Swallowing the lump in his throat, Ethan pressed the woman’s cool, limp hand against his cheek. “I promise I won’t let you down, Katie.” He loved the way her name rolled off his tongue.
While she dozed, he downed a plate of raw, red meat to replenish his strength. It took nearly everything he possessed to heal her and bring her back from the brink of death. Which never would’ve been possible if she weren’t one of his kind. He stared down at her sleeping form, flawless and exquisite once again. All air dispersed from his lungs. Could she be his true mate? Had Troy spoken truthfully? Pushing the thoughts aside, he watched as she fought the heaviness of her eyelids until they fluttered open.
“I can’t see. Please, why can’t I see?” she asked, her voice on the verge of hysteria.
“Your eyesight is fine. It’s the dead of night. I pulled the drapes so you could rest.”
“I want to see,” she whispered.
“Soon.” His heart pained to see her trembling in fear, but he wasn’t ready to reveal himself to her.
“What happened? Where am I?” she demanded.
“You were attacked, but as I told you before, you’re safe.”
Kate’s mind reeled. What did he mean she was attacked, and she was safe?
She struggled to sit. Once she did, she clutched her throat and yelled, “Oh, my God! I’m dead. A wolf attacked me. He ate me.” Why couldn’t she feel blood, ripped skin, or torn arteries? A vision of golden-yellow eyes and gray fur bombarded her brain. She cradled her head with her hands and squeezed her eyes shut, hoping to purge the image.
Sleep. She needed sleep to make the nightmare end. Slumping down she curled into the fetal position and counted the rapid beats of her heart. In moments she succumbed to exhaustion and fear and her inside world turned as black as the outside one.
Ethan returned the young woman to her home, counting on her being too exhausted to awaken. He watched as her chest rose and fell with each breath she took. Several times her brows furrowed, and she moaned. His hand unconsciously rubbed his chest. Plucking his cell phone out of his jeans pocket he rang his second in command and his closest friend since childhood in the English countryside. He was the one person Ethan trusted with his life—Colin Percy.
“We’ve got a situation. I need you to arrange around-the-clock surveillance and protection. I want the best on this. Send Pierre and Chaz.” He gave Kate’s name and address to Colin. “I want them to stay out of sight. Don’t want her spooked any more than she already is. She’s at the top of Gray’s hit list. Also, send Lucas out patrolling just for the fuck of it.” He proceeded to give Colin a scaled down version of that night’s events. “I’ll give you the extended version when I see you.”
Ethan and his Saviors of the Night Clan protected humans and weaker non-humans from the renegade werewolves led by Gray. Or from any creature be it vampire, shape shifter, or demon who threatened those weaker. But Gray and his band of wolves were the biggest threat. They lived by the motto, “If you’re non-human then you are cunning and deadly to all mankind. If you’re non-human and protect mankind, then you deserve to die for being good not evil.”
Ethan and his pack fought to tip the scales to the good side. The job remained difficult. Gray’s group of minions proved ruthless time and time again. They’d just as soon die with their victims than let them live. In Ethan’s opinion, Gray’s followers were the most dangerous killers around. And right now Gray was intent on finding the last surviving wolf telepaths and wiping them from the face of the earth. It was only recently Ethan learned the truth about his heritage. He was a descendant of Troy, one of two telepathic werewolves created. And he had been given the quest, by Troy himself, through telepathy, of finding the last survivors and keeping them safe. Ultimately, Ethan would take on the task of educating them about their heritage as well.
Unfortunately, Gray wanted them all dead. Time was not on Ethan’s side. If he had received the knowledge about Kate, and who she was only last night, how the hell had Gray known before then? Not to mention how had he found her in the first place?
Chapter Two
“Excuse me, Doctor Brown.”
Ethan Brown’s fingers paused on the laptop keys. He straightened his head and eyeballed the tall, gorgeous brunette. Her thick, unbound hair landed mid-way down her back. She was striking as well as tall, graceful, and willowy. Her clear, green eyes displayed intelligence. In his opinion, her facial features appeared near perfection.
