddenly stopped. All eyes swiveled to Grey and Etti.
“You lie!” Derik roared. He grabbed Grey by the throat and Etti shrieked.
She should have run. Should have called the police. Should have got on her motorcycle and never looked back. She should have done any number of smart things to get the hell away from the rogue shifters, but instead she grabbed the double-barrel shotgun from under the counter and fired a warning shot, before taking aim at Derik.
She spoke in a steady, quiet voice that scared her. “Take your hands off of him or I’ll kill you.”
Derik stared incredulously at Etti. His gaze darting between her and Grey. Then he began to laugh. “You sure about this, Grey? She’s not even a shifter. You only get one claiming, you know?”
Grey nodded. “I’m sure.”
Derik sniffed the air seeming to be searching out some meaning Etti couldn’t understand. The Alpha glared at Grey. “If I find out otherwise, I’ll claim her myself and make you watch.” He took a step closer and lowered his voice. “And then I’ll gut you both.”
The standoff was broken by the sound of police sirens growing closer. Etti didn’t know if her gunfire had drawn them or perhaps someone had dialed 9-1-1. Either way relief flooded her adrenalin-depleted muscles. Somehow, she kept her aim trained on Derik.
“This isn’t over,” he growled at her before ordering his pack to leave.
And to Etti’s surprise Grey moved to go with them.
She called to him. But he only gave her a look of shame before he followed the rest of the rogues out the front door.
What.
The.
Hell!
12
Greyson
Grey and his pack shifted into wolves as soon as they cleared the block, sprinting for the woods with the wail of police sirens in their ears. His heart hammered as he kept replaying the hurt look on Etti’s face when he left her. He could tell she was shocked. She’d thought he would stay. And Christ had he wanted to. The way she fired that shotgun and stood up to Derik . . . Grey wished he had the balls she did. And talk about sexy. Grey had been so turned on he practically had to strangle his wolf, who was ready to shift and claim his mate then and there.
That’s what Etti was—his mate. Grey should have known it the moment he kissed her. And maybe he had, but he’d been caught off guard. He was still new to the shifter world and their strange ways. He cursed himself for not having made time to learn more about his heritage before being forced to join the hunt. If he’d known more . . . if he’d known what to look for . . . maybe he could have scented his mate before even entering the Painted Wolf and protected her better. As it was, all he’d been able to think of in that split second he’d had before Derik launched his attack on Etti was to bite her.
Grey felt terrible that he didn’t have time to warn her. Her scream and the fact that he had caused her pain wounded him far worse than whatever punishments Derik would dole out. Grey knew Derik would punish him harshly. No one got away with confronting the Alpha.
Closing his mind to thoughts of Derik’s revenge, Grey let the memory of his mate’s sweet scent fill him—lilac and water. His heart wrenched with each step that took him farther away from her. He’d only just found his mate and now he was leaving her. He hated leaving Etti, but he knew she’d be safer this way. If Grey had anything to do with it, he’d keep running and lead the hunt as far away from Covington as possible.
The fact that Derik believed Grey had claimed Etti was the only thing keeping her safe. He needed to keep Derik far away from her scent and the truth. If Derik found out . . . there’d be no stopping his wrath.
Grey pushed his lie far from his mind. He pictured Etti’s beautiful face and hoped he’d done enough to protect her for now.
13
Etti
Etti looked around the Painted Wolf like she was on the set of a horror film. This couldn’t be real. There were two dead women in her shop. One was half naked and shredded to bloody ribbons. The other simply looked like she was sleeping, her blonde head in her crying friend’s lap. But Etti knew she was dead. She had watched the rogue shifter snap the blonde’s neck like a twig. The other blonde woman was conscious now and sobbing as she stroked her dead friend’s hair while police officers and EMT’s buzzed around them.
Rose—poor Rose. Etti couldn’t tear her eyes away from the woman’s mangled body. She felt terrible for the hateful thoughts she’d had about the tattoo artist moments before her death. No one deserved to die like that.
Etti jumped when a warm hand brushed her arm.
Wes gazed down at her. “If you don’t need me I’m going to go to the hospital with the Rodriguez twins.”
“Yeah. I mean, no, I don’t need you here. You should go with them.”
