by Jacey Ward
Maybe it was because her mind just couldn’t take it in, or maybe it was because she just couldn’t cope with trying to understand it after everything that had happened. At least it explained the bite marks on the victims, which had been the final, unexplained question she’d had about the whole case, even though Sasha knew she could never tell the rest of the officers about it. For one, they’d never believe her and, secondly, Torin had specifically asked her not to, and Sasha intended to keep her word.
There she was, thinking about Torin again.
“What am I doing?” she muttered to herself, her eyes straying to the truck once more. “Why do I care about seeing him again?”
Marching into the kitchen, Sasha set about trying to make herself a fresh pot of coffee instead of just pacing up and down, waiting to see if this was the day Torin would arrive for his truck. Was she really that desperate to see him again, even if it was only through the window?
Shaking her head to herself, she tried to come to grips with her reactions that night. First, the earth shattering orgasm she’d had (with just his fingers, she reminded herself balefully), and then her panicked response to seeing his wolf in his eyes. She hadn’t realized just how much she’d wanted him until he’d kissed her. The minute his lips had touched hers, her body had burned with raw passion. Every single thought had left her head, every worry and anxiety over what she was doing, had disappeared in an instant when he had touched her.
And then she’d left. Or rather, she’d fled. She had to admit to a little shame when she thought of her reaction. She had always seen herself as both strong, and open. How could she have panicked? It wasn’t like she didn’t know what was happening when his eyes had glowed. But she couldn’t shake the fear she had experienced when his brother’s eyes had done the same thing. Would Torin be able to control his wolf? Or would her become a crazed killer like his brother?
And now, a week later, she still couldn’t get Torin from her mind. It wasn’t that her fear still upset her, it was that she simply couldn’t stop thinking about him. She’d catch herself wondering how he was doing, whether his wounds had healed and if the haunted look had left his eyes. Sometimes in the evening, when she was drinking a glass of wine, she’d think of him and how he’d sat opposite her with his glass of whisky, his dark eyes never leaving hers – and a deep sadness had welled up inside her and she realized, much to her surprise, that she missed him. She missed his company, his conversation. She missed how he had begun to change right in front of her eyes, turning into a vulnerable, sensitive man instead of the angry, vicious beast he’d once been.
And, she had realized, that he must have an iron control over his wolf. Otherwise, there would have been a rash of murders in and around her area consistently throughout the years. The clan had been there for as long as records had been kept in the region, yet no other unexplained murders or missing persons had ever been documented here. To all eyes, this area was one of the safest in the country.
It was foolish, she knew, but yet these feelings of yearning wouldn’t leave her be. In fact, they tormented her.
“What should I do, Bramble?” she murmured, fixing her coffee and wandering back towards the window. “Do I expect him just to knock at the door and tell me that he wants to see where this is going?” She snorted to herself, knowing she had killed any chance of that happening when she had run out, acting as if he was trying to murder her. Rolling her eyes at her question, her heart jumped in her chest as she saw someone moving towards the house.
Her coffee sloshed dangerously to one side of her mug as she moved quickly towards the window, wondering who on earth it could be. Her heart began to quicken in anticipation of seeing Torin – only to realize, with abject horror, that it wasn’t Torin. It was James.
The coffee mug fell to the floor, spilling all over the carpet as Sasha ran to the front door, praying she’d locked it. It wasn’t her usual habit to lock the doors during the day, since she lived so far out on her own and most people who came and went from her road she knew very well. It was one of the things about living in the Scottish Highlands that she’d come to appreciate – but that wasn’t going to help her now.
She reached for the door handle just as a huge force to slammed against it, knocking her to the ground. James came around the edge of the door, a sneer on his face as he looked down at her. She kicked out, catching him in the knee. It crunched under the force of her kick. He staggered back, just outside her front door and fell down the front step. Sasha, seeing her chance, scrambled to her feet and slammed the door shut, her fingers shaking as she tried to turn the key in the lock.
It turned just as he slammed his body into the door, making her jump back in alarm. He can’t get in, he can’t get in, she repeated to herself. The back door and all of the windows were locked, she was sure.
But that meant she was trapped in her own home. And if she called the police, then she’d have to explain to them who James was and why he was trying to attack her. Everything would come out. Torin would be arrested and his entire life would be shattered.
She couldn’t do that to him.
So what was she going to do about James? Sasha paused, her breath coming quickly as she waited for him to do something. Everything was quiet. There were no footsteps, no shouting, no thumping on her door. Everything was just…. silent.
“You forgot to lock your back door.”
Sasha screamed loudly as James grabbed her arms, his evil grin widening.
“You’re coming with me, Sasha,” he said, his eyes focused and dark with malice. “It’ll be you or his leadership. One way or another, he’ll have to choose and I don’t think we have any doubt as to what he’ll pick.”
Sasha heard Bramble begin to bark, lunging at James aggressively. James simply kicked out, punting the poor dog, who landed hard against the table and stayed down, whining pitifully. Struggling desperately against James, Sasha tried her best to get away from him, but he overpowered her easily.
