Harlequin Nocturne March 2014 Bundle: ShadowmasterRunning with Wolves

by Susan Krinard

  “And this Malcolm person obviously doesn’t want that to happen.”

  “Right. And neither do I. Scott, your cousin, is young. Inexperienced. A troublemaker. Malcolm believes, as do many of his followers, that if he can marry you, that will give him the lineage he needs to stay in control.”

  “Is he right?”

  “Yes.”

  She pulled back. “You’re telling me I’m supposed to marry this Malcolm person? Tell me I have a choice in this.”

  “Yes, of course. Malcolm was counting on you wanting to fulfill your duty to the pack. He... None of us could have imagined that you wouldn’t have been brought up understanding your lineage, your duty as a Mallory and the ways of the pack. If you did mate with Malcolm and marry him, you wouldn’t just be his wife, you’d lead the pack with him. The two of you, together.” His voice broke over the words. “If we do this...if we continue...” He took a deep breath. “It’s a lot for you to give up. It’s selfish for me to want you to give it up for me.”

  Shay stared at him, her eyes wide in the firelight, her lips swollen from his kisses. “Wait. So let me get this right. You were bringing me to The Colony to marry this...this domineering pack leader?”

  Jason smiled, amused. “After spending the past few days with you, Shay, I’m sure you could handle Malcolm.”

  “Handle? I want more out of a partner than a bully that I will have to handle. If that’s my future, I think I’d rather take my luck with the demons.”

  “Malcolm wasn’t the only reason I came to get you. I promised your dad that if you started your transition and he wasn’t there to do it, I’d go after you and bring you home.”

  He sat up and pulled her onto his lap, his arms wrapping around her body as her back nestled against his chest. He slipped his hands over her breasts, feeling their weight, caressing them until he elicited a moan from her. His hands slipped down her stomach and lower, while his lips found the soft, tender spot on her neck.

  “Jason,” she said on a deep breath. “Won’t this complicate things?”

  “Oh, yes. Malcolm will be furious. Many in the pack will feel betrayed and let down. I can take it. But, if I transform you, it will also create a strong connection between us. Whether you are married to Malcolm or not, we will always be aware of one another—our thoughts, our emotions. We will be able to feel each other, and be joined emotionally whether we are together or not. Are you sure you can handle that?”

  She sighed, her head falling back on his shoulder. “When you’re touching me that way, how can I be sure of anything?”

  * * *

  Shay gasped another breath as fire spread through her, heating the urgency in her blood. His skin against hers, his heat...his power. It was overwhelming and all-consuming. And yet, there wasn’t anyplace else she wanted to be, no one else she wanted to be with.

  His hand moved down her belly, stroking, caressing, fueling the fire within her. He unclasped her capris. She brought her hand up, moving it over the smooth skin of his chest, down his rock-hard biceps.

  No, she wasn’t sure about what he said, or what their future would bring. But she knew she wanted him right then more than she’d ever wanted anything. But if she gave in to her desire for him, would she regret it later? How much did she really know about him? About this world of his?

  “Don’t be scared,” he murmured, deftly moving his hand inside her pants, finding her sweet spot and sweeping away all her doubts with his quick sure strokes that stole her breath and had her body temperature spiking.

  “I’ll take care of you.” He slipped her pants down her hips, and in one quick movement had them off her. He removed his own, then pulled her on top of him, pressing her against his rippling muscles. She felt them moving as he shifted, pulling her closer, nestling his large hardness between her legs, making her tingle with expectation.

  She pushed her hips against his while his lips fell over hers. She swept her tongue inside his mouth, searching for more, for the release only he could give her. An urgent need heated her blood, sending her reeling and gasping for more. The sensation was stronger than anything she’d ever felt or imagined. She wanted this man, wanted him now.

  He flipped her onto her back and slid his finger inside her, making sure she was ready for him. He needn’t have bothered. She’d never been more ready for anything ever. She ached to have him inside her. To feel the thick length of him nestled within her moist heat.

