He had a new hunger growing. It ran deep through his bloodstream and straight to his soul. He practically felt his incisors expand. Dani was the one he had searched so long for. If he told his master, then he would want her for himself. No way was that going to happen. Dani’s scent was all consuming, enticing to the point that he wanted to fuck her, plant his seed in her special womb, and keep her as his own forever. He couldn’t let the master know about her. Not yet. Perhaps not ever, because he knew how evil his master was. Dr. Evans would want to experiment on Dani and use her for his own personal achievements and advances. The wolf growled low. She belonged to him and not the master and not anyone else. She could cure him of his need for blood. His kind needed special care. He would prove to his master that he wasn’t an experiment gone badly, but a gift so powerful that he would lead the way. No one would ever try to control him again.
* * * *
Dani and the sketch artist, Martin, knocked on the apartment door. Baily wasn’t answering, and Dani was feeling concerned.
“Should we call it in, Detective?” Martin asked.
“With what has been going on with the murders, yeah, I don’t want to take a chance,” she whispered as Martin took a few steps away from the door. He called the department, whispering their location and situation when suddenly the door he was next to opened, and Martin was pulled inside at record speed.
Dani’s gun was drawn and she yelled, “Police!”
A body came flying back out as she began to approach the doorway. It happened so damn fast she thought it couldn’t be real, but it was real. The body hit the other wall and fell to the rug. There was blood everywhere. Martin’s throat was slashed open.
She abruptly turned around as a huge growl echoed from the room. The wolf, the monster she’d caught a glimpse of from the warehouse, was there. He showed his face, lifted his claws prepared to strike, and she fired, one, two shots and nothing happened. All that did was enrage him. She turned to run, knowing that if bullets from her Glock wouldn’t kill him, then she didn’t have a chance.
Dani slammed the door opened and it was on her fast. It slashed at her side, causing her to scream then lower for cover from another strike. The pain radiated down her arms. It burned so badly, and the force sent her into the wall. She grabbed onto the railing and then another strike to the back of her head sent her tumbling down the stairs. She screamed and yelled with every step she slammed over.
“Dani!” She heard someone yelling her name as she turned toward the landing then back up toward the monster. It vanished.
The next thing she saw was blood covering the steps she had just stumbled down and then movement to her right. She had no way of defending herself now, with her arms underneath her and her face planted against the concrete floor.
“Dani! Fuck, are you okay?”
She looked up and saw Bently, and Miele was right behind him.
Relief flooded her body as she closed her eyes and took an unsteady breath.
“Don’t move, baby. Just lie still,” Bently whispered.
“Is it up there, Dani? Is the wolf still there?” Miele asked as he began to make his way up the staircase. She shook her head.
“He’s gone. He killed Martin.”
Dani tried to move despite Bently’s command. His tone, the way his large hands, so masculine and thick caressed so gently, soothed her. It was strange and it felt as if it eased the sharp, burning pain against her ribs and under her breast.
“You’re bleeding. What from?” Bently asked, trying to gently move her, but Dani resisted his help. She was fine. She would get up on her own and she would tend to her wound on her own. If only the dizziness would pass. Her head was throbbing and she felt so sick to her stomach.
“I think she hit her head,” one of them stated, and then the other cursed.
“What are you so mad about? I’m the one in pain,” she whispered.
“Let me see?” Bently stated then began to gently check her head for the injury.
“Cool it. I can handle it.” As she began to lift herself up into a sitting position, the pain increased, and the door to the staircase swung open hard. From above, more noise and action began. But she was swiftly losing her sense of awareness.
Don’t pass out. Fucking don’t pass out.
“Hey, you got her?” Another man yelled from the top of the staircase. She locked gazes with him. Holy shit was he big. As his eyes locked with hers, she felt a jolt of awareness. He looked so much like Bently, it was wild.
His eyebrows crinkled as he sniffed the air. “This her blood?” he asked, almost sounding annoyed that she’d messed up the stairs with her blood. She also didn’t like how these men were talking as if she couldn’t speak for herself. Then she realized she must be in some kind of shock because she really hadn’t explained anything or said much at all. Was she stating things out loud?
Oh God, I hope I didn’t say out loud how fucking hot they are.
That damn beast nearly killed me and slammed my head so hard I can’t even defend myself right now. Shit!
She glanced down at her side and could see the blood penetrating her badly torn shirt.
“Son of a bitch!” she stated then got to her knees. She took a series of deep breaths.
“Hold her still. She’s hurt,” the one at the top of the stairs stated.
“Are the others on their way? Is it secure yet, Randolph?” Bently asked as both he and Miele began to help Dani get up. Now she knew the other guy’s name. My God they were impressive-looking men, superior in every aspect. How would they look as wolves? The thought made her think of the beast that assaulted her and killed two innocent people upstairs. They could lose it just as easily.
She pushed their hands away and scooted back toward the wall, using it to push up against so she could stand up.
“What’s going on in here? We’ve got team three moving in and team five surrounding the area. The third floor is secure.”
Another one? How many of them were there in this little group?
“She’s injured, Baher. We need to get her medical attention,” Bently stated.
