by Michelle Fox
When the door to the bar shut behind the couple who’d brought her out of the lust filled haze, she noticed the man beneath her was staring.
“My name’s Lyric. What’s yours?”
He cleared his throat. “Rowan,” he answered. “Listen, I’m not sure what’s going on, but we need to file a police report.”
She shook her head. How was she going to explain what she’d just done, or what had been done to him. Had she allowed the other shifter’s venom to continue flowing through his veins, Rowan would have become connected to him, a part of his pack, whether he wanted to be or not. Lyric had done the only thing she knew would fix it, making him part of her pack. From the moment she’d seen him in the hallway, her wolf had sat up and called to the man, but Lyric had pushed her back. Now, she’d gone against pack law and would have to face not only Kellen, but her brother Xan.
Her wolf beat at her to mark him and claim him as her mate.
“We can’t. You know what you saw can’t be explained. They’ll think you’re crazy and lock you up at best. Worst, they’ll arrest me and possibly make a lab experiment out of us.”
Rowan’s grip on her waist tightened almost painfully. “Never. Nobody will ever hurt you.”
The fear knotting her stomach lessened, but the urgency to get him as far away from the bar as possible was paramount. She needed a few minutes to figure out where to go that was secure for them both. Somewhere he’d be safe for the change, before she had to face her alpha and her brother. Then she’d offer to let him go free.
She wouldn’t mate him. Her wolf whined.
“Come on, help me get you up, big guy.” Lyric eyed the gorgeous man beneath her, trying to think how she could maneuver him into a vehicle. The man had to be taller than both her brother and Kellen, putting him at over six foot two. She imagined him on a motorcycle with her wrapped around him. The thought of the tight fit made heat rise to her face.
“If you don’t quit looking at me like that you’ll be under me in ten seconds flat.” His black eyes flashed.
Lyric laughed. “When you’re all better, I’ll take you up on that offer. Now, let’s get out of here.” With the agility of her kind, she hopped off him. “Did you drive?”
He got up with a lot less finesse than she’d seem him move with earlier. The wounds from the wolves were already healing, but she had seen humans turn, and he was going to be hurting sooner rather than later. Lyric wanted to find the ones that got away and turn them over to her brother. A shiver raced up her spine. Xan was going to kick her ass.
“Of course I drove, darlin’.” Rowan’s Texas drawl seemed thicker.
For crying out loud, his voice was panty melting.
“Lead the way, or do you need me to?” Lyric asked.
She snorted at the outraged look he gave her. The overly large four wheel drive pickup truck he led her to, gave her a lady boner. Big trucks, hot cars, and motorcycles were things she enjoyed. Thankfully, the MC had a lot of toys for her to play with. Rowan’s truck would definitely fit in. Back up, girlfriend. She needed to quit thinking about keeping him like he was hers.
Eyeing the huge leap into his rig, Lyric had visions of her needing some sort of equipment to lift him into the vehicle. He shocked her by expertly maneuvering himself into the passenger seat without groaning or showing the least bit of pain.
Lyric shook her head and went around to the driver’s side, happy he had running boards installed, making it easy for her to climb in. Once inside, she held her hand out for the keys. His way too sexy lips tilted up in a grin, before he reached into his tight denim jeans. Her eyes followed his fingers as they dug into his pocket, seeing the bulge still straining against his fly. Licking her lips, she tore her eyes away, only to meet the heat in his. Quick as a snake, his free hand shot out and pulled her to him. Their lips met in a clash of teeth and tongues. There was no finesse, only a deep hunger fed by the fans of heat within her body and his.
Rowan pulled back, blinking to peer at her through heavily glazed eyes. “Darlin’, you better start this truck, or I’m thinking we might be christening the backseat.”
His words were teasing, but his brow was furrowed and his expression tight. His entire body seemed poised as if he’d toss her over the seat and follow through on the threat at a moment’s notice.
