by Jessica Ryan
"She's in my territory," the naked man said, breathless.
"What territory is that?" the blond man asked again. "Answer me!"
As he yelled his demand she jumped a little, feeling excitement rush through her body. She hadn't been around a man like this in years. All the men she met in school, all the ones she picked up at bars, were all pathetic little college boys who drank too much. She felt a little disgusted as she thought about the terrible pickup lines she had fallen for. She'd always fallen for their t-shirt muscles and large trucks, never realizing they were boys pretending to be men. This, though… this was a real man if there ever was one.
"Our territory," the fallen man whimpered. "We own this forest."
"Get up," her man said. "You're pathetic."
The other man slowly rose, his eyes studying the man who had dropped him easily with one punch.
"You're from Bucklin, aren't you?" the naked man asked, beginning to speak in a more high-pitched tone. "You're an alpha."
"Listen," her man said, stepping right into the naked man's face. "I'm not here to intrude on your pack's territory. I'm just passing through on my way to Beorn's territory."
"Yes," the naked man said, shaking his head frantically. "The old bear, we know him well. Please don't harm me anymore. I'll let my alpha know you're here."
"Are there other wolves here?" her man asked.
Ciara grabbed at her hair, trying to figure out what the hell was going on. What the fuck were they talking about? Wolves? Packs? Alphas? Had she fallen into a b-horror movie all of a sudden? The wolf had turned into a man, but there had to be an explanation for that. She was delirious from fear, lack of oxygen and dehydration. She was hallucinating, that was the only logical conclusion she could come to. She'd hallucinated before on some pretty bad benders, and this was no different.
"We've smelled them," the naked man said. "They're too powerful, they corrupt the forest. The corruption doesn't extend to our den. We try to stay there."
"Why were you following her, then?" her man demanded.
"She smelled sweet," he said. "I was hunting, and I saw her. She smelled so good and I wanted her so bad."
"You think you can just kidnap her?"
"She was in my territory," the naked man said, shying away like a scolded dog. "It's my right to claim her."
"Listen and listen well," her man said, getting just inches from the other's face. "We don't do things like that anymore. She's going to go home, got it? And you're not going to bother her, got it?"
"I've got it," the naked man said.
"Now get out of my sight. I don't want to see your pack outside your territory when I'm out here."
"Yes!" the naked man said, turning and running away as fast as his legs could carry him.
Ciara saw how fast he effortlessly bounded through the forest, like he was running on a track. He'd been toying with her before; if he had wanted to, he could have easily caught her within the first thirty seconds of her escape.
She felt a little bit sick thinking about the fact that she had almost been killed. But luckily she had a savior, a knight in shining armor sent from the heavens above—or Bucklin.
Who cares? she thought. He saved me and that's all that matters.
When the naked man was finally out of sight he turned to her, his face still unmoving from its previous stern expression.
"He won't bother you if you want to return where you came from," he said. "I guarantee it."
With those words he walked past her, heading deeper into the forest.
What the hell? she thought. He's just going to leave me?
Ciara put her hands on her hips and walked him walk away, his powerful body carrying him easily through the underbrush.
"You're just going to leave me out here?" she yelled. "What kind of guardian angel are you?"
"I'm not an angel," he yelled back. "Just an alpha with a mission."
Ciara stood there for a second, expecting him to turn around and laugh. It had to be a big joke. He was just kidding, right? He was going to come back and rescue her, bringing her safely back to her car or his place, right?
As she watched him get farther and farther away she realized he wasn't coming back. She was all alone in the forest again.
She quickly weighed her options in her head. She could either follow her savior, despite the fact that he didn't want her to, or she could try to find her way back where she'd come from. If she went that way she'd probably run into the naked guy and his buddies.
There was no decision to make.
"Hey, wait up!" she yelled, chasing after her guardian angel.
Chapter 7
Hawk stomped his way through the undergrowth, making no attempt to be silent. The girl had ruined all silence for the moment.
Normally he wouldn't even bother with rescuing a human. In fact he had sat in the tree and watched her run, knowing she was being followed by a wolf the entire time. It confused him that a human could even get this deep into the forest; she must have been running for quite some time. Her pursuer could have caught her at any time; instead, he was playing a game of cat and mouse.
Something snapped inside of Hawk as he watched the scared woman, though, activating a protective instinct he hadn't known he had. Maybe it was Rowan's experience with Eva or maybe it was something else, but he couldn't stand by and watch her get kidnapped.
Now, as he walked away, Hawk immediately regretted the decision. What the hell was he thinking? He was on a very important pack mission; he didn't have time to babysit a human. Things were going to get even more dangerous. She was in danger out here.
If she hurried back, she would be out of the forest in no time. The wild pack wouldn't even think twice about her anymore; they'd be after Hawk. He had gambled by sticking his nose in, hoping that the pack would leave him alone, but he wasn't holding his breath. They would take a rival alpha, especially a domesticated one, starting a fight on their territory as an affront. They would demand some sort of compensation for stealing a potential mate as well.
