“Lay down,” the guy said that was looking at the other woman. He was pulling his pants down but glaring at the heroic woman beside Nora. The woman shook her head taking a step back.
Come on, move a little more, I need more space.
“Go ahead, lay down,” Nora told the woman feeling sick inside when the woman’s light blue eyes widened at her as if betrayed. “Lay down,” Nora repeated.
The man approaching her took his pants off completely and was coming toward her fast.
Nora looked over at the woman again as she let the knitting needles slide down into her palms behind her back. The man tackled the other woman as Nora brought her left hand with the knitting needle gripped tight around her body and up under the chin of the guy who was nearly on top of her.
He wheezed out a breath his eyes frozen open as he began to fall. Nora turned and stabbed the other needle right through the ear of the second guy who was on top of the other woman. He only had time to let out a sharp yelp before the needle penetrated his brain.
Nora kicked him off of the woman and then helped her to her feet.
“Holy shit, where’d you learn to do that?” the woman asked.
“You need to learn how to fight too,” Nora told her. “What you did was brave but what if I hadn’t been able to fight them? They would have killed us eventually. You realize that don’t you?”
The woman nodded wiping her yellow blond hair away from her face. “I just couldn’t stand by and do nothing. If I’d rung the bell-”
“Nothing would have changed,” Nora told her. “You can’t count on anyone but yourself.”
The woman shook her head. “No, these shifters are different.”
She still doesn’t get it.
Nora couldn’t afford to out herself as an HRAF agent so she shrugged. “If you say so.” Reaching down she pulled the knitting needle out of the ear of the Nothing on the ground at her feet. “Go on, but don’t go by the well.”
“The other one will come. We should both go.”
“Yes, I’ll go this way and you go that way,” Nora said sending the woman toward the west. Nora watched the woman go and hid when the woman looked back.
She was brave and didn’t need to be a part of the next part of this. Guy number three was still by the well and he would just try this again, hurt someone else if she didn’t stop him.
Only ten or so minutes passed before he came into the woods, but as soon as he set foot into the forest the bell rang.
A roar that sounded like it came from a monster the size of the mountain Nora saw in the distance sounded, shaking the trees and earth.
What the hell?
“Oh shit,” the third guy swore and took off running back toward the city.
Rumbling like a stampede shook the forest. The shifters were really coming and answering the call for help. How could that be?
Nora pulled the other knitting needle out of the fist man. She raced toward the east as fast as she could go. When she heard the trees breaking and crashing down behind her she fell forward wiped the needles over her skirt before burying them next to digging into the earth she buried the needles next to the wild growing rosemary bush and prayed it would be strong enough to mask her scent and the scent of blood on the needles.
Pushing up onto her feet she raced toward Free basin. As soon as she passed out of the forest line she saw them, wolves. She counted them quickly. If she survived this somehow, at least she would be able to tell the HRAF what they were up against.
The women by the well were talking to a man who looked like the leader of the pack. Both the men Nora killed were drug from the forest already and lying in the dirt a dozen feet from the well.
Nora wanted to run but didn’t dare. They’d seen her. It would be suspicious if she ran. The man with the black curly hair turned his face toward Nora and then started toward her.
Shit, not like this. He’s never going to trust me.
“I am Darian, the alpha of the Rizer pack. You were attacked?”
Nora nodded jerkily. It was unnerving to have the shifter standing so close and pretending to be human. The smell of blood would probably trigger his change and Nora wasn’t certain that blood didn’t get on her when she defended herself and the other woman.
“Who killed them?”
“The other woman who was taken with me,” Nora lied knowing she couldn’t afford for the shifter to know how skilled she was.
Darian narrowed his gaze as if he could see that she was lying but Nora didn’t volunteer any information for him. If he thought she was lying he’d have to say it because she wasn’t ever going to confess, not to a shifter.
“Were you harmed?”
Nora shook her head. “It happened too fast. They didn’t get the chance. I was just scared.”
“What did this other woman look like?”
Nora wanted to lie but she knew the women at the well could give a description of the woman who had been taken into woods with Nora easily, hell they could probably give a name. Nora described her as basically as she could. “Taller than me, blond hair, I didn’t know her.”
One of the wolves was approaching. His white and yellow fur made him look like he was glowing a little in the sunlight. The beast was really big, much larger than a non-shifter wolf could ever grow to be. Walking on all fours the head of the beast was level with Nora’s chest.
As he drew closer Nora’s body grew tighter. Facing a shifter in its animal form was just asking for trouble. It was the bloodthirsty beast that killed without mercy, rhyme, or reason. Nora knew that the only reason she was not fighting off the mutant, was because the alpha was standing with her.
“You’re new here.” The Alpha made the statement and leaned in closer to her.
The white and yellow wolf started growling a low rumble for a shifter perhaps, but it was loud like the revving of a team of motorcycles to Nora’s ears.
Darian looked at the wolf with reproach and the growling quieted but didn’t stop, not all the way. More of the wolves approached at the ruckus.
They’re surrounding me. Shit, shit, shit.