“Out we go,” he muttered, pulling out a long, thin blade and casually waving it at her as he held her immobile. “No nonsense now, Sasha. I think you know I won’t be afraid to use this.”
He pushed her roughly to the ground, forcing her onto her back. He placed his knee across her hip bones and held the knife to her throat. “Hold your hands out,” he ordered.
Sasha swallowed hard and stopped struggling, holding out her hands reluctantly.
Torin had always battled with himself when it had come to hurting her, but James, she knew, would act without hesitation. He wouldn’t care about hurting her – or even killing her. It was clear he would use her in whatever way he wanted – and right now, that was to get Torin out of the way.
After being led out of the house and forced into his car, Sasha stared blankly out of the window, focusing her thoughts on Torin. Her mind screamed in torment with thoughts of James slicing both of them to ribbons, or seeing Torin in a pool of blood, unable to help him. Her training as a police officer wasn’t as effective when her emotions were involved. It was hard to even think clearly.
“Not long now,” James chuckled, the knife resting on his lap, the blade towards her. “It looks like you’re finally going to prove yourself useful, Sasha.”
Torin muttered darkly as he refilled his whisky glass. He’d done nothing but go to work, come home and drink ever since Sasha had left. The rest of the pack had left him well enough alone, given that he’d had a straight out talk with them all about Thomas. Every word he’d said had been like a dagger piercing through his skin but he’d had to do it. The horror in their eyes had been echoed in his own heart.
He’d been honest with them about everything. He’d told them about Sasha and about James, including the reason why he’d banished James from their pack. They all seemed to understand, or maybe it was just the shock of hearing it all that had rendered them all speechless.
Regardless, he’d had several encouraging words murmured to him, a few handshakes and even a couple of
hugs from some of the females in his pack, but nothing had really soothed his heart. He missed Sasha. As strange as it sounded, he missed the woman he’d once blamed for his brother’s death.
He couldn’t get her out of his mind.
He had to go and get his truck at some point but he’d kept putting it off, not sure he could even face her. The way they’d parted was not really conducive to him just showing up at her place to ask how she had been doing.
His heart ached for her, despite feeling things he’d never thought he’d feel – especially for someone of her species. After all, she was a human and he was a shifter. Shifters were meant to mate with shifters, fall in love with shifters, marry shifters. Getting involved with a human was dangerous ground, even if she knew about his abilities.
The rest of the pack hadn’t liked that James had shifted in front of Sasha, which just proved Torin’s decision to send him away to be the right one. He’d reassured them all that Sasha wasn’t going to tell anyone about what had happened, although he’d found it difficult to explain why she wasn’t going to say anything. He wasn’t sure he really understood her reasons either, although he appreciated her silence more than he could say.
“To-rin!”
A sing song voice caught his ears as a ripple of disquiet ran down his spine. Moving to the window, he heard the voice again – only to see James standing outside with Sasha to his left.
Sasha! She was leaning away from James, her hands bound and eyes wide with fright. James was flashing a knife around in his hand, the other hand holding onto Sasha’s arm tightly.
Torin’s heart leapt in his chest, his wolf trying to rise to the surface and tear James apart. Mine! His wolf howled. Torin clamped down on his control, knowing that dealing with James was going to require both control and ultimately, deadly violence.
He drew in a few deep breaths and focused his thoughts on his pack. Closing his eyes, he called them to his house, his thoughts filtering easily into their minds. This wasn’t a fight he was going to do alone, not when Sasha’s safety was involved.
And whatever James was doing, this didn’t bode well for anyone.
Chapter Fifteen
“Ah, Torin, there you are!”
“What are you doing, James?” Torin growled, his hackles rising as he stepped out to meet James. “Why is Sasha here?”
A glint of madness ran through James’ eyes. “Because you’re losing your grip, Torin.”
“My grip on what?” Torin kept his gaze fixed on James, not looking at Sasha even though everything in him wanted to grab her away from James. It would be too dangerous for him to act now, not when she was so close to James.
“Your involvement with Sasha has proved to everyone that you’re not worthy of being our leader,” James continued, airily. “Besides, your brother turned out to be an evil psychopath with a penchant for ripping young woman apart.” His grin turned dark, his voice dropping to a whisper. “So just how well can you lead our pack if you can’t even look out for your own brother?”
Torin’s hands tightened into fists. “What Thomas did had nothing to do with me!”
“I’m not sure everyone sees it that way, Torin,” James replied, his lips thinning. “Now, either you step down and tell the pack that I’m the new leader, or I’m afraid Sasha is going to be added to that long list of women killed by the McBain family.”
Hearing Sasha’s swift intake of breath, Torin glanced at her and saw the fear in her eyes. There was no doubt that James would probably do just as he’d threatened, which meant that Torin was going to have to find a way to get Sasha away from him before he could do anything.
“The rest of the pack is on their way,” he said slowly, wondering if he could taunt James enough into attacking him instead of Sasha. “You’ll be run out of town – and then killed.”
James laughed harshly, his eyebrows furrowing together. “Don’t try and threaten me, Torin, because it won’t work. As soon as I tell the pack about her, then –”
“They already know,” Torin interrupted, quietly. “I told them everything.”
