Primal Night

by Ally Parker

  He dug into a drawer and walked over and placed some dried jerky and cheese into Kali’s palm. His gaze skimmed over her and flickered to the bed. “Eat and then you should get some rest. We’ll leave at dawn.”

  Her brows rose, she looked behind her at the mattress and then back to him, licking her lips. “And where will you be sleeping?”

  His cock stirred with the heated question. He stepped closer, invading her personal space. An action that he couldn’t control. Only the tiniest slither of his humanity held him true to his last mission—everything else screamed for him to take what was his and save himself.

  Would you shame your mate with the likes of the tainted blood running through your veins? Once the atrocities of his father’s actions spread, he’d be out casted, he knew it would be so just as he knew if he lay in the same bed with Kali, he would seduce her, mate her, and doom them both.

  “As you can see I only have the one bed.”

  He left his answer to float between them. She wasn’t stupid, and he was sure she could draw her own conclusions. Half of him expected her cry of outrage, so it surprised him to find her sliding up to one side of his mattress.

  Turning, he walked back to his desk and busied himself, preparing for the meeting with his father. Though he gave Kali the impression he’d be joining her in sleep, there’d be no rest for him that night. As much as it grated against his nerves, he’d have to wash Kali’s scent from himself, the better to keep the knowledge of her secret. Then he’d need to crisscross a trail around the area to confuse any potential threats in the area and ensure he’d done the same near their meeting spot.

  Packing up his laptop, he began to take down the candid shots of the females he’d seen at the Pit.

  “Leave them up.”

  Shifting his position, he found Kali resting along a blanket barrier set in the middle of the mattress. His brows rose, and he bit back the upward tug at his lips. She thought to separate them using nothing more than material. It felt like a challenge, and the basic part of him reared its head, wanting to accept.

  “Please,” she added.

  He frowned at the odd request but found he couldn’t deny her this small boon. After all he planned to deceive her as soon as she fell asleep. Nodding his head, he went back to work packing up his den, securing it in the event this would be his last time in his safe place.

  The scent of vampire and death wafted to him and reminded him of the need to incinerate his clothes on his way to meet his father or else the stench would act as a beacon to all the creatures that lurked in the darkness. After securing his notes he packed the blood-soaked clothes and put them back near the entrance of the den.

  Casting an eye around his shelter, he saw the area was plain and simple yet strong and well-hidden. He had chosen its location under a barrier of rocks on the outskirts of the cliff’s edge. It was a difficult track and even more tedious to find the entrance. Kali would be safely hidden away from any dangers. Just the way he’d intended her to be.

  Still unable to believe the one person who could save him existed and was so close, he sought her out with his gaze. She was asleep? His eyes widened, taking in the slow rise and fall of her even breaths. Yes, she was asleep. On some fundamental level her wolf must trust him enough to let her guard down. She lay there vulnerable, easy prey for the taking.

  A flicker of longing eclipsed the shadows of his heart. Whether or not she’d let her guard down willingly, the act stirred something within him, filling him with strength and pride. Without a sound, he closed the space between them and reached out. Hair nearly dark as the night’s edge fanned around her head, the lantern’s flickering light making her locks shine like jewels. Long, shadowed lashes fell softly on her cheeks, resting on the darker pads beneath her eyes, showing just how exhausted she must be. Just how much blood had that leech taken?

  Too wrapped up in the torrent of emotions at finding his mate, at denying his instincts, he’d forgotten about her needs. Shame washed over him. What kind of mate didn’t offer even the most basic of needs? See, it goes to show you don’t deserve a mate. Wishing that he were a better male, that the situation were different, he ignored his desires and turned his back on his mate, on the need to sip at her lush pouting lips and beg for forgiveness. Destiny needed a savior, and he was answering the call.

  The thought to cuff Kali to the bed passed through his mind but he discarded it a second later. She would be well hidden after he secured the den, and it would give her free reign to the facilities, meager as they were. It was the least he could do. Quickly, he thumbed instructions for his beta and scheduled the message it to arrive when he would be neck-deep in the Pit confines and when Kali would need to be released. Because two things were for certain. He was going to burn the Pit from the inside out, and he wasn’t ever going to make it out alive.

