by Desiree Holt
He wasn’t going to be swayed by the change of the subject.
“Tell me where you were.” Anger flamed each word.
“I was with Anna.”
His lips thinned into a snarl. “Anna. Why am I not surprised. She never could stand me.”
“Why are you acting like this?” Sara asked, running her hand down the front of her dress.
Adam’s eyes lingered down the length of her. Instantly the look in his eyes turned from anger to lust. A look she hadn’t seen in quite some time from him.
“One of my friends saw you.” Adam moved forward until he was mere inches from her. “I didn’t believe him. My Sara would never go to a party like that. You’re too pure, too innocent. Too mine!” His voice practically roared. The sound vibrated throughout her chest.
“Did you fuck him, Sara?” he gripped the side of her arms, his eyes wild as they bore into her own.
“Adam you’re scaring me.” Sara attempted to pull away but his grip only tightened.
“Did. You. Fuck. Him?”
“No! Are you happy? I wanted to but I did not. Now I’m quite sure you can’t say the same about yourself the last two nights.”
His mouth crashed down on hers, taking her completely off guard. Much to her surprise, she found her body responding. Her mouth opened, allowing his probing tongue to enter. His hand trailed down her exposed neck to her chest, his thumb caressing her nipple as his large hand kneaded her breast. Sara gasped at the pleasure and shock.
What was wrong with her? Why was she responding like this to him? She should be screaming at him, demanding a divorce, not ready to spread her legs.
She tried to pull back, but his hand went behind her neck, tangled in her hair. “I can’t lose you,” he breathed into her ear. “I love you, Sara, more than you’ll ever know.”
To her amazement, her body relaxed into his. Dear god, she needed a psychiatrist.
Next thing she knew her dress was pulled up and she was gripping ahold of the counter as the thick fullness of her husband entered her from behind. His mouth buried into her neck. His movements were quick, and there was a violence to his thrusts, purely animalistic. Yet she found herself meeting him thrust for thrust. In that moment there was no thinking, just the bittersweet pleasure.
As a climax rolled through her being, Adam became frantic as he came at the same time. His heavy body covered hers, limp, nad she could feel his heart thudding. In all their time together she’d never seen him like this, not even in their early days.
Sara dropped her head down on the counter as she caught her breath. Her mind tried to comprehend what had just taken place. One minute she was ready to demand a divorce and the next she was writhing beneath her husband, more turned on than ever. Jesus, she needed a drink.
With a groan, Adam removed himself from her, pulling back so she could turn around and face him.
“Sara, I’m not who you think I am.” Adam ground his teeth at the words.
Her heart stilled in her chest. What the hell did he mean by that?
“All these years I was too afraid to tell you the truth. And you go and stumble on it on your own.”
Her stomach dropped. Something deep inside of her clicked, but she didn’t want to admit it was true. She shook her head. “It can’t be.”
His eyes flashed, going from their normal dark blue to nearly white.
“Adam, I don’t understand. How can this be true?” Her voice shook. “Show me, I need to see you.”
He took several steps backwards, and closed his eyes. The veins in his body became more pronounced. Time stood still as she watched in fascination and horror as her husband’s body merged into another being. It seemed like eternity but it was probably mere seconds that he made the transformation from man into beast.
Unable to stop herself, she took a step backwards.
Not only was her husband a huge muscular wolf, he was the same wolf that fought Jonathan earlier. With a shaking hand, Sara covered her mouth.
Adam growled, the fur on his back standing on end. Sara was afraid, terrified really. Why was she afraid of him but not of Jonathan? Perhaps it was because her senses had been dulled by liquor and now she was fully aware of the enormity of what was taking place before her eyes.
As she eased backwards, Adam moved forward. His movements were slow, methodical. Her back hit the counter, she had nowhere else to go. Adam’s face nudged her leg.
Taking a deep breath, Sara did the only thing she could think of. She dropped to her knees and took the unknown face into her hands. She could feel the animal relax beneath her touch. He nudged his head closer until it was laying on her shoulder. The wolf’s body shuddered as she ran her hand down his back.
Sara’s mind reeled. Jesus, had it really been just a day ago that her life was normal, boring and frustrating? Now her whole life was spun on it’s top. She had no idea what to do or say. What in the world was going on? When Adam was near her like this she felt the familiar pull towards him that she’d felt when they first met. Back when they were so in love they couldn’t keep their hands off each other. Yet only moments before she’d been terrified he was going to rip her throat out.
“Adam, I’m so scared and confused. I have no idea what’s going on. Please, help me understand.”
His body jerked, the air wavered and then he was once again her husband, naked on the floor, his head still on her shoulder, his body shaking with sobs. In all her time with Adam, not once had she seen him shed a tear. Her own throat contracted.
“Talk to me, Adam.” Sara’s voice was barely audible even to herself.
She ran a soothing hand down his hair and the rippling muscles of his bare back. Her emotions were raw.
