Skin Walkers Conn

by Susan A Bliler

“Sit,” he commanded.

  She did as she was told, dropping into the plush carpet in front of the hearth. The heat licked at her and it felt good after her long cold ride in the trunk.

  “Get warm, I’ll make us dinner.” Remy walked away and she peeked up to watch him stalk to the kitchen.

  Her eyes darted to the poker next to the fireplace. “A-are you friends with Mason?”

  “No.”

  Shit! She looked up and watched him pull a box of something from the cupboard before he yanked a pan from inside the oven and placed it on the stovetop. She scooted so she could face him but inched closer to the poker, “My name is Aries Bracken.”

  His lips thinned and he looked at her doubtfully. “EnemyHunter,” he supplied.

  “I am not an EnemyHunter. Conn took me to Monroe.” She stopped. “Do you know Monroe? Monroe StoneCrow?”

  Remy continued to work without looking at her, “Yes.”

  “He had his doctor examine me, Mason was there. I am not Mason’s sister.” When he didn’t respond she continued, “I belong to Conn Drago. I am his angel. He gave me his halo.” She lifted her fingers to it then stilled when Remy pinned her with his angry gaze.

  “Then where is your halo if that one belongs to Conn? You’re a Walker, he’s a Walker. If he claimed you there would be a double-helix around your throat now. Don’t try to fool me Aries. You don’t know enough about us to play this game.”

  “I don’t have a halo.” She knew she sounded desperate but it couldn’t be helped. “Conn said he doesn’t know why that is. None of them do. Not even…” Damn, what was his name? “Bloody Knife?”

  Remy grinned lopsidedly, “RedKnife.”

  “RedKnife. He doesn’t know either.”

  Remy stopped working to stare at her. “Do you know who Mason is bound to?”

  She shook her head, “I only met him once at the infirmary.”

  “He’s claimed Amanda Chandler.”

  If the name was supposed to mean something to her, it didn’t. Aries shook her head, “I don’t know…”

  “She was mine,” Remy growled. He slammed a pan onto the stove and his expression darkened as he continued to work.

  Aries’ wheels began to spin. Mason stole Remy’s angel!

  “You know,” Remy began, drawing her attention back to him, “the only thing that Mason is more consumed with than my Amanda is finding you.” His dark eyes pinned her. They were attractive eyes. He was an attractive man. His brown hair was short on the sides but longer on top. He sported a five o’clock shadow that gave him a dangerous yet sexy vibe. He was handsome, but nothing compared to her Conn.

  “I told you. I’m not Mason’s sister.” Aries began to grow angry.

  “You are correct on one front there. You are nothing to Mason any longer. You belong to me.”

  Her anger quickly dissipated. “No. I belong to Conn. He’s claimed me. I’m his angel. He’ll come for me and when he does you’ll be sorry you’ll…”

  “ENOUGH!” Remy slammed his hands on the counter as he glared at her. “I don’t want to hear about Mason or Conn. You are mine now Aries EnemyHunter. You are Mason’s forfeit for taking what wasn’t his to take. You are what he owes me!”

  Oh God! He thinks I’m Mason’s sister and plans on claiming me as revenge for Mason stealing his girlfriend. “W-what are you going to do with me?”

  “I’m going to claim you. Bind you to me and prevent you from ever seeing Mason again.”

  “Can’t you call Mason? He’ll tell you I’m not his sister.”

  “Of course he’ll tell me you’re not his sister. Then he’ll find you and hide you. I’ll never get this chance again.”

  “You’d claim me just to hurt him? I have no say at all?”

  Remy sighed and looked up from his task, “For that I do apologize. We’ll grow to love each other in time.” His tone was firm as if he was trying to convince not only her, but himself as well.

  “But I love Conn.” The words were blurted out, but once they left her lips she realized they were the absolute truth. Somewhere on their long journey together she’d grow to trust him and that trust had blossomed into respect, which in turn grew into love. It was a frightening revelation, she’d never been in love before.

  “Ah yes, Commander Drago. He’s an enemy I hadn’t anticipated making. If ever a Walker existed that I did not want to be enemies with, he’d be it. But if he wanted you he’d have claimed you himself.”

