Wolf Bane (The Anthology Novella Series Book 3)

by Darlene Kuncytes

  He felt Melinda move to step around him but lifted his arm, stilling her, and he heard her soft grunt of protest.

  “Well, my goodness, Mel,” Stacy laughed, taking a step further into the room. “You sure do work fast.”

  Melinda tried once again to move past Colin, but he was holding firm, and something about the tenseness of his body made her pause. What on earth was wrong? This was Stacy!

  “What do you want?” he growled, and she wondered just what in the hell was going on.

  “Just let him have her,” she heard Stacy reply quietly, and Melinda felt her entire being turn to ice. What?

  “What did he promise you?” Colin asked, and she could feel his body vibrating with fury.

  “Does it really matter?” Stacy replied evenly, taking another step toward them, and Melinda could see an iciness in her friend’s expression that she had never seen before…and damned if it didn’t chill her to the bone.

  “I think Melinda deserves to know what would cause her friend to betray her,” Colin replied, his voice stone cold, and Melinda could see a muscle in his jaw twitching dangerously.

  “Stacy,” she whispered, still trying to comprehend what in the hell was happening now. “What did you do?”

  Her friend tilted her head slightly and caught her gaze, and Melinda swore that she saw just the tiniest hint of regret in her eyes, that and something else she couldn’t identify, but just seemed…off.

  “I’m sorry, Mel,” she rasped, almost apologetically. “I really am. But, what could I do? When he approached me and promised me eternal life…I…” She trailed off, shaking her head slowly from side to side with a small shrug of her shoulders.

  Melinda felt her heart slam against her chest with such force that she was finding it hard to breathe. Oh dear, God! This couldn’t be happening!

  Colin knew he had to get Melinda out of there…and fast. Roland wouldn’t be far behind. The coward usually sent his lackeys to clear the way, and Melinda’s friend was just another one of Roland’s little toys to use and destroy once she had served her purpose.

  “Listen, Stacy,” he spat out as he pulled Melinda up against his side. “You have two options here. One… get the hell out of our way…now. Or two…let my wolf help you to move.” He saw her eyes widen slightly as a flicker of fear ran across her. “And trust me when I tell you that I’d pick the first option if I were you.”

  “I can’t…”

  “Please, Stace,” Melinda choked out, tears rolling down her cheeks now. “If you ever cared for me…”

  She seemed to be fighting an internal battle and Colin took the opportunity at hand. He grabbed their bags and motioned for Melinda to follow him. When they got to the entryway, he turned back and looked at her.

  “He’s lying to you,” he stated firmly, his eyes locking with hers as he said a silent prayer that he could get through to her. He could see that Roland was working his bullshit compulsion on her and he hoped that some small part of her was still in there. “He’ll drain you before he’ll turn you. To Roland you aren’t pure blooded enough to turn. Trust me. I know the bastard. Run, Stacy. Leave now and go somewhere new. He won’t bother to track you down; you aren’t important to him any longer. It’s your only chance.” With that, he ushered a zombie-like Melinda down the front steps and over to his car.

  Chapter 6

  Four hours later, Colin pulled into the parking lot of an out of the way motel. Small and secluded, it was just what he was looking for. He put the car into park and glanced over at his sleeping mate. Mate. The word echoed through his brain, making him almost dizzy. Shit! He hadn’t expected this when he had been asked to watch over her, but damned if he wasn’t sure.

  Melinda lay curled up against the door, her tear-stained face almost relaxed in sleep, and he was once again taken by how absolutely beautiful she was. Not to mention how unbelievably strong. In the past twenty-four hours her life had been completely turned upside down, and yet she had handled each thing as it came at her with a strength that was awe-inspiring.

  He watched as her eyelids fluttered and only a moment later those incredibly blue depths locked onto his. “Where are we?” she asked, sitting up and rubbing at her eyes.