  Removing the key from his neck, he unlocked the door, then reached down for his pack, along with the soiled clothes. He hovered in the doorway and cast a final glance over his shoulder. His gaze ate up the one female who was destined to save him. Soul aching, his essence reached out to her, yearning to bind their bodies, their lives, their existence.

  His claws scraped the metal of the door jamb, leaving grooves in the metal. For creatures like him, he was tainted by blood so wicked it would wither the warmness he sensed within Kali. The heat of another glyph sizzled across his skin; he didn’t even bother to acknowledge the mark. There were no happy endings, only the cursed reality of losing his humanity one stroke of his glyph at time.

  Like a fog lifting at dawn, Kali’s consciousness rose. Curling her hand to the sweet spot below her ear, she let her muscles stretch. The smell of pine sharpened with scents of something wild encased her in something that felt strangely like safety. She wanted to sink back into the softness and bask in the sensations for just a while longer. God, how long had it been since she’d slept so soundly—had felt safe enough to? Hell, it hadn’t been since before her parents were killed.

  The thought shot her upward, the blanket pooling at her waist and echoes of sleep dissolving from her eyes. How the hell did her guard lower enough to let sleep claim her? She was in the den of a stranger who had taken it upon himself to keep her locked up. Maybe he wasn’t the madman she’d initially thought him to be, but still she should have been on the lever’s edge just in case danger threatened. Distracted with the information of the Pit, she hadn’t garnered the information of why she was being held captive. She couldn’t remember a time her wolf hadn’t been hovering just under the surface, always watching for threats. As crazy as it seemed, her wolf’s lack of concerned caused betrayal to lick at her palate, the taste bitter but unrelenting.

  Gaze surveying the room, she couldn’t help but notice Ryker’s absence. “That son of a bitch.”

  Sucking in a deep breath, the pine scent of him lingered in the air, dwindling to an undertone of the earth. Faint, but still fresh enough that Ryker couldn’t have been gone too long. He’d left her trapped, helpless, a lamb awaiting slaughter. She gnashed her teeth together. Even if Ryker wasn’t a part of the Outlaws, it wouldn’t take them long to track her down. And, they always did.

  Tossing the covers aside, she lurched out of bed and ran over to the door, tugging on the handle.

  Locked. “Damn it. Arrogant, lying, stinking male…”

  Keep it together.

  Maybe he’d gone out for supplies. Glancing around the room again, the office area was void of all traces of his investigation, the blood-soaked clothes—gone. The truth spoke as loud as the emptiness in her surroundings. Ryker had manipulated information out of her, used her just like everyone else she’d ever met. Bastard!

  Yet the scent of truth had laced his words. He must have changed his mind. It didn’t matter. At least she wasn’t cuffed, and that was his mistake. With her hands unbound, it was only a matter of time before she’d be stalking her prey.

  “All I need is that wire.”

  Turning she hurried over to th
e bed where the cuffs still hung from the bed’s head board. Her broken bra wire still jutted out of the lock mechanism. Yesterday she’d been off her game, still under the influence of whatever the vampire had done to her. Now, with all her faculties, she might be able to undo the entrance lock.

  The polished dirt floor was cool beneath her feet, and she ignored the boots and jacket that lay on the floor. Making quick work, she peeled off her shift and stepped out of her jeans. Once she broke free, she’d shift and hook it into the woods. Enough people had manipulated her; she would claim her freedom or die trying. Sinking down to the front of the lock, she folded the wire in half, using one end to supply a slight torque, the other to search for the pressure of the pins.

  Manipulating the wire to the right spot the mechanism snapped into position and the pin set clicked its release. A smile tugged at her lips, and she rose to turn the handle. The door swung open, the frigid air welcoming and teasing of freedom. The self-preservation part of her whispered for her to split. Get the hell far away from the reaches of the Shadow Moon Pack, the Outlaws, Ryker, and every single damn shifter that threatened her existence.