She's not a potential mate, he thought. She's a human being. She doesn't deserve to be kidnapped, raped and forced to become some sort of breeding cow.
Technically Rowan had kidnapped Eva, but that had been for her own safety. This was a totally different situation and the girl didn't deserve it.
She's doesn't deserve it, Hawk thought again. She's much too attractive for those damn wild wolves.
Hawk stopped and looked up at the sky, turning the thought over in his head. He had never had much interest in females during his adult life—he was the watcher, he had a mission. But this girl was different; she had definitely drawn his eye. She was short, very short, something he wasn't used to in werewolf females. Even Rowan's human was tall, but there was something about this woman's height that made Hawk do a double-take. Her red hair was wild and tangled, like a beautiful fire calling to him from the top of her head. She had the greenest eyes he'd ever seen, like emeralds staring back at him. She had curves in all the right places, just like Rowan's human, but there was something sexier about this one. Her breasts were definitely bigger, enough to make Hawk involuntarily lick his lips as he looked at them. Most of the females in Bucklin were tan from spending so much time outdoors, but this girl's skin was milky white, with freckles dotting her cleavage and the tops of her shoulders. He suddenly found himself wanting to draw a line between each freckle with his tongue.
Hawk was beginning to grow rock hard standing in the forest thinking about the half-sized princess he'd just sent home.
No, he thought, shaking his head. Forget this girl. You have a mission, a very important mission. The Skyvale pack does not take mates, and you have a duty. Go now.
He took a deep breath and marched forward, trying to forget about the beautiful package of dynamite—unfortunately, his loss of memory was short-lived.
"Hey, wait up!" he heard from behind.
He stopped to see her pumping her short legs as she bounded thro
ugh the forest, making a bee-line to where he stood.
I cannot take this girl with me, he thought. She will get hurt.
At the same time he knew he couldn't escort her back through the forest, either; he would lose too much valuable time.
"Please don't leave me," she said, finally reaching him and doubling over. She was breathless from her long trek through the jungle; it didn't look like she had any energy left. That meant she would do nothing but slow him down.
"You're fine," he said. "They won't bother you if you hurry back to where you came from."
"That's the problem," she said, looking up at him from her bent position.
He got a perfect view down the front of the tank top she was wearing. He tried not to stare but it was hard not to. Those milky white, freckled breasts stared back at him invitingly, begging him to cup them in his hands. He could feel something stirring deep inside him, something that hadn't stirred in a long time. Blood began rushing to his cock as he became aroused by the mere sight of this woman.
She looked up at him, giving him a small smile as she traced his eyes to her chest before continuing, "I don't know where I came from. I'm lost."
"Of course you are," he said, using the opportunity to roll his eyes and look away from the two perfectly round objects of his desire. Truth be told, he understood where she was coming from—it would be very easy for a human to get lost deep in this forest. There weren't too many landmarks to tell you where you were, and it was difficult to see the sun to get an idea which direction you were heading, if you even knew how to do that. Hawk had learned most humans were helpless in the wilderness, even with the sun right in front of their faces.
"Don't be mean," she said, finally standing up. He noticed she poked her chest out and got a little bit closer to him, obviously onto the fact that she was arousing him. "Please, you're like my guardian angel. I was sent here to find myself and instead I found you."
Is she insane? Hawk wondered. Mental illness wasn't something that affected wolves, but he had read about how it affected humans. She could have fifteen personalities dancing around inside her head right now.
"I'm sorry," Hawk finally said. "I just can't take you with me. It's too dangerous."
"More dangerous than me going back through the forest?" she asked. "I'll stay out of your way. Please! You saved me and I don't want to be caught out here alone without you! You're like the buffest, most athletic, hottest guy I've ever met. Surely you have to be a good guy, right?"
Hawk was taken aback by what she said. Did she just say he was hot? He'd never really categorized himself as such. He never thought he was as suave as a wolf like Rowan nor did he exude as much raw animal appeal as a wolf like Aster. He definitely wasn't as smooth and charismatic as a wolf like Thorn either. If this girl was trying to manipulate him with her words and body language, then she was doing a pretty damn good job, he had to give her that.
"If you come with me, you can't complain," he told her with finality in his voice. He narrowed his eyes and stared a hole right through her.
She gulped and looked up at him with wide eyes. "I won't bitch, I promise."
"You're going to see some things that will make you question your sanity," he told her, putting one hand on her shoulder. He felt her shiver as he touched her and smiled slightly. She was all his. "The world as you know it isn't what you think it is."
"So that guy really was a werewolf?" she asked.
"Yes."
"Are you a werewolf?"
"Yes."
"So my guardian angel is a hot badass who transforms into a wolf whenever he wants?"
"Yes."
"That's so hot."
Hawk chuckled at that and shook his head. "You're an odd woman."
"Says the guy who can turn into a wolf."
"I guess that would be odd to a human. Let's go."
Hawk turned and started to walk away, hoping she would be able to keep up. She had short legs and her body wasn't exactly the most physically fit, but she had run this deep into the forest already, so maybe she would surprise him.