  “I needed to stop for a bit,” he explained, fighting back the urge to yawn. He hadn’t slept much more than ten minutes in the past two days and it was beginning to hit him hard.

  Melinda nodded as she looked out of the car window at the quaint little motel nestled deep in the woods. It looked like a place that honeymooners would go to get away from everything, and she felt a strange shiver of anticipation run up her spine. Oh, God! Why did this man do this to her, she silently questioned herself, but only a moment later her inner voice blared at her... because he’s freaking sex on a stick and you’re going through emotional hell at the moment.

  “Do you think it’s safe to stop?” she asked softly, trying hard to steer her thoughts away from the fact that she would be spending the night with the man sitting beside her.

  She turned back toward where he sat only to find him staring at her. The look in his eyes was soft and gentle, and again that pesky little shiver hit her.

  “You’re safe, Melinda.”

  She nodded slowly, unable to tear herself away from his steady gaze. There was an undeniable current of something between them and Melinda fought hard to keep her wits about her. Her entire existence had changed in the last twenty-four hours and the pull that she felt toward this man was just muddying up the waters in a really distracting way. She needed to figure out so many different things that she wasn’t really sure where to begin! There were way more questions at the moment than answers.

  He seemed to give himself some sort of mental shake before gracing her with that damned grin of his. “Let me go and get us a room. Stay here. I’ll be right back.” With that he opened his door and disappeared into the office. Melinda sighed as she tried to clear her jumbled mind. Her eyes glistened as she once again thought of Stacy. If what Colin had said was true, she prayed that her friend had run. That she was safe. No matter what had happened, Melinda loved her. There had to be a reason that she had betrayed her.

  Her door opened and Colin held out a hand to help her from the car. Well, she thought with a tightening in her chest…here goes nothing.

  Colin carried their bags as he ushered Melinda into the room ahead of him, his body taught with that electrical charge that being near his mate brought. It took pretty much every ounce of his willpower not to just toss her onto the bed and claim her. Easy there, big boy, he silently reminded himself. This woman had been through enough already. He didn’t need to dump the fact that she was destined to be his on top of everything else. If anything, he needed to bide his time.

  He watched silently as she tentatively walked around the room before finally settling on sitting down on the edge of the bed with a resigned sigh and an uncomfortable cough as she avoided making eye contact with him. He knew she was feeling what he was; but he also knew that she couldn’t possibly understand exactly what that was exactly.

  Colin set the bags down and walked over to the bed, sitting down beside her. She looked so lost that it nearly ripped his heart to shreds.

  “Are you hungry?” he asked, trying to ease the tension in the room, but she merely shook her head.

  “Not really. I’m just kind of…numb.” He could see her once again fighting her emotions and took a giant leap of faith. He pulled her into his arms and held her close as a sob tore through her.

  “It’s all right to let it out,” he murmured against her hair. “Christ, Melinda, you’ve had a whole hell of a lot dumped on you. Let it out.”

  Colin let her cry, his heart breaking with each tear she shed. When she finally relaxed against him, he leaned back and looked into her eyes. The pain he saw there nearly killed him. It was deep and shattered his very soul.

  He kissed the tears off her cheeks, loving the saltiness of her skin, and heard a small sigh pass her incredible lips. It
was in that instant that he knew he was lost. The call of his mate was much too powerful to ignore any longer and he wolf howled with need.

  His mouth met hers in desperation, his tongue sweeping across the seam of her lips and demanding entry, and when only a moment later she complied, he thought he would surely implode. He felt her delicate hands slide around his shoulders as she pulled him closer.

  His tongue danced and chased hers as a groan formed deep in his chest. He needed to stop and tell her. Tell her that she was his…but she felt so damned good and he was a selfish man.

  Garnering up what little restraint he had left, he broke away. “Melinda…”

  Melinda watched him a moment, her body actually aching for him, and knew deep down in her gut that at this very moment in time she needed this man. That with everything that had happened in the past day, she couldn’t be the cautious, sensible one any longer. Her life had changed in the blink of an eye, and for once she was going to take what she wanted. And, by God…she wanted him! More than she had ever wanted anyone ever before.