The light in James’ eyes died away for a moment, only for him to draw himself upright and sneer at Torin. “And did you tell them that you have feelings for a human?” he mocked, loudly. “Did you tell them that you want her? A shifter wanting a human?” He laughed again, shaking his head disparagingly. “There’s more to tell the pack than just your side of things, Torin.”
“You’re wrong, James,” Torin said, taking a step closer. “The pack knows what you did to Sasha. They know that you tried to rape her, that you shifted in front of her.” He let a slow smile spread across his face. “They want you gone, James. You’re never going to lead this pack. You are no longer a part of this pack, James, and if you don’t leave now, we’ll end you – for good.”
Something shifted in James’ expression, a ripple of anxiety that he couldn’t quite hide. Torin smiled to himself, knowing he was getting to him.
“You wouldn’t dare,” James hissed, as Torin inched forward. “A pack against one shifter? That’s hardly a fair fight.”
Torin grinned, focusing entirely on James and on the knife in his hand. “Then I suggest you run, you little coward.”
James let out a roar of rage and, just as Torin had hoped, he leapt at him. Sasha was pushed to one side, staggering away to hide somewhere as Torin and James began to circle one another.
The wolf in him begged to be released, begged to be allowed to fight, but with the dagger in James’ hand, Torin knew he couldn’t let himself shift yet. Whilst James had the dagger, Sasha was still in danger even though she was hidden. Her scent would be easy to track.
“Drop it and run,” Torin said, quietly. “Do it now, James, before it’s too late.”
James snarled and lunged for him and Torin just managed to dodge in time as the blow meant for his jaw whizzed by in a blur of knuckles. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw James’ other arm come back towards him, the knife catching the light as it came towards his stomach. Twisting away, the sharp steel glanced off his ribcage, a sharp sting that refused to lessen in its intensity. Breathing hard, Torin threw a single punch towards James’ face and, catching him off guard, managed to knock him to the ground.
James fell hard, the knife clattering away across the gravel. Torin had no time to run after it, no time to kick it away. James was already shifting and Torin’s wolf burst through his skin with such suddenness that, for a moment, he lost his breath.
Teeth and claws began to rip at him the very moment he’d shifted. James’ attack was meant to maim, meant to kill, leaving Torin struggling to defend himself for a moment.
Shaking himself hard, he managed to get James’ jaws off him entirely and moved back just a little, collecting himself. The howls of the rest of his pack echoed in his mind, his heart beating faster as he realized just how close they were.
When James attacked again, Torin was ready. He dodged him easily before digging his jaws into James’ skin. James howled and tried to shake Torin off, but he held on, blood oozing through his jaws.
“Do you hear them, James?” he said, speaking from his mind into James’ mind. “They’re coming for you.”
Underneath him, James froze, slowly lying down as a sign of submission. Torin wanted to hold on to him, wanted to give James the punishment he deserved, but one glance over his shoulder to where Sasha was hiding reminded him that he couldn’t do it.
“Run.”
Letting go of James entirely, he moved back and waited for James to move. This was his one chance. Either he could run, hoping the pack wouldn’t be able to catch him, or he’d attack Torin again, knowing he couldn’t win.
Either way, his life was essentially over.
James was gone in a flurry of grey and brown, the gravel sending up a cloud of dust as he ran. His paws dug into the ground as he ran, clearly hearing the howls of the pack as they drew nearer.
Torin ran after him, pausing just at the end of the road as
a horde of wolves ran down the field towards him. The pack would do the rest. He had to go back and care for Sasha.
“James is on the run,” Torin called, as the rest of his pack drew near. “He is never to be allowed back.”
The pack moved as one, knowing what he meant.
Hurrying back towards Sasha, Torin shifted before he drew near her hiding place, letting out a groan as his injured tissues were forced to shift to human form. He could feel blood dripping down his side, the cold gravel digging into his bare feet.
“Sasha?” he called, moving near to where she was. “You can come out now. It’s over. I’m so sorry.”
She came out at once, her eyes wide as she took him in. She certainly had not gotten this view last time she saw him shift. He stood proud, broad shoulders thrown back and rippling muscles drawing her eye as he moved toward her. Her eyes followed down his body to his six pack and tapered hips. Blood dripped from his left thigh, slowly making a rivulet of red down the thick muscles.
“Sorry,” he muttered, aware that he was probably shocking her as he stalked closer. “Shifting tends to ruin clothes.” He got up into her space and wrapped one arm around her. “Come on, let’s go inside and get those ropes off you. I’m so sorry that you had to go through that again, especially after….”
“You’re bleeding!” she exclaimed, as they went inside.
“I’m fine,” he assured her, grabbing the first thing he could find and wrapping it around his waist. “Let’s get your hands free.”
Sasha’s eyes never left his body as he cut her ropes away and Torin couldn’t help but be filled with pride as he watched her eyes linger appreciatively over his muscular form. His fingers rubbed over the red marks on her wrist from the tightness of the rope.
“I can’t tell you how sorry I am that you got mixed up in all this,” he said, softly. “Sasha, this has been all my fault.”