After several moments of silence, Adam pulled away and used the back of his hands to wipe away the tears that had fallen. He took a deep breath. “I didn’t mean to lose control like that. It’s just I’ve wanted for so long to show you the real me, when you touched me like that, it’s hard to explain, it’s a freedom I’ve never known.” Sara leaned forward into his arms, and he dropped his head, inhaling her scent, squeezing her tightly as if he was afraid she would disappear.
“Christ, I thought I’d lost you to Jonathan. I’m still terrified I have. Sara, please tell me you didn’t have sex with him?” His voice shook.
Sara’s body stilled, and she shook her head. “I didn’t.” But oh, how she’d wanted to, she’d come so close. A part of her still wanted him and she’d be a liar if she denied it.
“Adam, I need you to explain what’s going on. Obviously shape shifting is not just mythology, I’ve seen it with my own eyes, but what does this mean for us?” Sara pulled back so she could look him in the eyes. “Why did you pick me and not one of your own kind?”
His jaw clenched, his head bowed slightly, but finally he glanced up his eyes bore into hers. “Sara, you are one of us.”
Her body tensed. She shook her head vigorously. “I’m not. You’re wrong, Adam. I’ve never had anything like what you experience happen to me. You’ve made a mistake. You picked the wrong girl.”
Adam laughed bitterly. “Sara, you’re the only one for me. We’re mated. For life.”
Her body recoiled. “You sure as hell don’t act like you’re mated for life. I’m not a fool, Adam, I know you’ve been out fucking other women.”
His head tilted slightly. “Is that what you really think? Do you truly feel that deep inside?”
“It’s what I know. Everyone knows it. You forget I went to that sex party last night, where apparently you’re a regular.” She spat the words while crossing her arms across her chest.
A crooked grin crossed his impossibly handsome face. She wanted to throttle him.
Reaching forward he attempted to pull her into him but she just moved to the side. With the renewed anger she didn’t want him touching her. How dare he try to get possessive with her when she knew he’d been out all these years enjoying himself?
He raked his hands through h
is hair. “If this wasn’t so freaking maddening it would be hilarious. Sara, I can only be with you. You’re the only one. Even if I wanted to be with someone else, I couldn’t. It just wouldn’t work. The moment I laid eyes on you, other women no longer existed for me.”
What he was saying couldn’t be true. She’d hated him for years for cheating on her. She wished she could believe him, but she knew better.
Sara swallowed. “If that’s the case then why don’t we ever make love? Why are you always gone?”
Adam stared off into the distance. “Let’s sit down. I’ll pour you a drink.”
He walked off and Sara couldn’t help but admire his muscular naked frame. Her heart pounded in her chest. She had so many questions but also so much anger.
Chapter 8
“First off, Sara, I need you to believe you’re the only one for me.” He placed a drink in her hands as she sat down on the kitchen chair.
“Well, you’re going to have to be a little more convincing than that.” Sara took a long drink, desperately wanting to believe her husband, but not.
He took a deep breath. “The reason we haven’t had sex in a while is because I’m afraid of losing control. If I lost control and shifted, I could kill you. That’s why I stay away, that’s why I’ve kept my distance. Trust me, baby, there’s nowhere else I’d rather be than by your side. It’s so painful to be away from you, but I can’t stand the thought of hurting you.” He paused, a look of shame crossing his face. “Hell, I’ve already let my temper flare too many times. All I have to do is grab your arm when I’m angry and my strength leaves bruises. I don’t want to hurt you.”
He was right about that, she bruised easily and he was insanely strong. She’d just written it off to him being an athlete all his life. Needless to say it never crossed her mind he could be a shape shifter. And he claimed she was one too?
“I don’t understand why you think I’m like you. I’m really not, Adam, I’m just a normal woman.”
He grinned. Leaning forward, he brushed the hair back from her face. The brush of his hand against her skin felt warm and tender. It shocked her that she was already craving him after they’d just had sex. What was wrong with her? She shouldn’t want him, yet she did. “There’s nothing normal about you. My god, I wish you could see yourself through my eyes.”
Sara was surprised to feel a smile emerge. “Explain this bond a little more, mate, or whatever you called it?”
A sad smile crossed his face. “Our kind,” he paused. “There’s only one true love—love is not the right word. It’s much more than that. Partner, other half. Soulmate is a bit closer, but even those don’t come close to describing it. It’s as if our souls are entwined, but not even that sounds right. Encoded?” He ran his hands through his hair and looked flustered. “Yeah, that’s probably better—encoded. It’s like we’re as much of each other as we are ourselves.”
Reaching over, he took her hand in his. “I can’t imagine what this must be like for you. Your parents died when you were too young to be told about your heritage. But what was worse than that was when they died, a curse was placed on you. To never know your true power or be able to reproduce. If you had children, they would shift and you would come to understand. The curse caused you to be sterile.”
Sara yanked her hand back. “Really, Adam? A curse?”
“Yes, a curse. Your father was alpha, your mother, well let’s just say she was an exceptional woman.”
It took all of Sara’s self-control not to cover her ears like a child. She didn’t want to hear about her parents. The pain was too sharp. The memory was etched in her mind, but she’d buried it deep. There’d been so much blood. She’d only been five at the time of their murder, too young to really understand but old enough to know she missed her parents greatly.
