by Jenika Snow
“Did someone hurt you?” Kaleb’s eyes gazed over her, as if he were looking for an injury and a reason to kick someone’s ass.
She shook her head and wrapped her arms around her waist. “No, he just gave me the creeps. I wanted to know if you knew him.”
“What did he look like?”
The image of his rugged face flashed in her mind. She described what he looked like, but left out the scars she had seen on his wrists.
“That describes almost half the guys here. Can you be more specific?”
“He had scars on his wrists, like cuffs or something had been around them.”
A dark look crossed her brother’s face. “I want you to stay away from him.”
“Who is he?”
“Caelan Shaw. He’s dangerous.”
She had no doubt he was dangerous, not with the way he looked at her, as a predator did its prey. “Aren’t all the men here dangerous?”
Her twin took a hearty swig of his beer. “Yes and no. Listen, just stay away from him, okay? The males don’t like the females around him.”
Well then why in the hell do they let him stay here? That question was best left unsaid. Instead, she simply nodded and said okay. She had no intention of going near him again anyway.
The moon was full in the sky, and the party was growing stronger than ever. It seemed as though more and more people were showing up—where they came from, she had no idea. Kayla felt a little uncomfortable and out of place. Even though everyone treated her kindly, as though she was a part of their family, she still was an outsider.
The children had long since gone inside, and now half of the men groped and fondled the females. They didn’t even bother finding privacy. Many of the men just propped the woman against a tree, wrapped her legs around their waist, and got to it. The longer the night went on, the more explicit the couples’ actions became.
She didn’t want to be a voyeur, but it was hard not to stare at them when they were being so blatant with their sexuality. She stared at the blazing fire, feeling the warmth of the flames seep into her skin like a thick blanket wrapping around her.
“Ye’re enjoying yerself?”
The masculine voice behind her startled her, and she jumped. Callum stood behind her, a bottle in his hand and a smile on his face. Did she really think the scarred man would be behind her? Yes, it had crossed her mind, but she was happy that it was Callum instead.
“Yes, thanks.” The truth wouldn’t have sounded nearly as polite. What could she have said? There was no way she was going to tell him that watching all these horny people was like watching a live-action porno.
He watched her, his eyes glossy and slightly bloodshot, as he took a long drink out of the whiskey bottle he held. The bottle was half full as he offered her some. She held her hands in front of her and shook her head.
“How are ye goin’ to turn away usge beatha?”
Now that she was really paying attention to him, she could hear how his words slurred together. He was good at keeping his composure, though.
“Turn away what?”
“Water of life.” At her raised eyebrow, he chuckled and replied, “Scotch whiskey.”
The bottle was as dark as the night, but when the firelight hit it just right, she could see the liquid churn inside of the glass, like a tidal wave on the shore of an ocean. Maybe she did need to lighten up a bit? Taking a deep breath, she took the bottle and brought it to her lips.
The whiskey flowed into her mouth and down her throat like lukewarm water, but that wasn’t the grand finale. After a second, the liquor seemed to kick into gear. Fire raced down her throat and into her bloodstream. Eyes watering, Kayla started coughing uncontrollably. She handed him back the bottle and tried to catch her breath.
“Holy hell. That’s like straight gasoline.”
Callum started laughing, a full belly one that had several people looking over at him in question. “There, there, lass. You did verra well.”
“That has to be illegal.”
He took a long drink out of the demon bottle without any of the problems she had faced. “Aye, it is. But we donna follow the same rule as others.” A devilish smile and wicked wink followed his comment. He really was a handsome man, but the more she looked around at the couples, the more she missed Adrik.
“So, Kayla, ye have a male?”
Startled by his blatant question, she wiped the rest of the tears from her eyes and cleared her throat. She was about to confirm she was with someone, but then she remembered what Kaleb had said about the Lyken beliefs. What if they found out she was with a vampire? What if they hunted him down?
“I…” Should she even admit she was with someone? “I’m dating someone.”
He took another swig of his whiskey and looked down at her. “Is it serious?”
What to say, what to say. “Not so much.” She noticed a smirk cross his features and immediately felt guilty, but she reassured herself it was for Adrik’s protection. She didn’t know anything about these people. They all seemed nice, but they were werewolves, after all.
“So ye’re single, aye?”
Did werewolves not realize that when someone said they were dating another that meant they weren’t single? Hell, he probably just didn’t give a damn.
“Things are moving to the next level.” Not a lie, but not the entire truth either. One of his eyebrows rose, and she thought he was going to press it, but she was thankful when he just shrugged and smiled.
“Did yer brother tell ye about tonight?”
She didn’t know what he was talking about. “You mean about coming up here and meeting everyone?”
He shook his head and took another swig. She wanted to tell him to go easy on the liquor. He already seemed pretty intoxicated.
“No, but ye’re in for a treat.”
She looked around. Everyone started to spread out, the couples breaking apart and gathering around the fire. Aedan stepped out of the shadows, his shirt off, the firelight bouncing off his rippling muscles.