  “He did!” Aries stood then and cautiously approached. “He said his halo would mark me, I’d carry his scent.” Her hand gripped the halo around her throat, “Can’t you tell that I’m bound to him?”

  “His scent is from mating you.” He motioned with his head toward the bathroom door. “Speaking of, you should shower now. His scent on you offends me.”

  She opened her mouth to refuse the shower when Remy dropped the knife he’d been using to chop lettuce. His nostrils flared and he lifted his head to stare at her before he took up a towel and wiped his hands. “Remove your clothes.”

  “What?” Shock tore through her and she lifted a hand to grip the front of her shirt as she took a step back, “No!”

  Remy circled the small kitchen island dropping the towel on it as he approached her slowly. He smiled, “While I am interested in mating you, right now I’m more concerned with your injury.”

  Aries shook her head and continued to back into the living area. “I’m not injured.”

  Remy stalked her, “I can scent your pain. You’re hurt. Show me.”

  When she got near the hearth, Aries’ hand shot down and came up with the poker. “Stop! I’m not hurt. I mean I am,” she winced at how stupid she sounded, “but not like you think.”

  Remy’s eyes narrowed on the poker and the smile slid from his face.

  “I’m always in pain. I always have been. I think it has something to do with the fact that everyone thinks I’m a Walker, but I’m not.”

  Remy titled his head, his voice laced with incredulity, “You don’t think you’re a

  Walker?”

  “I can’t be.” The poker trembled in her baseball bat grip, “I didn’t have a halo, and I can’t shift. I am not a Walker.”

  “What do you mean you can’t shift?”

  “I can’t.”

  “Have you tried?”

  “I don’t know how to try.”

  His expression darkened, “And you expect me to believe that Conn has claimed you but permits you to live in pain?”

  He was right, it didn’t make sense. Her eyes dipped to the carpet as she tried to think of an excuse, and it was a mistake. He moved so quickly that her shriek didn’t even make it past her lips. The poker was ripped from her hands and she stumbled back landing hard on her ass as she kicked with her feet to scramble away from him.

  Remy threw the poker across the room where it hit a wall and clattered to the floor. “Come here!” His words were a harsh growl.

  Aries didn’t move.

  “Aries!” his tone had deepened and not wanting to see him partially shift to flash sharp teeth at her again she crawled forward keeping her head bowed. She stopped inches in front of him still on her hands and knees.

  “Shift,” he commanded.

  “I-I can’t.”

  “SHIFT!”

  She looked up, horror etched on her face, “I don’t know how.”

  He exhaled and crossed his arms over his chest as he squatted in front of her. “Think of a wolf.”

  “Okay. Nothing’s happening.”

  His lips thinned, “You’re thinking of what a wolf looks like aren’t you?”

  She nodded.

  “Think of what a wolf feels like.” He uncrossed his arms, “Not to touch, but how it would feel to actually be a wolf. Close your eyes.”

  She closed her eyes and settled on her hands and knees letting her head lower. “This isn’t going to work.”

  “Shut up and listen. Keep your eyes closed and think of a wolf�
�s long slender legs, its soft fur. How its elongated snout allows it to scent pray. Think of your whiskers and your ears pricking to the slightest noise. Think of your sharp teeth and how they would tear the flesh from a deer. Imagine using your long four legs to dig up earth and propel you forward as you chased down game.”

  Aries kept her eyes closed and concentrated. When she was a little girl she and her cousins would pretend to be a pack of wolves. They’d call out their names and describe what they’d look like. ‘My name is Chocolate and I’m the biggest brown wolf you’ve ever seen.’ She smiled at the memory. She remembered romping around the front yard as an unruly group of young children. She could practically smell the grass stains on her hands and knees from frolicking for endless hours in the yard.

  She sighed and concentrated remembering how vivid her imagination had been as a child. She and her cousins hadn’t simply played at being wolves, they actually believed they were.

  Aries’ belly warmed at the memory. She concentrated harder imagining that her limbs elongated and sprouted fur. She imagined the hair that hung loosely around her shoulders receded to a scruff of long thick fur. She steadied her breathing and just focused.