The alpha continued to look at the white and yellow wolf as the pack of them crowded in around us. It was like they were silently communicating but that was impossible. More likely it was a silent war of wills.
When the white and blond wolf came closer to Nora she held her breath and did her best to block out the mental pictures in her mind of the shifters tearing people to pieces back on the street where she once lived with her family.
The slow tremble of her body was impossible to stop as the wolf continued toward her. Darian wasn’t saying anything, just watching the wolf as his head brushed against Nora’s elbow, across her breasts and then down her stomach.
Fuck, this thing is huge.
“What is he doing?” Nora managed to ask Darian, hoping he’d make the wolf stop. But, why would he? He was a shifter and didn’t know anything about respect.
“He is smelling you and checking to make sure you are not hurt.”
Nora took a small step back but it did her no good the wolf just came with her, following her. The muzzle of the wolf pushed between her legs, and the low growl he was still making sent vibrations through her core that were unnerving and wrong.
She leaped back. “Stop that,” Nora hissed.
Darian’s frown deepened. “I’m sorry about that. Please don’t be afraid. He likes you.”
“He needs to go and like someone else,” Nora said looking directly at the wolf meaning to look into his eyes but unable to get past the long sharp teeth he exposed as he was panting.
“I agree,” Darian said sharply and the wolf’s ears drew back the growling rumble returning like a low hum.
Darian’s eyes flashed into those of his wolf form as he let out a monstrous bark. The blond and white wolf backed away from Nora at last and another of the same colors charged forward knocking the first wolf back even further from Nora.
“Some are saying th
ere was four men, others just the two. How many did you see?”
Nora tried to hear what Darian was asking her but it was difficult with all the growling. She still felt like she could feel the nose and mouth of the wolf pressed right up against the center of her legs junction.
Liquid heat was beginning to pool between her legs and it was pissing her off. Nora squeezed her legs together. Her nostrils flared and her breathing increased in speed. “Look,” she said. “I know there was the first two and maybe a third. I don’t know if a fourth showed up while I was in the forest. I just know that it was terrifying and I’d really like it if your wolves could shift back.”
“You don’t like wolves?” He asked folding his arms.
“Not when they are shoving their faces in my crotch. No, Darian I do not,” Nora said her temper flaring. If she’d been armed she would have killed the blond and white wolf for making her body react like it was.
It’s just fear.
“It appears you are the only human left to ask of us what you will,” Darian said gesturing toward the well. The people that were around before left. They were walking away with their buckets of water and talking amongst themselves without a care. “If you believe the men responsible have already paid, we’ll leave.”
Nora knew she should try and get them to stay. She should try and gain the trust of one of the wolves if possible but the combination of her body reacting the way it was and the continued rumble coming from that particular wolf was too much.
“They have. They’re dead, aren’t they?”
“So be it,” Darian said making a jerking motion with his chin toward the forest. The pack of wolves began to leave padding silently back into the forest, all but five of them. The white and blond pair of wolves were snarling at each other, a black wolf stood nearby making a whimpering noise.
A brown and white wolf remained at Darian’s side and he wasn’t leaving yet either.
Nora took a careful step to the right but as soon as she did the blond and white wolf with the growling problem moved around the other blond and white one. He approached again.
“What the hell?” Nora scowled.
Be brave, Nora. Dammit, you’re blowing this.
Her breath hissed out between her clenched teeth as the wolf rubbed up against her hip and then across her stomach where he pressed his shoulder against Nora’s rib cage and stopped. He leaned against her as if reassuring himself she was still there as he looked to the alpha again.
“He wishes to protect you and watch over you. He will not hurt you, I promise you this.”
Oh good, a shifter promise. I’ll just go take that right to the bank.
CHAPTER SIX
Nora searched for her voice. She was still afraid to move with the giant beast leaning against her. “The bad men are dead. I am safe.”
Darian scratched behind the ear of the white wolf at his side. “I am sure if you can bring yourself to stand his presence a bit longer he will realize this on his own.”
Entitled. That’s what these shifters are. Sure, I’ll just spread my legs and let him perv all over me shall I?
“My pack is waiting for me at the waterfalls. Would you like to come with us? I will make sure nothing happens to you. The pack’s presence may help your admirer here calm down.”
This is a good step. I have to take it.
“Alright,” Nora agreed.
Darian jogged into the forest and the horrific sound of bones breaking and flesh stretching stung Nora’s ears. The three other wolves ran into the forest leaving Nora with the huge beast still leaning against her.
“Are you going to take me to the waterfalls or not?” Nora said. She took hold of the extra skin at the back of his neck. “Keep your face out of my space, okay wolf?”
What am I doing? He probably can’t understand me.
The wolf started walking but stopped as soon as Nora released her hold on the back of his neck. She didn’t want to touch the beast, didn’t want him leaning on her like he was her pet or friend. That didn’t matter though, she was here to get a job done and dammit Nora was determined to get it done.
Just pretend it’s a dog. It’s just a dog.
She placed her hand on the back of the shifter and he started to walk again. Encouraged, Nora smoothed down the fur along his back and the growling finally stopped.
