FORBIDDEN TEMPTATION
BY
Teresa Gabelman
For
Cinnamon
Lee County Wolves
Forbidden Temptation
Copyright 2018 Teresa Gabelman
All rights reserved. The right of Teresa Gabelman to be identified as the author of this work has been asserted in accordance with the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988. This is a work of fiction and any resemblance between the characters and persons living or dead is purely coincidental.
Gabelman, Teresa (2018-1-30). Forbidden Temptation
(Lee County Wolves Series)
Kindle Edition.
Editor: Hot Tree Editing
Photo: iStock
Cover Art: Ron Gabelman
Chapter 1
Her wolf ran with proficient ease through the trees, her golden eyes zeroing in straight ahead. The creek before her was a laughable obstacle as she leaped across, landing in a dead run. Her breath was controlled so to reserve energy if needed. The path curved, and her paws slid only a little, but her wolf’s gait didn’t miss a beat. Coming to a clearing, she didn’t slow, even as she headed toward the cliff across the way. She knew the drop-off was there, had seen it many times, and yet didn’t slow until it was almost too late. Rocks and dirt from her wolf’s sudden stop flew over the edge, falling into nothingness.
Standing with her head lowered, her wolf panted heavily until finally her breathing eased and she looked up, over the cliff. After a few minutes of standing completely still, staring out over the edge, she turned her head to look back before swinging her head toward the sky with a howl so sad it could have brought tears to the eyes of anyone within hearing distance. The sound faded as her wolf’s head slowly lowered.
The shaking started only slightly, then quickly became violent until a woman knelt where the wolf had been. Roslyn stood, working her naked body and trying to ease the kinks from her muscles and bones. She hated shifting; it was painful and yet, she felt more herself in wolf form. Her eyes stared at the edge of the cliff. Her body and mind fighting with her heart to step closer. Ignoring her heart, she took a step and then another until she was finally on the edge. Her toes actually hung out, hitting nothing but air.
Roslyn remained this way for a long time, staring straight ahead. The view was breathtaking. The mountains at dusk with a lazy fog rising from the forest floor gave her a sense of loneliness. Her eyes dropped. She knew she wouldn’t see the ground. She had stood this way before, had done this exact same thing more than a few times, and each time she saw a means to an end. Today was different as she stood naked, gazing over the edge of the cliff. The battle within herself was fierce. She wanted to live, yet what lay before her had her inching closer to the nothingness below. She wasn’t a coward. She had faced many hardships in her twenty-three years, conquered most, but not all, and yet this time was different.
Lifting her eyes to the scene before her, a tear leaked from her eye and traveled down her cheek. This time was definitely different. She had found people, a pack she could truly belong to. Her stepbrother, Carl, was gone and for that, she hadn’t shed a tear. Upon learning about his death, she had felt a profound relief that gave her a tinge of guilt, but only a hint and only for a second. He had been a cruel man and deserved everything that had come his way.
Closing her eyes, Roslyn blocked the peaceful vision of the forest, the openness of the land that she and other wolf shifters craved. Behind her closed eyes, the darkness scared her. Within that darkness played the brutal abuse she had endured. Faces shot out of the darkness as if daring her to live. Daring her to even think she could have happiness, have peace. She was weary, battle-worn mentally, and physically. She had begun to have feelings for people she had met in Lee County. Her new pack made her feel like she belonged, but she was keeping a heavy secret that could bring more than trouble to the amazing people who’d welcomed her.
At that thought, a certain face slammed into her mind, a vision behind closed eyes that popped up so quickly she almost lost her balance. Fear that he would actually appear in front of her had her shuffling back a few steps. Seeing nothing but sky and mountains, her fear subsided, but the helplessness remained. Even though the man belonging to the face which haunted her was absent, his power terrified her. If Carl had managed to contact him before his death, then she was as good as dead or would soon be wishing she was dead. It also meant the new friends she had made were in danger.