She hovered in the open doorway of his small, single-window office inside an ancient, redbrick building—old by American standards—not his.
“May I help you?” he queried as his pulse leapt. How the hell had he not sensed her as one of his kind during the past several weeks since she’d been at the university? Being this close to her now, after spending time with her last night, spiked his powers and the beast within reached out to her in recognition. He breathed in hoping to quiet his insides. It was too soon to enlighten her about her heritage because of what she endured last night. The last thing he wanted was to frighten her and drive her away. She was essential to his clan’s future.
Hesitating, she glanced back over her shoulder as if she’d changed her mind about disturbing him. Then she cleared her throat and inched toward his desk.
“I’m sorry to bother you, but I wanted to ask you several questions.” She threw out her right hand. “Hi, I’m Kathryn Stewart.”
Ethan clasped her hand, enjoying the firm shake and soft, silky skin as well as the electric charge that hummed between them. “What can I do for you, Miss Stewart?”
“Please, call me Kate. Everybody does. I…well…I don’t know how to begin.” Her eyes pivoted to the worn leather chair in front of his desk. “May I sit?”
“Please do, Katie.”
Perched in the chair, she crossed one shapely leg over the other and gently rocked it up and down. Nerves or something else, he wondered. Hell, he had the something else as he sensed her down to every last micro-cell in his body. Could she sense him as well?
“It’s Kate.”
“Okay, Kate,” he agreed with a grin.
“I understand you’re an expert on myth and culture. I wonder if you can shed some light on a strange occurrence that happened last night.”
Ethan leaned forward, elbows on his desk, his chin resting in fisted hands. He hadn’t prepared himself for this conversation. More precisely, how did one explain a dangerous world existed around them—a world made up of monsters? And how did one say, “By the way, you’re one of them?” His body jolted with nervous energy. “Go on.”
Without warning she sprung to her feet, her complexion flushed. “Never mind, it’s crazy.” She bolted out the door.
Indeed, nothing she could have said would be crazy. He shivered as he thought of her close brush with death and the guilt beating at him because he’d almost been too late.
“Breathe, Kate. Breathe.” Her hand rested on her throbbing heart while her body leaned heavily against the bathroom stall. She’d almost made a fool of herself in front of the man, who most of the women at the university, professors and students alike, referred to as Dr. Untouchable. They all wanted him, but he remained aloof. She’d heard that from every female she met since joining the staff at Patriot University.
She had learned other things as well. There had been several strange occurrences she couldn’t explain that had taken place inside her mind and body since arriving on campus. Vivid dreams plagued her during the night, and a prickling awareness snaked up her spine during the day. She swore someone lurked in the shadows watching, waiting. And just now, with Dr. Brown, her inner body pulsated with a sensation she couldn’t describe. Her body zinged with excitement, anticipation, and a mini-orgasm all at once. Gray Campbell, who she was currently dating and had yet to sleep with, didn’t do that to her, and she thought for a brief time he was the one. He was handsome and nice and all, but the sexual spark like she experienced just now didn’t exist. In fact, in all her years of
dating, which encompassed two serious relationships, neither guy had that effect on her. What was it about Doctor Brown? And how had it happened in one short meeting?
She fought down the unfamiliar feelings and her heart rate tumbled back to reality. Leaving the bathroom, she walked down the hall and forced one foot to follow the other until she reached his office once again. She needed answers. This was not the time to let her pride and fear stand in the way.
Upon her return, she found the door closed and the room dark. The realization she would not have the awkward conversation with Dr. Brown sent a warm sense of relief traveling through her body. I am such a chicken shit.
As she turned to leave, his voice, hinting of a British accent, drawled, “Hello again, Kate. I was at the end of the hall when I spotted you. I’m heading out to grab a bite to eat. Would you care to join me? I’d like more information as to why you sought me out.”
Since she needed answers about last evening, she replied, “Why not.”