A wicked thought of doing exactly what he’d said at a later time—especially since he’d used the words christened, meaning he’d never had another woman there—had her smiling slowly. “Another time, big guy.”
She took the keys from him before she could change her mind, pulling to the back of the club where her bike was parked. Making a quick decision on how to load her precious baby without the use of a ramp, Lyric circled to the side of the building. After backing up to the ditch that bordered the edge, she quickly climbed out, pulled the tailgate down, and released a sigh. Her calculations were spot on. Hurrying over to her Harley Davidson Sportster, which was far from original, she started the Harley before easing it into the back of Rowan’s truck. It took longer than she’d have liked, strapping it with tie-downs.
The poor man in the vehicle had fallen into a restless sleep, not even stirring when she opened the driver’s door. “What am I gonna do with you?” She had an insane urge to run her hand over his beard-roughened jaw. Instead, she put the truck in gear and pulled away from the bar.
Syn had mentioned the cabin on Kellen’s land, but that was too close to the alpha for Lyric’s peace of mind. He’d smell Rowan on the first stiff wind. She needed time to get him through his change and give him a choice. Stay or go. Mate or no. Even if the last made her wolf whine like a little bitch.
“Where you thinking of taking me?” His voice rasped.
Lyric maneuvered his truck onto the busy highway traffic. “I’m trying to figure that out. I don’t have enough cash for a hotel and not sure if that’s really a safe place anyways for your first time.”
Rowan straightened to look out the window. “Darlin’, I’m far from a virgin.”
She nearly slammed into a BMW at his words. “Not…that first time. I mean, shit, I can’t do this on a six-lane highway.” She smacked her hand on the steering wheel.
A pained groan filled the extended cab pickup, followed by a deep exhale. “I know what you mean. My place is a couple miles down the highway. I think my truck has a mind of its own,” he tried to joke.
She glanced over to see his expression in the low dim lights from the dashboard. “You’re an ass,” she said smiling.
He gave her the directions, but she wasn’t properly prepared for the place he called home. Yes, his truck was top of the line and new. However, she didn’t expect his home to rival the size of a lodge. “Is this your home?”
“Yes, ma’am.”
The man was one shock after another. First with the way he’d handled three full-grown shifters, then the fact he was still alive and talking while being bitten, and now as she stared at the million dollar spread. Kellen and Xan were going to flip their collective lids. “I’m so in deep shit.”
Rowan turned his head. “I’ll protect you.” His tongue peeked out and licked his lips; teeth sharper than normal appeared.
Shivers raced down her spine at the thought of him placing his canines in her throat, or anywhere on her body. She’d heard mated pairs talk about the eroticism of having their mate bite them during sex. She’d love to wear his marks, and wondered if he’d want hers. Her own teeth ached to grow. The bite she’d given him had been to erase the other packs venom—a mating mark was a whole other ball game. One she didn’t want to push on him even though her wolf was chomping at her.
“What the hell do you do, Rowan?”
The tree-lined drive was lit up with security lights, but the most breathtaking view came from the wraparound porch. Several wooden rocking chairs with tables between them sat invitingly on one half, while a huge swing hung on the other side.
“Pull up in front. We’ll worry about putting this in the gara
ge tomorrow.” He sounded exhausted, and she felt guilty for putting him in the position he was in.
“What about my bike?” She never left Pixie out in the elements.
“Shit, I forgot about that. Keep going around to the back.”
She did as instructed. The rear of the property was every bit as impressive as the front, with a four-car attached garage. From the middle of the console he pulled a controller and pointed it at the big bay doors. As they opened, she stared slack-jawed at what all he had inside. The boys at the MC would definitely want to come over and play with his toys. If they didn’t kill him first.
“Ease in beside the Lexus.” His voice came out in a rough whisper.
Thank gawd there was only one open space big enough for his truck. Like she knew what the fuck a Lexus looked like. She was completely out of her league.
With a nod, Lyric coasted Rowan’s truck inside. She was so fucked.