  Not about to give herself the opportunity to talk herself out of anything, she wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him with all she was worth, effectively silencing him.

  She felt his entire body shudder and a moment later, she was being flipped onto her back his mouth never leaving hers as his strong hands explored her body.

  His lips were warm and hungry and she found herself pulling at the t-shirt he wore, trying to rid him of it and needing more than anything to feel his glorious flesh.

  Colin moved and slipped the shirt from his body in one fluid motion, and Melinda gasped at the sheer perfection of this man. He was toned and defined and so damned muscular. It was as if the god’s in heaven had decided to create one perfect creature and here he was. There was a very large part of her that wanted to pinch herself to make sure this was real. What on earth was this man doing here with her?

  His heated gaze traveled over her face and down her throat to the neckline of the shirt she wore and with a smarmy grin, he deftly pulled the shirt up and over her head.

  “Christ, you’re breathtaking,” he growled before making her bra, pants, and underwear disappear in record time.

  He moved and stood beside the bed, removing his jeans, and Melinda had to fight back the urge to groan…or at the very least cheer! The man was unadulterated perfection!

  She watched in silence as he gazed down at her, his eyes practically glowing with desire, and she felt a strange fluttering in her chest, as if she had just run a mile.

  “Melinda,” he began, but she shook her head. She didn’t want to hear anymore right now. She just wanted to feel. For once in her miserable life she just wanted to throw caution to the wind and do her for a change. Not worry about everyone else.

  “There’s something…”

  “Please, Colin,” she whispered, “unless you have a wife or a girlfriend or a bunch of kids running around…no more talking. I’m tired of talking.”

  He chuckled softly as he slid back into the bed beside her. “No. No wife, girlfriend, or kids,” he whispered against her neck as he nibbled his way down her body very slowly and very thoroughly to the apex of her thighs. She let out a sigh as she shifted slightly, and when his mouth made contact, she thought she would melt like liquid right into the mattress beneath her.

  Colin felt as if his entire body was on fire as he slid down her incredibly body. The mating call was strong, but he fought it with all he was worth. He couldn’t dump this little tidbit on her now…not yet.

  His mouth found her heat and he shuddered as her essence filled him. Christ, his mate tasted like heaven. His hand traveled across her body until it joined his mouth and he slipped a finger inside her, bringing a sexy as hell purr from her lips. He teased and toyed until he felt her orgasm hit her with a vengeance. He looked up to find the room filled with shooting streams of brightly colored lights and couldn’t help but chuckle. His mate was happy.

  Melinda bit down on her lip to keep from screaming like a demented mental patient as her orgasm slammed through her with the force of a locomotive and she fought to breathe. Sweet Lord! Nothing had ever felt like this before! It was absolutely…sublime.

  She opened her eyes when she heard him chuckle and was greeted with the sight of a multitude of colored lights slashing and exploding through the air all around them. Her mouth dropped open and she looked at Colin, who was moving his way slowly back up her body, placing gentle kisses on her heated flesh as he did. His eyes met hers and he smiled, his brow lifting slightly.

  “Me?” she asked in stunned disbelief, and he nodded. “How? I mean, I’ve never done anything like that before. Ever.”

  He moved his body between her thighs and held her gaze, his mouth so close to hers. “Melinda, you just came into your powers. You wouldn’t have been able to do that before. And remember that your powers are based on emotion right now,” he laughed before lowering his lips and kissing her in a way that she had never been kissed before. It was absolutely incredible and had her toes curling down into the mattress beneath her.

  She moved her hips, urging him to take her, and when he finally did, she felt a vibrating start in said toes and creep its way up her body as this incredible man filled her to the hilt.