Wes put his hands on Etti’s shoulders, briefly glancing at the bandage on her neck where she’d been bitten. He stared at her hard. In that moment he wasn’t just her co-worker or her best friend, he was the boy she’d known since she
was eight. The one who loved her like family. The one who had always protected her. “Etti, come with me,” Wes said softly. “I don’t feel right leaving you here alone.”
“No, I need to stay and finish up the police report.”
“You’re sure?”
“Yeah, I’m fine,” she lied.
Wes sighed knowing how stubborn she was and that he wouldn’t be able to change her mind. Instead he pulled her into his arms and held her tight, kissing the top of her head before letting go. “I’m glad you’re okay.”
Etti smiled up at him, bravely. “Me, too.”
Had Wes held her any longer, she might have caved. Her lips had warbled against his warm chest and she could feel the tears pressing against the back of her eyelids. But Etti knew Wes would never leave if she cried and she really wanted to be alone when she lost it. So she pushed him away lightly. “I’ll check in with you when I leave, okay?”
He nodded and turned away.
“And get that looked at,” Etti called, pointing to the gashes on his arm that must have come from one of the shifter’s claws.
Wes gave her a smile. “Will do, boss.”
She didn’t know how she’d done it, but Etti had managed to see everyone out of the Painted Wolf, answer all the officer’s questions and lock up without having a meltdown. The coroner had come for the dead blonde girl and Rose. Wes had accompanied the twins, who were suffering from shock, according to the EMTs, to the hospital. And Marc who’d been treated for minor injuries, offered to give the other blonde girl a ride home.
When the dust finally settled, Etti pulled her motorcycle around front and watched the police fasten crime scene tape to her front door. That did it. That was the final straw. She quickly jammed her helmet on and flipped down the visor to hide the tears that now slid down her face. She gave the officers a thankful nod before kicking her bike to life and racing away from the flood of emotions that chased her from the Painted Wolf. After the things that happened there, she feared she’d never be able to set foot in the place that had once been her haven, ever again.
The kind policemen had offered to give her a ride home, but she opted for her bike, using the excuse that she didn’t want to leave something so valuable in her vandalized shop. But truthfully, Etti hoped the ride would help clear her head. As it was, a million confusing thoughts swirled in her mind making it hard to focus. But that’s what she loved about her motorcycle. It was second nature to her. It didn’t require thought. She simply became one with the chrome and leather, letting her worries dissolve into the blurring scenery.
That was usually how it went. But unfortunately tonight, no matter how fast she rode, Etti couldn’t escape her thoughts. She squeezed the throttle harder knowing it was no use. Etti chastised herself. Where the hell was this instinct to flee early? She couldn’t stop thinking about how she’d reacted when Derik threatened Grey after he’d bitten her. He’d bitten her for God’s sake! She should have run and never looked back. But no, she had to pull a friggin’ gun on Derik—an Alpha! Smart, Etti. Real fucking smart!
She racked her brain but couldn’t figure out why she’d done it. What the hell had made her stick up for Grey? She didn’t owe him anything. She’d just met him. Sure they had a steamy makeout session on the floor but . . . Etti could feel her skin flush at the memory of Grey’s lips on hers. Dammit! She needed to get a grip. He hadn’t even taken his pants off and she was already drooling! She quickly pushed all thoughts of the sexy shifter out of her head and regained her focus.
She was increasingly perplexed by her reaction to Grey. Everything about the way she’d acted was uncharacteristic. She never made out with clients, especially not shifters. She didn’t have anything against them, but she knew not to bite off more than she could chew. Pun intended.
Hell, she was afraid of Wes’s sexual prowess, so she sure as shit wasn’t about to get in bed with a shifter. Especially not one like Grey. He was built like a Greek god. A man that looked like that was sure to attract way more drama than Etti needed in her life. Tonight was case in point!
A groan escaped Etti’s throat. She knew all of this, but still, something more than fear had kept her frozen to her spot inside the Painted Wolf when she could feel Grey urging her to run with every fiber of his being. Something made her want to protect him. She’d watched him fight off the savage animal inside him—the one that bit her and wanted to rip her throat out. And the icing on the cake? After all Etti had done to protect him from that asshat of an Alpha, Grey had fled with him anyway.
She still couldn’t believe it. What a coward!