With narrowed eyes at the unfairness of it, she looked back down to the edge of the cliff. Roslyn could take care of it all now. Who would miss her? No one. Oh, they may be sad at first, but after a week, she would be all but forgotten, barely remembered as a tragic accident that happened one day. That’s all she would be, a tragic accident. She could end her fear and pain as well as save innocent people.
Roslyn’s mind went to Dell Farris, and her eyes closed once again, but then quickly flashed back open, afraid to see the face of the man who owned her. Yes, owned. She had been sold from one pack to another by her step-brother when he failed to beat Cylus Kane for alpha of Cylus’s pack. Instead of death, her brother had made a deal. His life for hers.
Her tears flowed freely. Her mind wiped clear of any man’s face. Even the handsome Dell Farris whose arms could definitely keep her safe. She had considered multiple times about going to him, but each time she had stopped. Stepping to the edge of the cliff again, Roslyn’s toes dangled in the air. Yes, this was the right thing to do. Sacrifice for the betterment of others, to ease her pain and fear.
She shivered, but not from the cold. Her shiver was from a deep sadness knowing her life had been useless to this point. And now, ready to step into death, she would finally find a way to bring worth to her name, yet no one would know except her. Roslyn’s lips quivered as she stared at the edge, her courage building as she told herself this was the right way. Her arms slowly rose from her sides, stopping as they spread out from her body. Tilting her head back, she stared at the sky, noticing the dark rain clouds, and wondering if she could see through the clouds to heaven. Better yet, was she going to go to heaven? Was there a place for her at least up there since there hadn’t been here on earth?
Roslyn felt her legs wobble, but stood still with her arms spread and head back just staring at the sky. “Forgive me,” she whispered, and her body, straight as an arrow, leaned toward the emptiness beyond the edge. It was the point of no return. Just before her feet left the rocky terrain, realization struck her: she didn’t want to die.
But it was too late.
******
Dell walked the woods, his sense of smell keen as he searched for tracks. Ross definitely hadn’t hidden where she was going. Her trail was easy to spot, and he frowned. She sure as hell was in a hurry. He didn’t see any other tracks, so he knew she hadn’t been chased. The wind blew through the trees, the fall sunlight dimming in the wooded area. With the increased darkness came a chill, something Dell welcomed.
His eyes followed the tracks, his sense still open and aware of any danger. He felt none. He knew these woods like the back of his hand and could run them with his eyes closed. When Ross had failed to show for dinner after their training, he’d asked around, but no one seemed to know where she had gone. He had specifically told them all to be at dinner tonight. For her to disobey sent warning bells off. He had left James, Les, Taz, Devon, and Josh with Hunter and Marcus, with only a short word that he would be back. His frown deepened as he went further into the woods, wondering what in the hell Ross was doing. Better yet, where in the hell was she going and why?
He felt he knew this new group of recruits well enough, though Ross was still somewhat of a mystery to him. She stayed to herself,but did her jo
b well. She followed orders without complaint, never asked for anything, and always pitched in to help wherever she could. This was the first time she had disobeyed an order, and it worried him because it wasn’t like her. Being pretty good at reading people, since he’d spent his life doing just that, he hoped he hadn’t read her wrong, for more reasons than he cared to admit at the moment.
Dell stopped and listened. The only sound was the breeze in the dying leaves above his head. Nothing else moved, but he picked up her scent. She had recently traveled through here. He wasn’t far behind. He knew he could find her faster if he shifted, but he had no clothes stashed in this area, nor did he sense danger, so he continued on his way.
Even for his large frame, he moved with a quiet step for a big man. His movements were precise, his focus fixed on the task at hand. He knew the clearing he was coming to, and a sense of urgency raged through his blood. Had she been aware of the cliff across the clearing? He was sure that she, along with the rest of the recruits, knew the area, but this land was well known for their cliffs that appeared out of nowhere. The Red River Gorge area was also known for claiming the lives of many who had wandered off paths and stepped right over the steep cliffs that were scattered across their land.