A hushed silence fell over the grounds as everyone stared at their alpha. “Tonight is a full moon.” Aedan’s loud, booming voice rang out. Everyone shouted with excitement after he spoke. “Are my brothers and sisters ready to run?” More hollering and shouting was their response.
All of the men suddenly started to undress, and she felt her eyes widen. Oh hell no. Not only did they take off their shirts, but also their pants. Her mouth dropped open as man after man became naked in the firelight. She didn’t even try to search out Kaleb for reassurance, because frankly, she feared her brother would be nude as well. That was something she did not want to witness.
The sound of a zipper going down and a rustling of clothes rang out like a cymbal right behind her. On instinct, she turned and stared at Callum. Bad move on her part. He was butt-ass naked. His smooth, muscular chest took up her entire view, and she took a step back. He grinned down at her, and her gaze inadvertently dropped below. Oh. My. God. He gave her a wink and then moved over to the other group of men who were forming a large circle away from the fire. I have got to get out of here.
It was no use, though. In order for her to go back to the compound, she would have to push her way through the group of very naked men.
“Let us run free, my brothers.”
It took all her strength to look at Aedan when he spoke. As he started to speak Gaelic, he walked around the fire. His muscular back came into her view, and she got a glimpse of the giant tattoo that covered his golden flesh. A giant tribal wolf stared back at her, the eyes as dark as obsidian and equally as ominous. The swooping lines and sharp edges brought the creature to life.
She leaned against the tree, trying to catch her breath as everything became eerily silent. The women all stood off to the side, the children put to bed long ago. The females gripped the hems of their clothing and removed it. When all the females were nude, they took off into the forest. It was clear that the males could barely hold themselves back as they
watched them leave.
What the hell is going on?
The women disappeared, and the men continued to breathe heavily. As everything around Kayla became still, she turned her gaze back to Aedan. Her breath completely stopped. As she stared at the scene before her, fear engulfed her entire being.
Right before her eyes, the men started to grow tall, so tall they had to be easily eight feet in height. Their muscles started to swell, and the sound of material rendering and bones breaking filled the area. Each one of them panted heavily, their fangs clearly visible under the moonlight.
There was only one word that could describe them. Terrifying.
Chapter 15
Kaleb stood behind his brethren, reveling in the change. It overtook him, giving him the strength and power he needed to crush his enemies. His bones broke and realigned. His muscles stretched and grew. He tensed, the pain slight compared to the strength and heat that poured through him.
He was breathing heavily, just like the other males. It was imperative that he get as much oxygen as he could into his body to make the transformation smooth and seamless. His cock grew hard, the scent of the aroused females fleeing spurring his need. He would chase them down, find a willing female, and fuck her, hard.
When the change overtook, it consumed. It was power, anger, fear, and love all combined into a glorious transformation.
He tilted his head back and roared. The other males did the same, each one of them taking off into the forest to find the one they would fuck. Kaleb ran hard and fast. His heart beat frantically as he searched out the female. This is what his kind did, what got their blood pumping. It was the most primal thing one of his kind could do on a full moon.
He didn’t like leaving Kayla alone, not because he feared for her safety, but because he knew she was probably confused at what was happening, but he was helpless against the pull of the moon. The chase is what the Lyken males loved…what he got hard for.
He ran faster.
There she was, no more than fifty feet in front of him. She was breathing heavily. Her hands were in tight fists by her sides as her breasts rose and fell with her respiration. The wind stirred her dark hair around her face, gently caressing the strands like a lover’s touch. The movement was tender, soft even.
He wouldn’t be.
Kaleb stopped several feet before her and clenched his fists as he dragged his eyes over her large breasts and down her long legs. Their breathing mingled together as he pressed his body against hers. Her response was a gasp of pleasure.
The sound made his cock harder.
Her nipples were hard and tight and pressed erotically against his chest. The tips were engorged and elongated and scraped sensually along his flesh. He grabbed her waist and turned her around. He ran his hand down her back and gave her ass a good swat. The sound of his palm making contact with her flesh was his undoing. He held her in place with a hand to the middle of her back. He grabbed his aching shaft and stroked it a few times.
“Spread.” The lone word was low and distorted. It was a command that he knew she liked. He could smell her arousal heighten.
She spread her legs wide and leaned forward so that her ass was presented to him. Her pussy lips were bare and glistened under the moonlight from her wetness. He quickly grabbed a condom out of his pocket, which hung from his jeans by threads, and slipped the latex on. He started running the head of his cock over her swollen pussy lips and gritted his teeth in arousal. His cock head now poised at the entrance of her cunt, Kaleb slammed into her.
She screamed in delight. He growled in pleasure.
Hands on each side of her waist, Kaleb reared back and pushed all his hard inches into her willing body. Over and over he did this, not stopping until her pussy walls tightened around his shaft as she climaxed and he howled out his release.
A shiver raced down Kayla’s spine as several wolflike howls wrenched through the night. No one was left but her, and she suddenly felt so alone. After everyone had run into the forest, she had just stood there in shock. What was she supposed to do? Anger toward Kaleb had coursed through her momentarily at the fact he had just left her out here, but that anger had diminished as she had remembered the feral look in the males’ eyes. It was clear they couldn’t have stopped themselves even if they wanted to.