  Finally after long minutes she opened her eyes. Nothing had changed. She was still on her hands and knees. She looked up at Remy and opened her mouth to pay him a snarky, ‘I told you so’, but when she tried to speak nothing came out.

  Remy smiled at her. “See. You are a Walker Aries. You are my Walker.” His look was one of triumph.

  She looked down at her knees, but they were gone. Furry paws met her eyes and she scrambled backward in horror. She heard a high-pitched whine when she tried to sob, only to realize that the sound came from her.

  “Easy,” Remy stood quickly, “It’s alright Aries. Just think about…”

  He didn’t get to finish. In her panic Aries hit the small stand next to the wall and a lamp fell next to her shattering on the floor.

  Think about me, think about me, think about me! She repeated the words in her mind wanting desperately to change back. This can’t be happening! It shouldn’t be happening, I’m not a Walker! What if I get stuck this way? How do I change back? Oh God! Think about me, think about me, think about me!

  Her legs kicked out and she felt a sharp sting as a large piece of broken glass embedded itself into her thigh.

  “STOP!” Remy ordered lunging for her.

  She scrambled away from him, flying forward and when she caught herself as she sprawled on her chest it was with her own two hands. Sitting up quickly she let her eyes dart down her arms, legs, then her torso and the relief that swamped her at being normal again was quickly washed away when she realized she was completely naked.

  She jumped for the couch even as Remy laughed behind her. Jerking the throw blanket that hung over the back of the sofa, she quickly wrapped it around herself and turned to glare at Remy.

  “That wasn’t so bad was it?” He was sitting on the floor in the spot by the wall that she’d vacated before he’d lunged for her. Broken glass from the downed lamp surrounded him and the small table she’d hit sat broken on its side next to him.

  “Yes! It was bad.” Tears flooded her eyes at the horrific realization of what had just happened to her.

  Remy sobered and rose to his feet, his nostrils flared, “Your injured. Let me see.”

  She jerked to stay out of his reach. Shaky fingers pulled the blanket higher on her thigh and she quickly plucked the large piece of glass from her leg before throwing it at Remy’s chest. It left a small smear of crimson on his white t-shirt. She turned her face away from him when her tears fell, “I don’t want to be a Walker!”

  He didn’t reach for her. “It’s a blessing Aries.”

  Her tear-filled eyes frowned up at him, “No. It’s not!”

  His eyes darted from hers to her covered injury. “I’ll get the first aid kit.” He walked away and Aries tried to sniff back her tears.

  She didn’t want to be a Walker, she didn’t want to be different. Any hope she had for a normal life or of ever escaping these psychotic Walkers had just flown out the window. She was a freak! A sob broke free as she lost her battle with holding herself together. When Remy returned he found her crying on the couch, her face buried in the blanket as sobs wracked her exposed shoulders.

  “It’ll be alright Aries,” his voice was a whisper. He opened the first aid kit and set it on the arm of the couch before he pulled out a wad of cotton balls.

  She peeked up and sat forward ripping the cotton balls out of his hands and tearing back the blanket to hold them to her injured leg. Because she was sitting in a tight ball, blood ran down her thigh and between her legs. “It won’t be alright!” Her sorrow gave way to anger. “I’m something I don’t want to be. By no fault of my own! I’ve been kidnapped twice in the past few weeks and just when I think I’ve found someone I can trust for the first time in my life, he’s ripped away from me.” She threw the bloodied cotton balls on the ground and fisted a roll of gauze from the kit.

  “You can’t trust Mason.”

  “Mason?” her eyes saucered as she stared at him, her hands stilling in their task. “I’m not talking about Mason. I don’t give a shit about him. For the last time, he is not my brother!” A sob tore lose as her eyes dipped to the ball of gauze. “I’m talking about Conn.” She looked up, her eyes imploring as she felt a pang of guilt over having shifted for the first time with another Walker. She’d been looking forward to proving Conn wrong when he tried to teach her to shift. She hadn’t believed she was a Walker, but decided that if she were she wanted him to be the one that experienced her first time with her. Her anger ebbed and sorrow once again took hold as she cried at the prospect of never seeing Conn again. Hot tears streamed down her face, “I want Conn!”