* * * *
Rowan had felt Lyric pulling away from him when they’d drove onto his property. He was puzzled by her actions since most women couldn’t wait to explore and put their stamp on his home. He wanted to reach over and reassure her, wanted to take her into his arms and tell her everything was going to be fine, but his insides felt like they were on fire. His skin ached from his fingers to his toes. Hell, even his ears hurt. The lights spilling in through the windshield felt like ten thousand watts burning straight into his retinas.
The doors shut down with another press of his finger to the opener. Before he tried to get out on his own, Lyric was there to help him down. Much to his consternation, he needed the extra help. “Thank you. I swear I’m not usually so needy.” Rowan groaned.
Her scent tickled his nose. Sweet strawberries dipped in sin. He loved strawberries covered in whipped cream. Imagining her spread before him, ripe like the sweetest berries, dripping with her own cream, had him pressing her against the side of his truck. “You smell so damn good,” he growled.
“Inside, big guy. Let’s go.” She raised her hands to press against his chest.
He wanted to protest going anywhere that didn’t include him in her, until another round of pain hit him. Rowan swallowed the bile trying to rise in his throat and took a step away from the delectable scent of Lyric. The last thing he wanted to do was cause her injury if he lashed out in a moment of weakness. He listened as Lyric gave a brief outline of what to expect. The story sounded like something straight out of Hollywood, but he’d seen the truth for himself. Now, with agony lighting up his insides, he was sure either death was upon him, or she was telling the truth.
“Follow me. I’ll show you to a guest suite, and then you should probably lock yourself in for the night.” His words came out less clear than he liked, but he held his head up and focused on putting one foot in front of the other. He placed his hand in front of the scanner, gaining access to his home, and then remembered he had Lyric with him. “Put your palm here.” He grabbed her tiny wrist and placed her palm on the screen. A few adjustments, and his system now recognized her palm print as well.
“What the hell was that?” she asked.
“I’m thinking I may be out of it, right?” At her nod, he continued. “Now you can open the doors without alerting the security company of an intruder.”
Lyric rubbed her hands together but didn’t say another word. Rowan wasn’t sure he had it in him to explain further. Hell, he wasn’t sure what to expect other than he was going to be turning furry shortly, and if he survived the change, he could still be killed by Lyric’s pack.
“You’re not going through this alone, Rowan.” Her soft hand on his back burned through his flannel.
It took everything in him to continue walking, lights coming on as they entered the kitchen. What did she want him to say? He was raised to protect women and children, not place one directly in harm’s way, and the way he was feeling, he was sure she was in danger. “I don’t think that’s a good idea, darlin’.”
“Quit calling me that. My name is Lyric. Not darlin’, sweetheart, or any other bullshit name you call some nameless, faceless woman,” Lyric growled.
Rowan spun at the challenge in her tone, seeing the glowing amber eyes staring back at him. “Lyric.” Her name sounded right rolling off his tongue. “No matter what I call you, the name doesn’t matter. All I can seem to focus on is your scent. What did you do? Roll around in a vat of strawberries?”
He watched her expression go from angry, to wary, to alarmed in a matter of seconds.
Her hands rested on the top of the counter. “Shit, this is happening faster than I’ve ever heard of before.”
Lyric put the large granite surface between them, and in his head, he calculated how quickly he could eliminate the space. “I’m going to go shower. You can…make yourself at home,” Rowan said.
Lyric nodded but didn’t say a word. Rowan could smell her fear and anxiety mixed with the arousal and her own unique scent. He wasn’t sure if he’d been hit too hard on the head and all of this was one big hallucination, or if he was dreaming. One thing was for certain, and that was he needed to get away from the woman in his kitchen before he did something he’d probably regret. Like rip their clothes from their bodies and fuck her senseless. Rowan wasn’t sure he could actually follow through with the amount of pain he was in, before he fell to his knees in agony.