  He entered her slowly, with teasing strokes, pushing in then pulling out. She cried out in protest, wrapping her legs tightly around him until he entered her fully in one swift movement. She threw her head back on a deep moan as he gave her what she wanted, pushing himself deep inside her. He stilled for a moment, letting her body expand around him, the fiery burn exquisite, turning molten within her.

  Then he began to move again, his breadth filling her until she thought she would split. But she didn’t. Instead, she molded herself to him, her body fitting perfectly with his. So snug that with each slight movement, each breath, her nerve endings fired with delicious sensations that made her want to scream and cry and never let go.

  They rocked, moving in sync, the two of them fitting together as if they were meant to be together, interlocking, inseparable. Connected. She held on tight as his hips moved in a rhythmic dance, her hands sliding down around the smooth skin of his buttocks. His muscles tightened as he moved faster, pushing harder as he reached closer to his climax.

  Hot desire surged through her. Her legs cradled him as she clung to his waist. He took her on his ride, pulling her out of her mind and to a place where there were no thoughts, only sensations—a building crescendo of feelings she didn’t want to end. The heat. The longing. The need.

  The tension between them built so long, so high and strong that with a last shuddering gasp it snapped and she fell, reeling into an abyss that was rich with the scent of pine and earth and a taste that was both sweet and salty. Liquid warmth filled her from the inside out, sluggish and thick. How could she ever want to be anywhere else, with anyone else?

  She couldn’t.

  She didn’t.

  And then her pleasure peaked again, falling over her and she screamed her passion as it raced through her, sending her over the brink and into oblivion where she wasn’t even sure if her heart was still beating, if her lungs were still expanding or if she could even move.

  As she lay there, he shifted, pushing forward one last time, finding his release and piercing through her, spilling his love and breaking through some invisible veil. The room exploded, and all she could see was the fire and the pale blue light of his eyes. She smelled Jason’s rich, earthy pine scent.

  But there was more; she was surrounded in the smell of rain in the forest, the richness of the earth when burrowing deep within, the cleansing scent of a young sapling just sprouting its leaves. It was the smell of a field of wildflowers just beginning to bloom.

  Her muscles pulled and flexed, popping, bones cracking. She stretched her toes, her feet, her ankles and calves, up her legs—every joint, every tendon felt tight and bunched. She arched her back, reaching high above her, flexing as her blood raced in her ears, flooding out all sounds but the roar of the change igniting within her.

  “You are going to be fine,” Jason whispered, his voice a soothing caress across frayed and tattered nerves. “I’m here. I won’t let anything happen to you.”

  She reached for that voice, knowing it was her lifeline, knowing it would pull her back from the darkness and help her find her way.

  “I’m here, Shay. Right here, holding you.”

  Her nerves burned as fire raced through her body. She tilted her head back and screamed, but the scream changed, becoming a howl. Anxiety shot through her, and it took everything she had not to get up and run in a full-blown panic. But warm arms tightened around her and she held
on to them with everything she had. Her heartbeat raced, thundering in her ears and then suddenly she could hear the pumping of Jason’s heart and her own pulse blending together, becoming one.

  Her blood was racing in her veins; her skin was suddenly too hot. A wave of pain exploded through her. Something was wrong. Fear detonated a mushroom cloud that grew and grew until it encompassed every cell in her body, stealing all thought, all reason. Instinctually, she curled up in a ball, barely feeling Jason as he cradled her against him, murmuring in her ear.

  She had to get away from him. Get out of this room, this cave. Everything was too confining, the air too thick, the light too dim. She needed to run, to feel the earth beneath her feet, the night air filling her lungs. She took a deep breath and felt her lungs expand, and then she was up and running. Out of the chamber, away from Jason, away from the fire and into the darkness.