They walked down the street in silence and she sighed in relief when they arrived at a nearby hangout for several surrounding colleges and universities. Walking beside Ethan had strained her nerves to the point they nearly snapped. And what the hell was causing the electric current ricocheting back and forth between their not even touching bodies? Her skin tingled and her insides burned. She hugged herself to fight against it. To fight from reaching out and touching him. Who was this man?
The waitress led them to a small table situated in a back corner. She wore a wide smile and a tight, white shirt that housed large, perky breasts. Kate glanced down briefly at her own small breasts and nearly groaned aloud in frustration. How did all the college students manage to have large breasts? At twenty-six, she didn’t understand why the breast growth hormone had never made it into her diet.
Of course, Dr. Brown glanced right at the waitress’s assets, not that Kate cared. Nice lie.
His unique scent drifted her way, making Kate wonder why his earthy, primal aroma brought shadowed memories of the previous night into the forefront of her brain.
“Is this table okay with you?” His deep, smooth voice sparked more memories.
Kate nodded her head, unable to speak as she pushed the blurry memories from last night aside for the time being.
“So, tell me. What had you so upset you ran from my office?” Ethan cocked one nicely shaped thick brow.
Of course he would start off with that. Subtlety was certainly not one of Dr. Brown’s fortes. “I came to see you because you teach Myth and Culture. I have an unusual question to ask.”
He leaned forward, his deep brown eyes riveted on hers. “Well, ask away. How unusual can it be?”
“Humph.” She shook her head fast, regretting it as the bones in her neck cracked. “You have no idea.”
“Of course I don’t, unless you tell me.”
“Okay.” She leaned forward, lowered her voice several octaves. “Do you believe in werewolves?” There, she said it. Then she sat back as all the air expelled from her lungs. If he thought her crazy, so be it.
He leaned back in his chair, crossed his arms, and stared at her with a blank face.
Why didn’t he answer her? Little pinpricks tip-toed up her spine as she waited silently, damning him for keeping her lingering and damning herself for caring. The seconds ticked by like hours, so she cleared her throat and repeated her question.
“I heard you the first time,” he replied.
“Oh, and you just thought you’d ignore me. Do you enjoy making people feel like fools?”
“Sorry.” He shook his head. “Not my intention. You caught me off guard that’s all.”
Her temper sizzled. She fought to control it. “I’m still waiting for your answer.”
He laughed, a deep chuckle which only angered her more. She got up, almost knocking the chair over in her haste. Frustration gnawed at her.
“Sit.”
Who did he think he was, ordering her around?
“Forgive me.” He reached across the table and grabbed her wrist. Heat scorched his palm. His brain acknowledged it but he ignored it and continued. “Please, sit down, and I’ll answer your question as best I can.”
Ethan waited patiently while Kate contemplated what to do. He could see her thoughts clear as day on her face. Should she leave without getting the information she so desperately sought? Or should she swallow her pride and stay?
She expelled air loudly as she settled back down in her seat, retrieved her napkin, and placed it on her lap. Her hand quivered as she reached for a warm roll in the basket resting in the middle of their table.
“Werewolves,” Ethan began, hoping his answer would settle her nerves but doubting it. “Now that’s an interesting topic. I don’t normally cover them in my class studies. But, on occasion, a student is obsessed with the myth surrounding them and other shifters.”
Eventually he would share his werewolf life with her. But how much should he reveal now? During his extensive life he’d never attacked a human or turned them into his kind, nor had he fathered any children born under the curse. Thus, he’d never experienced the teaching of his ways to anyone. But this woman, staring at him with big green eyes, was shredding a hole in his heart and she needed to be taught.
“You didn’t answer my question, Dr. Brown,” she huffed.
“Call me Ethan, and no, I didn’t. It’s not a simple question, nor is there a simple answer. Why don’t you tell me why you think they exist?”
“What makes you think I think they do?” Her eyes sparkled in anger, making them even more beautiful.