“Bently, you and Miele take her through the exit in the back. Van is giving out the orders upstairs. We need to get her to safety.”
Her vision began to blur and she fell back down to the floor, her legs out in front of her.
“I’m not going anywhere with any of you.” Her last words sounded like a whisper, and then she lost focus completely and passed out.
Chapter 6
The sound of mumbled voices awoke her from her sleep. Dani blinked her eyes open, the movement causing pain in her head. Her lids felt so damn heavy, all she wanted to do was sleep. She tried to force herself to wake up and to clearly see the people who were talking. She closed her eyes as their voices became clearer.
“It was a close call in all respects. She could have been killed. The humans could have arrived on scene in the midst of that mess.”
“Well, thanks to us tracking her cell phone and then the 9-1-1 call that came through, we got there fast enough. But that piece of shit got away with killing again. I just can’t figure out what he’s after.”
Dani tried to figure out who was talking. She recognized Bently’s voice but not the other one. The second voice was firm, authoritative and kind of sharp. He sounded in charge.
She tried to adjust her body then moaned as the sharp pain hit her ribs. Her eyes blinked open.
“You’re okay, Daniella. You’re in a safe place with men that can protect you.” She heard the voice and looked at the man standing beside her bed, dressed in a white shirt. He smiled, and when he reached for her to touch her cheek, she tightened up in fear of his touch, and the pain hit again.
“I’m not going to hurt you,” he whispered.
“Who are you?” she asked then coughed. Her throat felt really dry, and she attempted to sit up.
“Whoa, baby, don’t move around so much, you’ll reinjure yourself,” said another man w
ho now leaned across the bed on the opposite side.
She blinked her eyes a few more times, clearing her vision.
She clutched the sheet to her body. She was naked underneath. Her shock and anger were apparent as one of the men spoke up.
“Don’t freak out. The doctor had to view your injuries. He’s our cousin, so it’s okay.”
“Um, how the hell does that make it okay?” she demanded as she absorbed the two men on either side of her and now a third that entered through the doorway.
“We’ll explain once you’re feeling better.”
She looked at them. The one to her right, who was doing all the talking, had stunning hazel eyes. They were just as stunning as Miele’s, as she recalled.
“You’ll explain now, starting with who the hell you are,” she stated firmly, and they appeared surprised. Well, la-di-da, welcome to the real world where women actually have rights and don’t bow down to wolves or sexy hot soldiers.
“I’m Baher, Miele and Bently’s brother. This is Charlie, my cousin, the doctor who cared for your wounds, and over there by the doorway, the big guy, is Randolph.”
She glanced toward the one called Randolph. He looked downright mean. His arms were crossed in front of his chest, his eyes appeared black and threatening, and she didn’t like the jolt of awareness she felt straight to her pussy. His olive shirt stretched way across his wide chest. Damn, was he big. Did wolves take steroids?
Holy shit, I’m losing my fucking mind.
“I think Charlie can leave,” Randolph stated as he stared at his cousin. Instead of looking taken aback, Charlie smiled.
“You’re going to be fine. Your men will take care of you and they know how to get in touch with me,” Charlie told her. Her mind was fuzzy. More fuzzy and unclear than she felt. Did he say “your men?”
He left the room and Randolph only moved a second to let his cousin pass. He looked pretty pissed off at his cousin, and once Charlie left, Randolph walked into the room. Her belly tightened and she clutched the sheets against her then glanced around the room. How the hell am I going to make a run for it?
She saw her boots, her jeans, and her guns lying on the chair. For men who were holding her captive, they were stupid to leave her weapons lying out like that. She always carried two guns. One on her hip and one on her ankle as backup.
“Don’t even think about it, Daniella. We are not here to hurt you. As soon as you’re fully awake, we’ll explain,” Baher stated, and she turned toward him and those gorgeous hazel eyes.
They stood out so much against his tan complexion.
She tried to sit up and Baher and Randolph reached for her. She cringed from the pain and from the sticky tape holding the large bandage against her ribs.
“What the hell?”
Randolph scooped her up as Baher fixed the pillow.
“Hey, I can—”
One look from Mr. Intense Randolph and she closed her mouth. She didn’t even freak when the sheet that covered her breasts moved lower, exposing half of her areola. She prayed that neither man noticed her hard nipples, her body a sure giveaway to her attraction to them. Instead, Randolph softly pulled the sheets up. She was surprised at the gentleness for such a large brute of a man, covered in tattoos, and then he caressed his thumb over her nipple through the sheet.
Her lips parted and her pussy clenched.
They locked gazes, and the intensity of his stare was intimidating, big-time. She took a slow, uneasy breath.
“Beautiful.” He told her with no change of facial expression.
Randolph walked out of the room, and Dani shook her head.
“He’s a man of few words, Dani. But the words he chooses to say are most important and true.” Baher took position by the side of the bed.
“Are you more comfortable now?” Baher asked.
She looked at him and nodded. Randolph had knocked her speechless.