  Buddy was next to her as she broke out of the cave and into the fresh night air, racing through the dark, aware of the intensity of the smells around her. The deep rich earth, the sour, heady scent of an animal buried deep in the brush. She raced forward, eager to stretch her legs, to hear the sounds of the night forest around her. And then Jason was next to her, running by her side, a beautiful gray wolf.

  She could feel him, hear him, not a buzz, but a warm current of energy that grew stronger the closer he got to her. And then she caught the scent of a rabbit and she was gone, chasing after the elusive smell, thrilling in the game, the speed with which she ran, the dig of her paws in the earth and the ease with which she could see in the dim light.

  Water ahead. Beautiful. Dark. Fresh, clean. She skidded to a stop next to the pond, staring at the reflection lit by a full moon shimmering off the glassy surface. She saw Buddy standing next to Jason and another wolf. A wolf with long flowing whitish light gray hair, and then she realized with a sense of startled excitement that she was the other wolf.

  She was no longer human.

  She was beautiful.

  * * *

  Shay didn’t know how long they ran through the night, through the forest, before they ended up back at the cave. She followed the pull of energy leading her into the chamber, back to Jason. He lay on the blanket. Human. Naked. The dim glow of the fire’s embers lighting his beautiful skin.

  Jason smiled at her. “Walk around the fire and as you do, imagine walking upright, imagine walking on feet and not paws, imagine yourself in your human form.” She did as he said and it was that simple, that painless to make the change back from wolf to human, complete with her limited senses. The room’s chill hit her and immediately she wanted to change back.

  “When can we do it again?” she asked. “Why did we come back here?”

  “Because that was your first time. You need to take it easy, give your body time to adjust.”

  “Adjust? Why?” She knelt on the blanket next to him, though she was still too keyed up to sit for long. “Why couldn’t we have run all the way to The Colony?”

  “Transforming requires a lot of energy and resources. It’s a long way to The Colony. You’re still too new. If there’s any other way, I’d rather not take the chance if we don’t have to. Not yet.”

  “But I want to run, to feel the night air in my lungs, the earth beneath my feet. It was magical. It was exhilarating.”

  He laughed and reached for her, pulling her into his arms.

  “Why would you ever want to change back?” she asked, lying next to him on the blanket, nestling into his warmth.

  “Because you have to. If you don’t, if you stay in wolf form too long, you’ll forget your human side. You’ll forget what it’s like to feel human, or that you ever were human. Then there will be no coming back. You will stay a wolf. Always.”

  She thought of the wolves surrounding her house, attracted by the scent coming from the cracks in her walls, and shivered. He held her tighter, and she sighed as his lips found hers. His warm energy, which she’d felt while in the forest, cocooned her and she was thrilled it was still there. This connection between them.

  And now, in her human form, she could recognize it for what it was. His happiness. His joy. Her heart lifted and she kissed him deeper, pulled him closer, until he was making love to her again. Filling her with his need. His want. His heart. It could have been hours that they lay there next to the fire that had burnt down to the embers, lost in each other’s touch, exploring, touching, feeling, loving. She’d never been happier. She knew she’d made the right decision, didn’t have a doubt in her head. Not even when she heard Buddy’s low growl.

  She looked up and saw two men standing just inside the chamber’s opening, their faces filled with shock and anger. Demons? Shay gasped and grabbed the blanket around her naked body. She stared at the men, but didn’t see a dark aura surrounding them. Was it because she’d changed? Did she no longer see auras? Or was it because of the dim light in the cave?

  Jason stiffened next to her. He stood, stepping into his jeans. “Mitch.”

  “Jason,” the taller of the two men answered.

  Surprised, Shay looked up at him. How did he know their names?

  “You mind waiting for me outside?” Jason asked, his body tense, his tone harsh.

  Shay waited for the men to turn and walk out of the chamber before turning back to Jason. “Do you know them? Who are they?” she said, her tone hushed.

  “They’re Malcolm’s men,” he grumbled, obviously not happy.

  “Isn’t that good? Doesn’t that mean we’re almost there, that they’ll help us? That we’re finally safe?”