With hurried steps, he emerged from the woods into the clearing. His eyes quickly scanned the area and stopped on a sight he would surely never forget. Ross stood at the edge of the cliff, her naked body beautiful against the wildness of the backdrop. Her long blonde hair fell down her back as her head tilted toward the sky. His eyes moved down her body, staying seconds longer on her shapely ass bare to his eyes, before he glanced down at her feet. She was more off the cliff than on, and he knew without a doubt she would never survive the fall if she happened to slip.
Afraid of startling her, he quietly moved toward her, wanting nothing more than to pull her back to safety. He refrained from calling out, but everything in his body pushed him to reach her before it was too late. What the fuck was she doing? He stopped suddenly as her arms spread out wide from her body. With her head still back and her arms wide, he watched in horror as she leaned toward the empty void in front of her.
Fear like nothing he had ever felt urged his feet forward. It was as if he moved in slow motion, his eyes never once leaving her as she plunged forward. Just as he was ready to grab for her, the edge of the cliff gave way from his weight. With everything he had, he reached, grabbing her arm. With his free hand, he dug into the earth and rock, giving him leverage as her weight tugged him toward the abyss.
Their eyes met, hers large with fright, but she didn’t scream in terror. Atthat moment, he looked deep into her soul, seeing a lost woman who he’d witnessed trying to end her own life, and it pissed him off more than anything ever had.
“Don’t move!” he ordered, as he held her small hand in his.
“Let me go.” Her words shocked him as they reached his ears. A light drizzle of rain had begun to fall, making his grip on her skin slick.“Just let me go before you go over with me.”
“Shit!” Dell cursed, his eyes leaving her to look at the ground underneath him. It was definitely unsteady,and if he didn’t do something fast, she was right—they were both going over. The drizzle of rain was now a downpour, making the situation worse. His eyes met hers again,and he noticed she was also looking at the earth under him.“Grab my arm with your other hand,” he shouted.
She shook her head.“If I do, it’s going to break away,” she called over the pouring rain.“Just let me go.”
“Never!” Dell shouted.“Grab my arm, goddammit!”
“No.” She didn’t yell, but he heard her answer and watched as she did reach up. But instead of grabbing his arm, she grasped his hand and tried to pry his fingers from around her wrist.“I will not take you down with me.”
Knowing he had to act fast, he growled and gripped the rock with his free hand. With every ounce of strength he possessed, he pulled her up, tossing her behind him as he rolled away from the edge, and then grabbed her up and leaped from the edge that was collapsing.
Slipping in the mud, Dell fell with Ross underneath him. With a final surge of awareness, he kept his body from smashing her. Breathing fast, his adrenalinepumping, he looked down at her, noticing the raindrops on her lashes. Her wide eyes stared up at him while cold rain slashed down on them. But neither moved. He had never seen anything or anyone more beautiful than the woman underneath him. It wasn’t until she closed her eyes and turned her head away from him that what just happened hit him. Rage made him shake at what she’d almost done.
“What in the fuck was that?” Dell growled. When she didn’t answer, he grabbed her chin, forcing her face toward his.“Open your eyes and look at me. What in the hell were you thinking? Were you trying to kill yourself?”
Slowly, she opened her eyes, and that lost stare looked back at him. The same as when she was breaths away from death.“Yes.” Her whispered word shocked him.
Dell stared down at her without saying anything. What in the hell was he to say at that? He had a vague awareness of the rain beating down on his back, but his complete focus was on Ross. It was like he was suddenly numb to his surroundings.“Why?” His voice softened as the words finally came.