“Normally,” he began, “when someone asks another if they believe in something, it’s because they do.”
He watched her struggle again with the decision of whether to tell him or not. Whether she should trust him. Trust me, Kate, I’m your mate. Keeping a clear head around her wouldn’t be easy. Letting her crawl into his heart and attaching herself to it now would jeopardize his thought process and quite possibly her life. The time to take her as a mate would have to wait until Gray was dead and she was safe.
Her eyes darted around the room before they came to rest on his, and he knew she planned on confiding in him.
“Last night when I was walking through campus something attacked me.” She went on and told him everything she remembered, most of which he already knew, including how she ended up in her own bed unharmed. “I woke up thinking I’d dreamt it all, only my mind and gut won’t let me. It was as real as you and I sitting here.”
“What makes you so sure it happened? And how can you explain having no injuries?” His pulse roared in his ears as he waited for her answer.
She licked her full, pink lips, which caused another part of his body to roar awake, and he shifted in his seat.
“Someone saved me. I remember a man cleaning blood off me and tucking me into bed. He told me I was safe. Not to mention, I woke up this morning in my bed wearing men’s boxer shorts and a plain white T-shirt—the kind men wear beneath dress shirts. How can I explain that?”
Oh shit, he had forgotten about the clothes. “I’m not saying werewolves are real or not, and I’m not saying what happened to you was real or not…”
“It was real!” she yelled loudly, causing several people at neighboring tables to glance their way.
“Shh. Calm down. Okay, it was real.” He reached for her hands. “I still don’t know why you came to me or what you want. You and I have never met before.” Did she feel their connection? Was that why she’d been drawn to him? He could pretend she wasn’t, but since they were mate’s she must be. His hands stroked hers and he was lost to the softness of her skin, to the graceful length of her fingers.
“He spoke in my mind,” whispered Kate.
Ethan’s head snapped up. “Come again.”
“He sent his thoughts to me. He told me to run because he liked a challenge, and I was making it too easy.”
Ethan’s mind reeled. No fucking way. After his littl
e encounter the other night with Troy’s invasion into his dreams, he’d swiftly learned what being a mind-walker entailed. Only Ethan was led to believe a mind-walker could only invade another mind-walker’s mind during sleep. He hadn’t known they could converse mind-to-mind when awake. The time had come to test his theory about mind-walking working while being conscious. He sent a question to Kate, mind-to-mind.
“Excuse me?” her eyes narrowed. “Did you just ask me if I’d like another glass of wine?”
He fought the urge to not laugh aloud at the same time he reveled in the knowledge mind-walkers could talk mind-to-mind when wide awake. “No. But come to think of it, I’d like another one.” He signaled the waitress who arrived refilling their glasses in record time.
“There’s a legend,” he began. “There are a handful of humans, or at least part human, who descend from a very old and powerful werewolf. He’s dead, but his reputation of being the leader of the oldest and most respected pack in the world lives on. Troy was fierce and protective of his clan. The legend says four surviving descendants of his and his wife’s blood are hunted by a renegade pack who want to destroy anything connected to Troy. These descendants are known as mind-walkers.”
“Are they human or not?” Kate asked with a puzzled expression on her face.
“I’m getting ahead of myself,” Ethan replied. “Let me start by explaining how Troy became a werewolf and how werewolves were created. A spiteful witch put a curse on him and his brother. They were to live out their lives as slaves to the moon and blood lust.” Her nose wrinkled up in what Ethan could only describe as disgust. Oh boy, wait until she found out he was one of them—and so was she.
“Anyway,” he continued, “any child born to either of them would inherit the werewolf gene and the ability to mind-walk. Over the centuries, Troy’s surviving descendants bred with humans, weakening the curse. However, most have the power to shift and be mind-walkers if taught.” He hesitated, pierced her startled emerald eyes with his. “Mind-walkers can send and receive messages to others of their kind by using their brain. As I said before, only four so-called mind-walkers survive today. If you add Troy’s living brother that makes five.”
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