  Candid pictures of Gracie and the Innkeeper flickered in her memory. A knot formed in her chest, expanding, making it hard to breathe. She owed her life to Gracie and had a strong suspicion that she was connected somehow to the disappearance of the Innkeeper and the female she couldn’t quite place.

  If her life had been a movie, she would have been the villain. The things she’d done… were despicable, unforgivable, no matter whether it had been forced upon her, even if it had meant her life or death. Her actions would haunt her like the ghosts they were, and she’d live with her sins tarnishing her soul and do what she always did—survive.

  That was the root of the problem. Since the Outlaws killed her parents and she’d become their prisoner, all she’d done was survive. The fear, the loneliness, the emptiness always lingered deep in her gut. Nothing was going to change in her life if she kept playing the same cards. This time she would choose to live. And that would begin with doing the right thing and saving the females that like herself had been held captive and given no choice, no freedom to live.

  Feeling lighter than she had in a long time, she raced up the stairs, pushed aside the cover shielding the entrance, and not for the first time a sliver of being impressed unfurled. Ryker had chosen his den well. Any that passed by wouldn’t notice the entrance with the rocks and shrubs guarding the entry to the outcrop on the mountain.

  Drawing in a breath, she tried to get a feel of the various smells. A lot of traffic coursed through this area. If the base notes of the wild were any indication, many of them were shifters. A den hidden in plain view. The pine tones teased her senses, and as she stepped out of Ryker’s lair the crunch of the snow beneath her feet was the only sound in the area.

  As a human she was fast. As a shifter, even faster. Letting the shift sweep over her body, muscles pulled and stretched. Fur cascaded over her body, coating her in a shade lighter than the night sky. Ears flickering, she caught the sounds of small creature’s scurrying in the underbrush. Raising her muzzle, she sensed the notes of Ryker everywhere. Great. Tracking him was going to be fun.

  Nose to the ground, she traced Ryker’s steps in the area. He’d done well in covering his tracks, but she was determined and after a time found the trail that headed east, leading deeper into the forest. Got you! Picking up speed, she would have him in her sights before long. The faint crescent moon’s light snuffed out as the pines grew thicker. The wind blew against her muzzle, feeding her various scents; her nose twitched trying to identify all of them.

  Forfeiting stealth for speed, Kali ran for a long time. Adrenaline coursed through her body at the thought of hunting Ryker. Her wolf seemed pleased at meeting up with the broody male and picked up the pace, arcs of snow billowing out behind her. Not for the hundredth time, she wondered why her wolf reacted in such a way. It was disconcerting and alarming.

  A twig cracked to her left, and her head snapped in the direction of the noise to find a set of glowing eyes staring straight at her.

  7

  Ryker grabbed one of the pack land’s emergency bags from under the root system of a large tree, pulling out a spare set of clothes. His head throbbed again with the call of his pack. He reinforced his mental barriers to ease the pain. Ignore them. You are protecting the pack. He shoved his legs into some jeans, buttoned them up, and forced his mind to other matters. Meeting his father was a bad idea. The alternative would have been worse. If he didn’t attend a summons, his father would order a search and then he would have paid the price for his insolence.

  “You stupid half-witted creature! You’ve ruined everything.”

  The air bristled behind him, and Ryker spun on his heel, reaching out and clamping his hand around his father’s wrist to halt the blow. His muscles corded, and his heart banged against his ribs like the rhythm of a war drum. More than familiar with his father’s fists, he’d vowed the day he’d left his father’s territory that it would be the last day he’d suffer the abuse.

  “The days where you strike me have long past, Father.”

  They stood there in silence, tension so thick he struggled to breath. His father’s lip curled, the lines fanning from his eyes strained and the air saturated with fury. Ryker tightened his grip, releasing his father’s hold, and took a step back. But, he never broke eye contact.