  Chapter 22

  Conn woke slowly. He stretched and smiled, relieved that he’d finally gotten some much needed sleep. Instantly he thought of Aries and what she’d done for him. He grew hard at the memory. The need to mate her again was immediate and he knew she was going to be in a world of hurt once he ate half the contents of his bunker and replenished his strength. He smiled looking forward to the proper claiming and the prospect of keeping her in his bed for at least the entire next week.

  His eyes scanned the bedroom but she wasn’t there. Her clothes too were gone. He shifted partially and closed his eyes to inhale deeply wanting simply to smell her and know that she was his.

  His eyes slammed open and he was on his feet in an instant. He scented her, but it wasn’t the soft feminine fragrance he now knew was hers. It was the scent of her overwhelming terror. He threw the bedroom door open only to discover his bunker in shambles. Glass and debris littered a trail from his bedroom door down the length of the bunker. The front door swung open freely and he raced to it.

  Outside, there was no sign of his Aries. He dashed back to his room and dressed quickly. He called through the mist to his team. “Aries has been taken from my bunker.” He inhaled deeply and because he was still partially shifted he couldn’t control the roar that escaped him. “Remy has her! Shane, get to StoneCrow see what you can find. James, get in touch with Mason, he or Amanda should know where to find Remy. York, find Tyce! See if he’s behind this. Do what you have to do but I fucking want her found! She is mine! I have claimed her!”

  “Copy!” James, Shane, and York responded in near unison. He heard James squeak, “Holy shit!” Then the communication was broken.

  Conn snatched up the keys to the jeep and raced out to the vehicle. He’d follow the tug he felt from his halo. He’d find Aries if it was the last thing he did.

  He climbed in the vehicle hating to have to ignore his ability to shift and take flight, but when he found Aries—and he wholly intended to—he’d need a way to get her to safety once he murdered Remy McCabe.

  As the jeep flew away from the bunker, Conn’s fingers gripped the steering wheel so tightly he was sure it would snap in two. His mind was racing a
mile-a-minute. How had Remy known where to find us? Why would he take Aries? Would he hurt her? The thought had Conn’s teeth gnashing together so tightly that the action produced an instant headache.

  He’d never experienced anger like this before, and certainly never over a woman, but Aries wasn’t like other women. She wasn’t like anyone he’d ever met in his whole life. She was strong and fiercely independent. She took risks with her own life to save her own life and it was such an outlandish contradiction that he couldn’t help but admire her for it.

  His lips quirked when he remembered how she’d snagged a parachute and rolled out of the helicopter on their first day together. He was looking forward to teaching her to shift but trepidatious as well. Hell they could barely contain her now. Once she learned to shift she’d be unstoppable. I can’t wait!

  His grin faltered. What if he didn’t find her in time? What if Remy hurt her or attempted to claim her. He’d never heard of two Walker’s gifting their halos to the same angel so he didn’t even know whether or not it was even possible. His gut wrenched when he thought of Remy alone with his Aries.

  He’d met the Walker only once before and had hated the man instantly. He was the antithesis of Conn. Remy McCabe was a well-known ladies man. He was charming, and debonair, and it was rare that a female ever turned down his advances. He was a few years younger than Conn, closer to Aries’ age he guessed. Unlike Conn’s strong, scarred features, Remy’s features were softer, unmarred. All Walker women were interested in him, and human women threw themselves at his feet. Conn growled again and wondered if Aries would prefer the dashing pretty-boy over him.

  ***

  Remy paced back and forth stopping occasionally to eye the loft where Aries slept. She’d been inconsolable over her need for Conn. After her break down Remy finally calmed her enough to get her to take a shower, eat, then climb into bed. He had to swear he wouldn’t touch her, and once she’d gotten out of the shower he wasn’t sure he wanted to. She reeked of Conn when she shouldn’t have. She’d bathed and his scent should have washed away. For Conn’s scent to remain that strong she’d have to be wearing his halo.