  “Perhaps,” he said evasively, pulling on his jeans. “Get dressed and ready to go. I’ll be right back.”

  “All right.” She stood.

  The warm current connecting them was now sharp, edgy and prickling. She didn’t like it. She stepped into her capris, grabbed a fresh T-shirt out of the trunk and pulled it on, surprised to see that, as Jason had said, the bite mark and scratches from her fight with the Abatu were gone.

  She picked up the blanket and quickly folded it then put it back into the trunk. She grabbed what was left of the food and three water bottles for herself, Jason and Buddy. Buddy whined low in his throat. She patted his head and gave him a piece of jerky, then plopped another in her mouth. She was starving. Beyond starving.

  “It’s going to be all right, boy,” she said, more to make herself feel better than him. He had to be as hungry as she was. Maybe even hungrier. She couldn’t help wondering what he thought about her “other self” or if he’d even realized it had been her. She poured some water into her cupped palm and he drank greedily. “We are going to get through this.” They had to. But the prickling sensation coming from Jason seemed to be growing stronger.

  She tried to block it, to put it out of her mind as she stood and kicked dirt over what was left of their fire, when she heard raised voices.

  “She was meant for Malcolm,” one of the men said.

  “There are Abatu after her. At least two that we know of are left on the mountain looking for us right now,” Jason said. “We needed to hide out here, to rest...to heal. She was hurt pretty bad. We had no choice.”

  “No choice but to bed a beautiful woman?” the man sneered. “There are always choices, Jason. And you know that’s how Malcolm’s going to see it. You’re a traitor now and traitors aren’t tolerated. Not in The Colony.”

  “I am not a traitor. You know it and so does everyone else at The Colony. No one will see it that way.”

  “From where I sit, all that matters is how Malcolm will see it. He counted on you. We all counted on you and you let us down. Again.”

  “I’ve always been there for you and for the pack. You know that.”

  “All I know is that if I were you, Jason, I wouldn’t come back.”

  Shay felt slightly sick, and it wasn’t fro
m the overwhelming hunger gnawing at her stomach. When Jason stepped back into the chamber, she hurried toward him. “Is everything okay?” she whispered.

  He looked troubled.

  “I wasn’t eavesdropping. I just heard.”

  “I know. Your hearing has intensified now.”

  “Yeah?” She wanted to smile, but couldn’t. He was too upset. She could smell his anxiety, but more than that, she could feel fear rolling off him.

  “What is it?” she asked. “What’s bothering you?”

  “We might not be able to drive straight into The Colony as I’d planned. We might need to be more evasive, keep our presence a secret, take refuge with your family.”

  “Why?”

  “I don’t trust Malcolm, not after what I’ve just seen. His men reacted much more strongly to us being together than they should have. They weren’t listening to what I had to say. They didn’t care how much danger we were in. In fact, I think they would have preferred it if we didn’t come back at all rather than come back with you already transformed.” He sighed. “With you as my mate.”

  She walked into his arms and he held her close, his heat encompassing her. “What are we going to do?”

  “First off, we’re going to go back down to the truck. But instead of driving straight into the Colony, we will find a different way in. I’ll take you to your grandparents’ house and together we will figure out what to do.”

  Excitement filled her as he said the word grandparents. She really did have a family. “Are you sure? What about the Abatu? Aren’t they still on the mountain?”

  “There are only two left. They are no match for us now. If we have to, we will change so they won’t be able to follow our scent.”

  “If we do change, it would make the trek down the hill a whole lot more pleasant,” she added, smiling.

  He kissed her then, long and hard, stealing her breath and making her almost giddy with lightheadedness. “We’re going to be okay.”

  “I know.” How could they not? Because even with the trouble they faced, she was happier now than she had ever been. But even as she said the words and kissed him one more time, she heard a loud ripping sound behind her. Stunned, she turned and saw a large crack splitting the wall of the rock chamber. A crack that looked a lot like the one in her living room and kitchen back home.