Question after question slammed into her mind until her head was reeling. She took a few steps back, not about to stay outside any longer. She turned around and ran back to the compound. She didn’t stop until her bedroom door was slammed closed behind her. Could she really be part of this world? She didn’t think so.
Kaleb pulled into Kayla’s driveway the next afternoon. That morning she had insisted on going back home. He had tried to get her to stay longer, but that one night had been plenty for her. Apparently, whenever the moon was full, they fucked out in the woods.
“Why didn’t you tell me that was going to happen?”
A suspended moment of silence settled around them before he finally answered. “I should have, but would it have mattered? Would you have agreed to go if I told you what the moon does to us?” Kaleb’s voice sounded distant.
She thought about it, knowing that he was right. She wouldn’t have gone. Although she wished she hadn’t experienced last night, Kayla knew all of that was part of her heritage. She was a Lyken.
The people she had met and the things she had learned were very important. “No, I wouldn’t have gone, but I’m glad I did.”
He looked over at her and nodded.
“But I don’t know if that’s the life for me.”
Kaleb didn’t look surprised by her statement. “I figured as much, but it isn’t like you have to live there. The Lykens are there for you if you need anything. I’m here for you if you need anything.”
“Would they accept my relationship with Adrik?” There was a bout of silence, and that was all the answer she needed. “You don’t understand, Kaleb. I love Adrik. I need him.” More silence.
“I know, and as much as it pains me to see the two of you together, as much as I’d like to see you with one of our own, you are my sister, and I’ll love you no matter what.”
That was her brother, adding an endearment to an insult.
Kayla touched up her lip gloss as she waited for Adrik to arrive. Butterflies had been constant in her stomach ever since she spoke with him earlier today. When he had asked her where she wanted to go, she had told him she just wanted to go somewhere quiet and relaxing, a complete contrast to last night. Again, he was to pick her up at sunset. She planned on finishing what they started the previous night.
The grandfather clock in the living room chimed six, and her heart started to beat faster. Just a few more minutes and he would arrive. Like clockwork, someone knocked at her door. She smoothed her hands down her skirt and walked toward it. Before she opened it, she took a deep breath. She felt as though she hadn’t seen him in ages.
When the door swung open, her eyes grew wide at who stood on the other side. “Callum?” His eyes skimmed down her body, and she felt as if he could see right through her clothes.
“Hello, lass.”
Adrik was to be here any minute, and here was a werewolf standing on her porch. “What are you doing here?” She had to get rid of him.
“Yer brother told me you dinna want to come back tonight, so I came to you.” He ran a hand over his hair, and his shirt stretched along his biceps.
“Kaleb told you to come up here?” She would beat his ass.
“No, I wanted to surprise you. He doesn’t even know I’m here.”
Lucky for him. “Tonight really isn’t a good time.”
“No?” He looked behind her. “I don’t sense anyone here with you. You have a date tonight?”
She nodded almost absently. As if he read her mind, Adrik’s tank of a vehicle pulled into the driveway. The windows were tinted, and she couldn’t tell what his reaction was, but she knew it wasn’t going to be good.
“Is that yer date?”
>
She nodded, but didn’t take her eyes off Adrik’s vehicle. The SUV turned off, and the door swung open. Adrik stepped out of the car and slammed the door shut so hard she winced. Callum growled low in his throat. Kayla finally turned and looked at Callum, only to see him watching Adrik intently.
“It canna be.” Callum looked down at her with a knitted brow, then stepped slightly in front of her. His gaze went back to Adrik.
Callum filled her doorway, so she couldn’t see around him.
“Lyken.” The one word was anything but a greeting. “I suggest you step away from her.”
“Ye’re her date?” Confusion and anger vibrated through Callum’s voice.
“No, she is my Chosen.” Adrik’s voice was low and calm.
Why in the hell does this shit happen to me?
“Bluidy hell. You have got to be fooking kidding me!”
“I think not. Now if you don’t step away from my female, wolf, I might have to shed some blood.” There was deadly intent in Adrik’s voice.
Kayla would not let them fight. Callum just happened to be at the wrong place at the wrong time. She wasn’t going to watch two people fight over her again. “This is ridiculous, Adrik. I think you both are blowing this out of proportion.”
Callum looked behind his shoulder at her and raised an eyebrow. He held his hands up and stepped away from her. She let out a breath, thankful at least one of them was being rational. She looked at Adrik, his gaze still on Callum, his eyes changing from black to blue.
Kayla grabbed her purse and shut the door quickly. “Thank you for the offer, Callum, but I’m sorry.”
He smirked at her. His green eyes went to Adrik again, and she tensed. “Ye’re a lucky male, vampire.”
Adrik smiled broadly, which did nothing but showcase his fangs. “I know.”
Chapter 16
Callum bowed at the waist and headed toward his truck. She watched him leave and felt herself sag in relief when his truck pulled away. She turned her attention back to Adrik, trying to gauge his reaction.