This guy Baher sat down on the side of the bed, his thigh lightly touching hers through the sheet. He had wide shoulders and defined muscles. He also was sporting some tattoos just like Randolph. She could immediately see the resemblance to his brothers Bently and Miele. The brown color of their hair was nearly identical and their eye color similar. It was easy to tell that they were siblings, even their height was the same, except for Randolph. He was a bit extra large and about two inches taller than Baher and Bently’s six feet three inches.
He placed his hand over her waist and onto the sheets right next to her hip. A blanket of warmth penetrated through her body.
She tightened up and held his gaze. The physical attraction she felt mirrored the same she had for Randolph, Bently, and Miele.
“You’re going to be fine. It was a close call back there.” He reached up to touch a finger under her chin as he smiled.
His thumb brushed gently along her bottom lip.
“You’re going to have some bruising from the fall. My God, you could have broken your neck from tumbling down that staircase.” The intensity in his voice increased, and his finger stilled against her chin. He was mere inches from her.
“I didn’t want to get eaten,” she snapped at him, and he chuckled then scooted forward.
He stared at her and it made her feel aroused. She didn’t even know this guy, just that he was brothers with Miele and Bently. The two men had kissed her, and now their brother looked like he was about to kiss her, too.
“Randolph was right, Daniella, you are quite beautiful.”
She absorbed the firmness of his lips, his superior jaw structure and handsome features right before his lips touched down upon her own. His kiss was soft, sweet, a total tease to her sexual appetite that seemed to grow more and more as she met the Fagan men. How many did Margo say there were?
Margo?
Baher released her lips and smiled softly. “Thank you.”
“Thank me for what?”
“For allowing me to kiss you.”
She shyly turned away from him. “I need to get up. I have to make some phone calls. I need to check on my friend Margo and the department.”
“No phone calls.” She looked up as a firm, abrupt voice growled through the room. Holy shit, who is that?
She swallowed hard and grabbed hold of the sheet, clinging to it like a security blanket. She wished she could reach her guns or something for support. She felt vulnerable, especially since she was naked beneath the sheets.
“Baher, they need you downstairs.”
“No problem, Van.” Dani reached for Baher’s arm as he began to get up. He must have sensed her unease at leaving her with the Van guy.
“It’s okay, baby. That is Van, our Alpha and oldest brother. He will ensure your protection as well.” Baher leaned in and kissed her cheek then rose from the bed. As he was walking out, she noticed him whisper something to Van, and something in Van’s eyes changed a moment then disappeared. It was very quick but she noticed it.
The man was just as large as Randolph, but he had black hair and oh-so-very-gorgeous green eyes. He moved toward her and looked her over. Holy shit, his eyes had power of some sort because she felt a warm, almost burning sensation against her body, following the path of his eyes
“You feel okay to sit up? You have bruises everywhere on your body.”
She swallowed hard. How come they all knew that?
“What, was I on display for you and your brothers as your cousin treated my injuries?” she asked, now feeling embarrassed and annoyed, not because she thought they were perverts but because she was self-conscious about her body. She was five feet seven inches tall, kind of big-boned and muscular from working out. She didn’t have defined, tight abs or anything, and she was far from dainty. Although, compared to these men, she was a dwarf.
He crossed his arms in front of his chest and stared down at her.
“There are things we need to explain to you. We’ll discuss what we know and think you should be privy to and take the proper precautions necessary.”
“Excu
se me, but what do you mean by privy to? If you’re talking about this case, my case, then you you’d better think again, buddy.”
He gave her the evil eye with those dark green eyes of his. Son of a bitch did that turn her on.
“You do not realize the seriousness of this situation, Daniella.”
“It’s Dani,” she stated firmly. So far, Bently and Miele called her Dani, but the others, Randolph, Baher, and Van felt it necessary to use her full name. She hated to admit that it turned her on, the way they said her name and especially with such authority and power. This was bad. It was very, very bad. Already, she felt her defenses lowering. It had something to do with the macho testosterone in the men. Their good looks, authoritative attitudes, and superb bodies were irresistible. She needed to focus and remain somewhat in charge, despite their tactics.
How did they know my full name anyway? Son of a bitch, they looked in my file. They investigated me.
She took a deep breath about to rip into king shit over there when he stopped her.
His hand, palm forward, came up and then he began.
“First and most importantly, you are our mate. My brothers and I will do everything in our power to protect you. Life as you know it will change and we’ll be moving back to Texas once we clear up this wolf situation. Secondly, for some wild reason, this rogue, deranged wolf wants to kill you or keep you. He wants you for some reason, and it seems to be beyond just to take your blood or rip your heart out. That concerns me greatly. There is also a special scent about you. It is something that calls especially to each of our wolves but may be the reason this creature seeks you out. That places you in danger and we can’t allow that.”
Was he fucking serious? Move to Texas? Mates? Scent of some sort? Holy shit, I’ve entered the Twilight Zone!
“Excuse me, chief, but what if I’m not interested in your protection, or in believing any of this bullshit you’re spewing? I don’t appreciate you telling me that I smell and that some murderous, hideous-looking monster wants me because of it.”
Dwyer, Dixie Lynn- Task Force One: Dani's Got a Gun [The Men of Five-0 #4] (Siren Publishing LoveXtreme Forever) Page 5