Sara squeezed her eyes tight in an attempt to block off the memory before it could push through. But it was useless. Once again she was a terrified child looking down at the bloody bodies of her parents. She’d been too shocked to scream. Hell, she hadn’t uttered a single syllable for three years after their death. Because of the brutality of their death, she went into the witness protection program. This was something Sara had not understood until much later in life when she researched her parent’s death. As soon as she’d started digging the government was at her door. They’d explained that after the murder of her family she was placed with another family, her name changed, apparently for her safety.
Her whole life was a lie. She’d never even told Adam about her parent’s murder. She’d lied and told him they’d died in a car crash and that she’d been adopted, that part was true. The reality of what Adam was saying was starting to hit home.
“Adam, why would the government be involved in my parent’s murder? Did they know about the creatures that shifted? I was taken and put into a government program.”
He laughed bitterly. “The government is well aware of our existence, hell, some of us have office positions. I know this is a lot to take in, Sara, but we are far from the only supernatural creatures on Earth.”
Sara let this information sink in. What he said was logical; it would be insane to believe there were shifters but nothing else. Jesus, her whole world was tipping.
“If what you are saying is true, then who placed this curse and why were my parents killed?” Sara’s voice shook with each word. Despite herself, she believed him, she just wasn’t ready to admit it.
Adam leaned forward, his eyes hard. “The curse was placed by Jonathan’s wife.”
Sara’s heart seized in her chest. This could not be happening. Please let her wake up from this horrible nightmare.
“I’m really confused.” Sara clutched the glass in her hand, surprised it didn’t break with the pressure.
“Why would his wife curse my family?”
“Jealousy. As I said, your mother was exceptional. Powerful beyond belief. Your father was alpha in name alone. Everyone knew it was your mother who held the true power. But that’s not the only reason.” He ran his hand through his hair. “It’s so hard to explain, because to me this is life, but you’re being totally blindsided. I tried to keep this from you. I never dreamed you would end up in Jonathan’s arms.” The muscle on his cheek twitched.
So many things ran through her head it was hard to focus on one thing. She felt ashamed that she’d almost had sex with a stranger, but then to find out he may have been involved in her parent’s murder…
There was something that was really bothering Sara. “You said earlier you couldn’t have sex with anyone else?”
He nodded.
“But if that’s true, what about Jonathan and his wife? They clearly have an open relationship.”
“Fucking deviants are what they are, but they are not mated so it’s different for them.”
Sara sat back. “I’m confused. How can they be married if they are not mated?”
“Olivia’s mate was killed when he was just a boy. This was the event that triggered Olivia’s hatred for our clan. It was an accident, but she didn’t care. All she knew was her mate was gone. There’s a part of me that understands the reasons behind her actions, but since they affected our life, I have no pity for her.”
“How did he die?”
“There was a time when our clans were closer, and we would meet up and roam the woods together. Just to get out and stretch our legs, really. Her mate and one of our pack were playing together. Just wrestling around. Saigon, her mate, wasn’t paying attention and tumbled right off a cliff. He was young and became scared so he shifted back into his human form as he fell. When he landed, he was dead. Had he stayed in his wolf form he would have been able to heal. It was a tragedy, but we were not to blame. Of course, Olivia had to take her anger out on someone.”
“What about Jonathan’s mate?”
Adam shrugged. “He’s never had one. Jonathan is different. He comes from an ancient clan and he is the last in their lineage. He was a lone wolf until he came across the
Santiago pack, and they took him in as one of their own. He was partnered with Olivia and because of his extra abilities he was made alpha, taking Saigon’s place.”
Chapter 9
“No one expected a young girl to lash out this way,” Adam said before tipping back his glass and swallowing the last of the liquor. Sara glanced down at her own empty glass.
“Your parents ruled the Southside district, Jonathan’s wife’s family ran the Northside. There was always a sense of separation, one pack wanted to be stronger than the other. Ridiculous really. And yet we had to work together, at least in the eyes of the government. It was one of the agreements made eons ago.
“Olivia was pretty young at the time of his death. She’d just reached the age of being able to shift.”
“And how old would that be?’ Sara asked, her curiosity piqued.
“It varies, but usually between the age of ten and fifteen, for her it was ten. But it wasn’t until she was twelve that she’d placed the curse. Because time had passed no one suspected her at first.”
“How in the hell could a twelve-year-old do this?”
“I’m certainly not making excuses for her, but her family raised her … differently. Your family raised you with love, hers with indifference, perhaps even hatred. Her mother did not want to pass on her place to a daughter. They had a large family, six boys one girl. There was no love between mother and daughter. They were raised on power and greed.”
Sara found herself feeling a little bad for the woman, but not enough to justify the death of her family.
“At first we thought the deaths were caused by the mother. Everyone knew she was jealous of your mother, but we quickly found out it was not her.”
“How could you be so sure?” Sara asked. She felt like she was listening to someone else’s life, like she’d stepped back so she could see the full picture and not just react.
“We have mind readers amongst us. There was a trail.”