Now we’re getting somewhere. Maybe I’ll get this beast to trust me and he’ll be the key to opening the door to all the information I need.
Nora continued walking with the wolf the fear still present but taking a back seat to her objectives. She kept contact with her hand on his back, either holding on or petting him as though he were a dog.
Before long though she was lost in thought. Why hadn’t the pack run through the city? Why were these creatures calm and seemingly controlled while the shifters that massacred her family and the town where she’d grown up so unhinged?
There must be some sort of trigger.
The wolf ran his wet tongue up her leg where a branch scratched her skin. The heated, rough texture of his tongue against her skin sent new shivers of electricity through her body.
“Hey, no licking,” Nora said in a stern voice. The wolf circled around her. Nora reached out running her hand over his back again. He didn’t stop moving though. His face dipped low pushing between her legs. Nora cried out afraid of what he would do, but he kept moving and when he stood tall again he lifted her off the ground.
Nora gripped his fur as he started to move. “No. No way. You are not a horse. I’m going to fall off.”
The backward glance the wolf gave Nora startled her because the eyes of the wolf were so intelligent. He looked at her like he knew what she’d said and was laughing at her.
Laughing? That can’t be right.
His legs began to move faster. Nora tightened her thighs holding onto the wolf not wanting to fall off of him. The tighter she held onto him it seemed the faster he moved.
Nora felt herself smiling as the wind picked up her hair. The trees and forest not slowing him down as he dodged and leaped over trunks effortlessly. She scooted further back and laid forward, holding tight to the skin on the back of his neck. As he raced toward a fallen tree that was high enough he couldn’t step over it, and not high enough to go under it.
A cry of exhilaration burst from her lungs as the wolf leaped into the air, flying over the tree as if he had wings. She felt weightless, completely light and floating.
The landing was soft and his speed didn’t slow in the least. She laughed gleefully as he dodged and swayed picking up his pace and racing up the incline.
When they hit the crest of the hill she saw it, the waterfall. It looked like the Garden of Eve with humans and beasts walking all around it and through it. Nora slid from the back of the wolf and pulled her skirt back down.
There were more wolves here than she’d counted before. More people that were probably shifters too. Nora began to count again but stopped when she realized that some of them were paired off. Her gaze found Ian and he wasn’t alone.
A beautiful young woman with long black hair had her arms around him and was kissing his neck. His hands cupped her ass and lifted her so she was sitting on his hips. She was practically naked, wearing torn clothing that was more rags than an actual garment.
The way he was looking at her struck Nora.
His sky-blue eyes were so soft, heated, and adoring. Ian’s hands ran up her back lightly pressing her breasts against his chest. The beautiful woman in his arms moved her hips against his. Ian’s eyes heated further as they closed and his mouth opened.
I shouldn’t be watching this. They shouldn’t be doing this right in the middle of everyone being here. He shouldn’t be touching her.
That last thought stung Nora like she’d been bitten by a snake. She’d flirted with Ian as part of her job. The few times she’d seen him since checking in he’d been friendly. She’d done some more flirting but they hadn’t so much as kissed. Why the hell sho
uld she care who he’s touching?
Her throat ached and she swallowed trying to rid herself of the strange hollow pain.
It’s because he seemed interested in me and now he’s with someone else. It’s because he was my in with the shifters and now I see he gets plenty of female attention.
Nora glared up at them more than twenty yards away. Ian hand her back pressed up against a rock and was pushing into her. The woman’s face was full of ecstasy.
She clenched her teeth and curled her fingers into tight fists. Nora felt the urge to rip out a handful of the whore’s black hair and strangle her with it.
“Enjoying the show?” A familiar voice asked Nora, startling her. Her eyes cut to the speaker in disbelief. It was Ian. “You okay?”
“How can you be here and there?” Nora asked.
Ian looked up in the direction she indicated and laughed. “I can’t. That’s my twin brother and his wife.”
Nora let out a breath deciding not to analyze why she felt so much relief. Her hands relaxed and she nodded. “Okay that makes more sense.”
“Nora, you didn’t tell Darian much of what happened with those Nothings. Tell me. Did anyone hurt you? Were you touched?”
She looked into his sky-blue eyes seeing concern and protectiveness like she’d seen in her family’s eyes when they’d looked after her. It was the same.
This is confusing me. I have to stop comparing him to humans. He’s not a human. He wants to protect me, so I will play the part.
“It was terrifying, Ian,” Nora said moving closer and wrapping her arms around his waist. His arms wrapped around her gathering her in closely, his lips pressed to the top of her head. She tried not to stiffen in his arms but it was hard to put aside all the anger she held for his kind.
Nora closed her eyes and pretended it was Slade holding her.
He never holds me this close. I don’t think he’s ever kissed the top of my head. Okay this was a bad idea.
“Relax, I’ve got you. I won’t let anyone hurt you, Nora.” His voice was low and soothing. Somehow, she was able to relax. The longer he held her the more relaxed she became.
In Love with the Enemy (A Rizer Wolfpack Series Book 4) Page 3