And what had Grey meant when he said he claimed her? Etti knew a lot about shifters, but she’d never heard that term before. Maybe it was some sort of slang rogues used. Whatever it was it had saved her ass and royally pissed off Derik. Etti wanted to look into it as soon as she got home. She knew enough about shifters to know there wasn’t enough venom in one bite to turn a human. The shifter gene was usually inherited, but she’d heard of enough instances of humans being turned by shifters that she wanted to investigate just what the hell claiming was to be sure she was safe.
What was wrong with her? She should be terrified of Grey and his rogues, but here she was plotting to research his culture.
“I seriously need to get my head checked,” Etti muttered to herself.
She was halfway home and still deep in thought about the events of the night when the tawny blur of a deer darted across the road in front of her. She swerved to narrowly miss hitting it, but that was where her luck ended. Her maneuver took her onto the road’s shoulder and her bike slid out from under her on the gravel. It happened so quickly and she’d been going so fast—too fast.
Her skin felt like it was melting through the leather of her pants as she skidded across the asphalt with astonishing speed. She let go of her bike and did her best to roll away from it. She smelled rubber and earth and blood as she tumbled, trying not to tense up. She finally stopped with a thud in a soggy ditch a good twenty yards below the road.
When Etti was able to catch her breath she started slowly wiggling her fingers, then moving her limbs. They ached like hell already but nothing felt broken. She sat up and hissed as she bent her legs. Part of her left thigh looked like hamburger meat where the gravel had torn through the leather.
As Etti climbed to her feet she cursed the stupid deer that had leapt in front of her. She scanned her surroundings and when her eyes fell on her bike she yelped. Her road rash was nothing compared to what her beloved motorcycle had suffered. Pieces of chrome had peeled off as easily as the lid of a tuna can. Debris littered the forest making a clear path to the bike’s final resting place, where it lay wrapped around a tree in shambles.
“Shit!” She screamed. “Shit, shit, shit!”
Etti loved that bike. Maybe even as much as she loved the Painted Wolf. This was not her day. She’d lost her two most beloved possessions in the same night. That wasn’t acceptable. She stalked toward her ruined bike muttering all the ways she’d kill the deer that had caused the destructive wreck if she ever laid eyes on it. But before she made it to the bike something caught Etti’s eye and made her stop dead. It was the glowing silver eyes of a wolf.
14
Greyson
Grey sighed with relief when he saw Etti get up from the motorcycle wreck. He was in wolf form again and had mustered all the strength he had left to find her—to warn her.
When he’d spotted Etti streaking down the road on her motorcycle he sighed a breath of relief. But then he realized he’d have to catch her. Even in wolf form it was all he could do to try to keep up—that was until he heard the shriek of metal on asphalt. Grey cursed and pushed himself to his breaking point to get to Etti. He was sure it was his fault the deer had spooked and tore across the road in front of her, but that was the least of his worries.
He was nearly to her wrecked bike when he saw Etti start to move her limbs. He’d been dragging himself toward her, silently praying she was
okay. But his injuries made each movement slow and excruciating. Still, he put the pain aside and kept moving. After all, that was his mate lying in the ditch, and nothing short of death could have kept Grey from getting to her.
Pausing to catch his breath, Grey watched Etti stand up and assess her injuries. When he realized she wasn’t seriously hurt he let his broken wolf form slump back to the ground with a whimper. Blood matted his gray and white marbled fur as he lay panting on his side.
Grey’s frantic search to find Etti may have been too much for his ravaged body. It seemed even with his supernatural abilities, he wasn’t healing fast enough. But he didn’t care. It was worth it to warn her—to see her one last time.
Derik had beaten Grey severely for his insubordination at the Painted Wolf. But he took each blow willingly, gratefully even, because Grey knew each wound Derik inflicted on him was one he’d spared Etti.
Grey had almost been beaten to death, but Jake subtly reminded Derik they’d be forced to find a replacement if the pack was short a member. That was the beauty of the hunt. It always had at least six members. Some long buried spell created the hunt that way so it would never die out. The hunt was like a wheel with six spokes. The spokes might break, but they could be easily replaced. The only thing that mattered was that the wheel kept turning.
Once Grey swore his blood oath to repay his brother’s debt, he’d become a spoke. And knowing who his replacement would be if he broke made Grey stay acutely conscious while Derik thrashed him, even though his human body begged him to let go. Grey didn’t want there to be any confusion that he wouldn’t survive the Alpha’s beating and continue to serve the hunt. There was no way he’d ever let his little brother get dragged into their vicious world.