She opened her mouth to say something,but closed it quickly. Ross just shook her head and closed her eyes tightly as wracking sobs took over her body and she shook uncontrollably beneath him. She was naked, wet, and cold, but he knew that wasn’t why she was shaking. With his only thought on the broken woman beneath him, he grabbed her up and held her close, letting her cry into his chest. For once in his life, he was at a loss on how to deal with a situation, but at that moment, he was more certain than anything else in his life: he would do everything in his power to help this woman fight the demons that chased her.
Chapter 2
Roslyn curled into herself and into the man who held her. What had she done? Better yet, what had she almost done? Her body shook uncontrollably as horror washed over her. She had almost ended her life and for what, an evil bastard who wasn’t even worth the spit she had in fact spat in his face, or her stepbrother who saw her as only a pawn he used in his sinister games of power? The sad part about all of this was it had taken her moment at the brink of death to realize she wanted to live. She needed to fight, if it came to that, and she had no doubt it would. Cylus Kane would comb the earth to find her. And knowing her bastard of a stepbrother, Cylus already knew where she was.
Shame overtook her. She blanched. What must the man holding her think of her now? That she was weak, that she didn’t value what he and what the others were trying to give her? A new start. Not only that, she’d almost taken Dell Farris with her over the cliff into the void she thought she had sought.
“I don’t want to die,” she whispered into his chest, her teeth chattering loudly. Usually, shifters were warm-blooded; cold didn’t bother her, yet her body felt chilled to the bone. She knew it was fear that was affecting her so, but still, she burrowed further into Dell’s warmth as if a moth seeking the flame.
“What?” His deep voice rumbled from his chest, past his throat, and out of his mouth, sending a warm breath across the top of her head.
She just shook her head, not knowing if she could repeat herself. She really didn’t even know if she was telling him or herself, so she remained silent. He pulled away from her slightly, lifting her face toward his. Rain that he had been sheltering her from pelted her, making her blink quickly. She stared up into his stern brown eyes; the corners were crinkled with lines making him look fierce.
“I don’t want to die.” It was as if his stare pulled the words from her mouth. She shivered, her teeth hitting together loudly as she stared up at him. “I’m sorry.”
The lines in the corner of his eyes faded as his glare softened. He sighed, then wiped the rain from his face with his large hand. “Then why were you on the edge of the cliff?”
Before Roslyn could answer, the sound of running came toward them. Dell turne
d so his back was toward the possible threat, shielding her. His head turned toward whoever was about to make an appearance.
“What in the fuck are you doing out here, man?” Hunter’s voice had her head sinking lower into Dell’s chest as humiliation consumed her. Now everyone was going to know what she had almost done.
She waited for Dell to answer and when he remained quiet, she slowly looked up at him. Her eyes met his, searching as he searched hers. He then looked away and over his shoulder. “She was on scent and slipped on the cliff. We’re good. Give us a minute, and we’ll be there.”
“Jesus, Ross.” Hunter whistled. “That would have ended badly. You need to pay more attention to where you are when on scent. These cliffs are tricky and dangerous.”
Dell had looked back down at her, his eyebrow cocked.
“Okay, I’ll head back and let the others know,” Hunter replied, then turned to leave, but stopped. “Also, Garrett wants to see you as soon as possible.”
Dell grunted, letting Hunter know he had heard, but his eyes remained on Roslyn.
“Thank you.” Roslyn mouthed the words just in case Hunter was still in hearing range.
Dell nodded as he stood, pulling her up with him. Naked before him, she realized his eyes had gazed down her body before he reached down and lifted his shirt off, handing it to her. Usually, she didn’t care about her body; it was the nature of their beast. After shifting and returning to human form, they were naked. But before Dell, she was all too aware of her nakedness and the man standing in front of her.
Taking the shirt quickly, she pulled it on and, even soaking wet, she felt his warmth still encased in the large black tee that hung to her knees. Looking down, she was glad it was black because going into town with a white T-shirt plastered to her body would have been a little too much. It may be their way to be naked for a moment after shifting, but that didn’t mean she was totally comfortable being undressed in front of a lot of people.
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