* * * *
Lyric stared after Rowan as he left the kitchen. Good lawd, he was something. She knew the war he was waging within himself. She just didn’t know how to help him if he didn’t let her. Being a born shifter, she was strong, but he clearly was going to be an alpha. Already she saw the way his black eyes flashed to blue and couldn’t wait to see him shift.
Her ears picked up the sound of running water. She’d never actually helped a human through the change, but from what she’d been told, it usually took a couple days before the full turn. Obviously, they’d never dealt with the likes of Rowan. Damn, she didn’t even know his last name.
She pulled her phone out of her back pocket and cursed at the cracked screen and no power coming on. “Shit. What am I going to do? Syn is probably going apeshit right about now.” Grabbing the phone off the wall, she quickly dialed her best friend’s number. When voicemail picked up on the first ring, Lyric left a brief message outlining what had happened and told Syn she’d call back in the morning. She hoped the other girls were okay and hadn’t already called in some reinforcements, and she really wished her phone wasn’t fucked up. Another deed to lay at the feet of the rogue wolves. She then dialed her phone number to see if Syn had called and left her a message.
As her voicemail came on, she dialed in the code and listened to several frantic calls from Syn and Nene. Lyric blew out a relieved breath that turned to panic when Syn told her she’d called Kellen. She wasn’t scared of her alpha, much. More like freaked he’d put her and the others on lockdown until they found the ones responsible for the attack on her. “Just what the doctor ordered, not. Stuck at the Club with a bunch of overbearing big brothers.”
Without pausing to stop, she walked into the living area, lights coming on like they’d done in the kitchen when she stepped into the open space. Modern tech meets country living. The floor-to-ceiling stone fireplace held no family pictures, nothing to show who or where Rowan had come from. When she left the room, the lights went out, leaving the room in darkness. Following the hall leading to where she presumed his bedroom was, she could hear the shower running. The thought of him naked and slick with water made her break out in goosebumps. Never had the image of a wet and naked man brought on such arousing thoughts that she had to force herself away from going to him.
An open door caught her attention before she could act on her impulse to check on Rowan. He had several computer monitors set up on an L-shaped desk. Either the man ran his business from home, or he was a computer geek. Even the image of him wearing a suit and tie didn’t lessen her need for him, nor her wolf’s. When she moved farther into the room, the lights
came on revealing, unlike in the family room, he had pictures lining the walls.
The first one she came to was of a group of soldiers standing next to a military vehicle. Lyric fingered the frame, easily picking out which one of the young men was Rowan. Out of all the smiling faces, his stood out to her like a beacon. Several more framed pictures featured the same group of men, until the last two. Her breath caught in her throat at the images of the men who were no longer smiling, holding a flag for their friend who was no longer with them.
“I see you’ve made yourself at home.” Rowan’s voice broke into the quiet room.
Lyric spun on her heel. “For crying out loud, you move quieter than a ghost.”
Rowan’s smile flashed. “That’s what we were. A ghost team.” He prowled into the room, sucking the air out of the space with his presence.
She stared at the healing wound on his side, transfixed by the already knitting skin and the amount of bare flesh he was showing in the low-riding jeans. Lyric wasn’t sure what the hell was going on, but she didn’t think Rowan was normal. Or maybe not completely human. “Rowan, is there something more to you than just…you know, human DNA?”
“To my knowledge, up until about two hours ago, I was all human. Now, I don’t know what the fuck I am, except ready to claw my way outta this skin.” He held his arms out at his sides.
Not a single tattoo or piercing marked his smooth flesh. She circled him, looking for old injuries from his time in the military. Surely he’d gotten a cut or something that would have left a scar. “Have you ever broken a bone or needed stitches?” she asked.
“I’m pretty tough, I guess. My mama always said I was too ornery to get sick or hurt. She obviously didn’t expect me to get bitten by a werewolf. That’s what you are, right?” Sweat popped out on his forehead.
He was fighting the pain and stress of shifting. Lyric wanted to call an elder or a council member. Heck, she was willing to call Kellen and ask him for help if it would save Rowan more pain. However, the only thing that would help him now was shifting.