"You never told me your name," she called, hurrying to catch up to him. He was walking at a normal pace, but already she was lagging behind.
"I am Hawk," he said, turning to her and bowing. "I am the alpha of the Skyvale pack of Bucklin."
"Alpha?" she asked, her face screwing up as she turned the word over in her head. "I dated a guy once who told me he was an alpha male. He was kind of a douchebag, though. He just got drunk and started fights with every guy at the bar."
"A human who claims to be an alpha is very different than an alpha wolf," he told her.
"I'm Ciara," she said, doing a curtsy. "At your service."
"My service? That sounds pretty good."
"Well, what would you like me to do, master?" she asked, poking her chest out just a little bit and rubbing one hand up and down his arm.
What the hell is going on here? he wondered. Why am I so goddamn horny right now? This isn't like me at all. What the fuck is going on?"
"I have no command right now," he said, trying to shake away his desire. He had a mission and he couldn't abandon it to get his dick wet right here in the middle of the forest with a girl he had just met. Besides, was she this overly sexual? Surely she couldn't be.
"That's too bad," she said, her lips pouting. "I was hoping you would give me something juicy."
When she said that her hand traveled immediately traveled down to his pants, grabbing his cock through his pants and squeezing.
Hawk's eyes grew wide and he pulled away, unsure of what to do at this moment.
At that exact same time Ciara's face turned redder than a fire engine and she averted her eyes, staring off into the distance.
"I'm so sorry," she said. "I don't know what's gotten into me. That's…that's not me."
There is something going on here, Hawk realized. The evil, it's affecting us, toying with us.
"That's okay, Ciara," he said, taking a big gulp as the nervousness left his body. "Let's just keep moving. I don't think we can stay in one place too long. We have to get to my friend Beorn's house. Once we're there, I'll have a clearer picture of where we are and I may be able to get you out of this place."
"That sounds great," she said, still refusing to make eye contact with him. "You lead the way."
Hawk turned and walked away, shaking his head. He hadn't felt the evil since he first entered the forest, but now his chest was growing tight as invisible fingers reached into him and tugged on his soul. If they stayed in one place for too long the evil found them, forcing itself on them. They had to keep moving.
Lust, he thought. So far it's instilled lust and fear inside of me. What else can it do?
He looked back at the pretty girl who was following him and shook his head. What had he done? He had thrown her right into the middle of danger—danger she wasn't equipped to handle. Unfortunately, he wasn't sure he could protect her from it either.
Chapter 8
That was strange, Ciara thought as she followed her sexy savior through the forest.
Sure he was the hottest guy she had ever seen and she was more attracted to him than any other man, but that didn't mean she would just hop into bed with him immediately. Especially not right there on the forest floor, surrounded by weeds and bugs. Yet somehow she had been perfectly willing to let him ravage her right then and there.
It wasn't like her, unless she was drinking. Her eyes grew wide as she walked and silently contemplated how she had felt previously. She wasn't stumbling or disoriented like when she got really drunk, but her decision making was the exact same as when she had tied one on.
She looked up, her eyes traveling across the tight back muscles that poked through Hawk's t-shirt. He was so tall and lean, but every muscle in his body had a hard edge to it as it popped out at her. It was distracting just staring at him. Her eyes traveled down to the pants he was wearing, which fit perfectly around his tight, round ass. She had never seen
a man with an ass like that—just so perfect and desirable. She wanted nothing more now than to take a bite out of it.
Without thinking she began to hurry up, wanting to cup those perfect butt cheeks in her hands as she ran her tongue over every inch of his muscled back. She was almost there, and she could feel the heat between her legs as she walked and her tight panties rubbed against her swollen clit. She was going to do what she wanted to to this perfect hunk of meat, whether he liked it or not.
Just as she reached him and began to reach out she stopped and pulled her hand back.
What the hell is wrong with me? she thought. Why am I grabbing for him like this?
She had taken ecstasy once while drunk and had gotten this feeling. Out here, dead sober, in the middle of the forest, she felt like she was drunk and high out of her gourd.
That's it, she realized. The cactus juice. This is all because of the cactus juice. That bastard Doctor Haley really did give me a hallucinogen. What a fucking psycho. None of this is real. He's not real, werewolves aren't real, nothing. Hell, I'm probably still sitting at the campsite staring off into space like a loon.
She smiled as she realized she could do whatever she wanted to the incredibly sexy wolf in front of her. After all: he wasn't real.
No, her mind told her. This is a test. Doctor Haley said the journey would be filled with tests as I try to find my inner bravery and courage. This is one of those tests. It wants me to fail by giving in and doing what I always do.
She knew what she had to do now. She had to be strong and help this imaginary wolf on his own quest, and then she would discover herself. That had to be the truth of it.
"I'm not afraid," she said.
"What was that?" Hawk asked, turning back to her.
Ciara put one hand over her mouth, not realizing she had spoken those words out loud.
"I said I'm not afraid," she said meekly.
"Not afraid of what?" Hawk had come to a standstill, his head cocked curiously to one side.
"Of your quest."
"Well that's good, because it's going to get pretty frightening."