  He began to move and Melinda found herself matching his thrusts to perfection, aching for the man to the point of desperation. Their bodies slid against the other’s, slick, hot…amazing, and Melinda felt her body once again teetering on that precipice of pure, animalistic bliss. It was a rush of euphoria that ripped the air from her lungs in an instant.

  Much too soon, another orgasm hit her…hard, and she dug her nails into his back as she heard the sweet sound of his own release. It was a primal, intense growl that caused her heart to slam against her ribs like a sonic boom as the sound vibrated into her chest, only to sweep across her entire body like a giant wave of sensation.

  Colin moved to his side and pulled her against his body, his arm sliding across her waist protectively. He leaned in and kissed her neck, his mouth so warm and sensual that Melinda felt her toes curl once again.

  “That was…” she choked out, at a complete loss for the right words to describe what she had just experienced with this man.

  “Earthshattering,” he finished for her with a satisfied grin.

  He moved and turned her over to face him, his eyes seemingly troubled, and Melinda thought to herself… here it comes. ‘It’s been great, but I’m not looking for anything serious… or I don’t do relationships… Oh, God… or even, this was great, but I like guys and just wanted to give the other team a try.’

  Melinda cringed as she waited. She knew she really didn’t know this man and maybe she had jumped into this much too quickly, but she also knew that she had wanted this more than she had wanted anything before. There was a pull toward him that she just couldn’t deny and with the way her life had taken a sharp turn into crazy land, why couldn’t she just feel for a moment? Take what she wanted for a change?

  “Melinda, I need you to know that what’s happening between us, I don’t take lightly.” His voice was low, even… honest, and she felt a wave of relief wash over her. “I plan on protecting you with my life,” he went on, and Melinda felt butterflies take flight in her tummy and flap wildly around, stealing the breath from her lungs like a thief in the night. “I’m not going to let you go.” Her mouth dropped open with his words, completely stunned. Was this guy for real?

  Colin fought the urge to burst out laughing as her face registered her surprise. He hadn’t told her yet that she was his mate…but he hadn’t hidden his intentions either. This would take time, and he was more than willing to be patient. He kissed her quickly before giving her a smile. “Get some sleep, Sweetheart,” he whispered against her lips. “Tomorrow we head to my cabin where I plan for us to get to know each other extremely well.”

  Melinda returned his smile, a strange sense of peace enveloping her. No matter how insane
her life was at the moment, she had the unmistakable feeling deep down in her soul that this man was her destiny and whether or not it was her witchy shit that was working on her again or not, she was planning to see where this went.

  Yes, her life had, in some aspects, been blown apart at the seams…but she had the distinct feeling that this man looking at her so intently was her port in the storm. She snuggled up against his body and sighed.

  “Where you go…I go,” she whispered on a yawn, and Colin’s face broke out into a full-fledged smile. Yes, he had the feeling that once he took care of Roland and his merry band of blood-suckers – he and his mate were going to have an amazing life. At least…that was his hope.

  Chapter 7

  Melinda forced her eyes to open as she stretched her aching muscles. A small grin played across her lips as she giggled quietly.

  She rolled over, only to find the other side of the bed empty. Sliding up, she pulled the sheets around herself and looked around the motel room. Empty.

  She listened for the sound of the shower running, but only a deafening silence filled the air. She slipped from the bed and grabbed her clothes, which were strewn about the room haphazardly, and she felt her cheeks heat at the memory of Colin removing them and tossing them through the air. Oh, Lord! What had she been thinking? What had ever possessed her to just jump into bed with the man? Okay, yes. Her life was anything but normal at the moment…but seriously?

  She hastily dressed as her eyes darted around the room in nothing less than full blown panic, feeling like the biggest ass on the planet. Had he simply gotten what he had wanted from her and unceremoniously taken off? Leaving her in the middle of freaking nowhere to fend for herself? Could he be so cruel?

  She dashed over to the bathroom door and knocked, saying a silent prayer that she was wrong…but again, only that stomach turning silence. Oh, God! The bastard had actually left her!