  His father shook his head. “How are you any son of mine? The whispers of your actions have spread over the Council like a plague. You’ve brought shame to this family, to me. How could you be so stupid? Not to mention you’ve ruined the plan to obtain Saint’s females. What were you thinking?”

  Despite everything, his father’s words cut deep. For a moment he felt like the small, useless pup that had been ripped out of bed and forced to work well into the night all because Saint had bested him in training. Again. Coming second wasn’t an option, according to his father. Then he remembered why he was here to begin with and bit back a growl.

  He was the one who brought shame to the family? That was rich coming from a man behind violating their females and committing treason among other crimes against their kind. Biting back a growl, he reminded himself he needed to prove his loyalty to the cause. Bide your time; justice will be served.

  “I was trying to gather females.” Not to give to his father, but to protect. He’d been ruthless in his quest, and if that meant blackmailing Saint, he didn’t care and would do it again. It was a shame things didn’t work out. Now, Saint’s females were still in jeopardy.

  He blew out a breath. That was just the tip of the iceberg of his mistakes. He hadn’t even mentioned the failed rescue of Kali. Nowhere in the great scheme of things did he want to mention Kali. With all the murmurs, he couldn’t very well keep her a secret now. He’d gladly wear the brunt of his father’s wrath with the knowledge that he’d done the right thing and kept his female safely hidden back in his den. “I did it for you. I wanted to prove I could be trusted by acquiring a gift—a female for you, for the operation.”

  Jaw clenching, his father’s harsh, angular features sharpened, the tendons straining along his neck. “Boy, all you’ve gone and done is brought attention where it’s not wanted. How is that proving you can be trusted?”

  He swallowed, thoughts spinning. Truth was, he hadn’t been thinking when he’d scented his mate; it was different for every shifter, but as soon as he’d caught Kali’s scent, his monster calmed and the seed of need took over. He’d struggled to string together any thoughts, let alone a well-planned attack. Whatever arsenal at his disposal was used, and now the moment of insanity was costing him and might even cost the lives of the females he was trying to save.

  “I had set things in motion for Saint’s integrity to be questioned. I’d hoped he would have been too busy with that fall out to report my actions to the Council.”

  It was a small sacrifice he was willing to make. It’s not that he hate
d Saint, but he’d received plenty of punishments because he wasn’t as fast as Saint, or as strong as Saint, or as good as Saint, and his father could never tolerate signs of weakness from his own blood. And because of Saint, he’d been torn from bed to train, food withheld until he’d beaten Saint in weapons, strategy, and any other area his father deemed necessary. The list never ended. His father had to prove that his own blood was better than that of a whelp bastard-born.

  Nostrils flaring, his father’s eye’s widened with his wolf. “Once a failure, always a failure.”

  Gritting his teeth, Ryker struggled to keep the bite out of his voice. “I know things didn’t go to plan.” He pulled back his shoulders. “It won’t happen again.”

  The fire dulled to embers, and his father’s gaze became assessing. He scratched along his dark stubble, the noise sounding like sandpaper. “Where is the female?”

  Something lodged itself in Ryker’s throat. He coughed and swallowed, but that did nothing to help the constricting vise tightening his trachea. What could he say to appease his father? Lying was out of the question since he’d smell the betrayal straight away. Unless he could weave enough truth to go unnoticed.

  “Hidden someplace safe. I figured the Council would be looking for me, and I wanted to buy enough time to make it to the Pit without any complications.”

  His father snorted. “The Council is conducting a shifter hunt as we speak. Of course, after the Council discovered you broke protocol, used Council resources, and failed to deliver the female into custody, I was obligated to volunteer to lead a hunt to find you, as is my right as your father. You are free because I allow it. It’s because of my control over my men that you haven’t been taken in for questioning.”

  Inclining his head, Ryker spoke barely above a whisper. “For that mercy, I am grateful.”

  It was the only thanks he could manage. And the only silver lining in the whole process. If it wasn’t that his father continuously abused his position, then he’d never be able to bring him down.