Coveted

by Stacey Brutger

  Without another glance at her, he left and slammed the door behind him.

  Shayla stood stunned long after he’d left, horrified by her actions. She wished she could blame him. She called him a caveman, but she was the one who should be ashamed.

  She stared unseeing at the closed door, calling herself all kinds of fool. He had too much honor to ever think of kissing another woman if he was in a committed relationship. She wanted him and that scared her shitless, so she’d lashed out.

  Her chest actually hurt for wounding him.

  She had to make things right.

  Chapter Fourteen

  Aiden should have known that a harpy hid under that angelic appearance. She promised him kisses and pleasure, then stole it back from him before he had a chance to show her how perfect they could be together.

  The way things were going, she’d rather stab him than offer to help rescue his men. He needed a way to tame her. Or the very least, prevent anyone from harming her until the threat was gone, then he’d have no reason to keep her. His wolf rose beneath his skin, baring his fangs in protest, pressing his paws against Aiden’s chest until breathing became difficult.

  As he entered the hall, the few whispers that lingered in the air vanished, the silence smacking him in the face. Aiden jerked his mind from the woman to see every man in the castle, some forty of them, packed within the walls.

  Watching him.

  “Well?” Mac was the one who spoke, his casual posture belying the tension holding the room hostage.

  “Well, what?” Aiden couldn’t suppress his snarl. He marched toward the main seat at the head table, plopped down and filled his plate, no longer hungry.

  “Is she one?”

  The gulp of wine he took slide down the wrong pipe. Aiden coughed and slammed down the cup. “One what?”

  “Is she one of the Beloved?” Mac pushed away from the wall.

  Aiden ducked his head to avoid his friend’s too-perceptive gaze. “How the hell am I supposed to know? It’s not like I can ask her.”

  He stabbed at the food, shoving it into his mouth, but nothing could rid him of the taste of her on his lips from the all-too-brief kiss he’d stolen.

  “She has you chasing your tail like a pup. What did you do?” That came from one of the oldest of the group, McHenry.

  Aiden clamped his jaw shut, refusing to be baited.

  “You kissed the lass.”

  No, he didn’t, not really, and that pissed him off all the more. Aiden’s scowl deepened, his fingers clamped down until the fork was reduced to a tangled ball of metal in his hand. It landed on the table with a dull thud. “Leave it alone.”

  “Did you claim her, lad?”

  “No.” And that’s what pissed him off most. He still wanted her, ached to have her back in his arms. He replayed the incident over and over, trying to pinpoint when he’d lost control.

  After careful consideration, he had to admit the defining moment appeared to have been the instant she literally dropped into his life.

  “Then she is still available.”

  Aiden’s head snapped up, his wolf shoving forward to push home the command. “She will not be touched.”

  “Of course not. The woman has the right to choose her mate.” McHenry waved away Aiden’s glower. “I’m an old man, too old for love. I’m sorry she won’t have you, but she’s too important for the pack to dismiss.”

  Muscles bunched under his skin as he struggled to resist the urge to leap the distance between them and rip into the old fart.

  “If what we suspect is true, the other alphas must be informed.” Mac spoke low, so only Aiden heard.

  “I’m in charge of protecting this pack. It’s too dangerous for them to return. We can’t risk one of them being taken captive. Besides, only one alpha can be in residence at a time.” The longer the alphas remained in close proximity to each other, the more they fought for dominance. By the end of a week, none of them would be able to be in the same room without coming to blows.

  Aiden clenched his fists at the thought of Duncan or Cam anywhere near Shayla. Duncan was their figurehead, a charmer who never had a problem seducing women into or out of anything. Cam, their financier, had the wits to stay two steps ahead of his prey. He could give women what they wanted before they even voiced their desires.

  Aiden was the brute strength of their triad—a glorified thug.

  The very caveman she’d accused him of being.

  Aiden lurched to his feet, the chair scraping across stone. The walls closed in on him. The need to run surged through him, but he refused to leave Shayla alone. The trapped feeling made him as cantankerous as a cat in heat. He needed to work off the excess energy before he did something stupid.

  Like beg Shayla to give him a second chance.

  “Outside. Training yard.” A match with his men was just what he needed. Maybe he would even be able to forget about Shayla for a few precious seconds of peace.

  As he strode out the door, his wolf whiffled, amused at the futility of his wish. Aiden stripped off his shirt, flexed his shoulders, ready to beat the crap out any man that dared to think they deserved a chance with his Shayla.

  They would have to go through him to get to her.

  * * *

  He’d left the door unlocked.

  Shayla bit her thumbnail, debating the wisdom of venturing beyond their rooms. Of escape. It was light out. She could make it to town.

  Yet she hesitated.

  Again.

  Aiden had never hurt her. He might have dragged her across country while being chased by hounds and men alike, but he could’ve left her to the not-so-tender mercy of their pursuers at any time. Instead, he’d kept her safe, sheltered her at great risk to himself.

  If she left, she would be looking over her shoulder at every man who passed, wondering if they were after her. She was safe here. But that wasn’t what caused her to pause. She had always been able to take care of herself.

  No, she hesitated because of him.

  He would never admit it, but she’d hurt him with her cruel taunts.

  She had two choices. Remain a prisoner of a sexy man determined to keep her safe, one who had the power to kiss her senseless…or face possible death?

  Decisions, decisions.

  It was time to talk to Aiden, discover the truth. They made a good team. She just had to convince him of the error of his way.

  After she apologized.

  Taking a deep breath for courage, Shayla slipped into the hallway, surprised when no alarm blared to report her transgression.

  Indeed, there were no sounds or people at all.

  She reached the bottom of the stairs and peered into the room. It was as if the inhabitants of the castle had disappeared. Feeling like an interloper, Shayla rubbed her arms and eyed the door, second-guessing her decision with freedom in her grasp.

  Cheers erupted in the distance. Curiosity got the better of her, and Shayla allowed herself to be lured away. Following the noise to a side door, she trailed out into a yard that had been transformed into an obstacle course. A circle of men stood in the center.

  She came to a stop next to one of the youngest men there. “What’s happening?”

  “Training.” He responded automatically, then glanced up at her. And blushed so profusely that his face matched his flaming red hair. He took a giant step back, as if terrified of accidently touching her.

  Burn scars twisted up the side of his face. The injury had turned waxy as it healed, and she smiled when he ducked his head away from her perusal. “Training for what?”

  The kid gaped at her, his mouth hanging opened as he floundered about what to say. An older man in front of them turned, a sparkle lighting his eyes when he saw her. “That would be Connor. He’s a wee bit shy around pretty lassies such as yourself. As to the training, we’re a bunch of old fools burning off steam. They call me McHenry.”

  Shayla couldn’t help smiling back at his roguish grin. The old man had shoulder le
ngth salt and pepper hair with a single braid at each temple. He vibrated with vitality. Covered in worn and scarred leather, she’d swear that he’d just stepped through time from three hundred years ago. “I’m Shayla.”

  Shayla stood on tiptoes to get a better view, and McHenry elbowed those around him to give her room. The eye-popping sight of Aiden and Mac stripped down to their pants caused her to gawk like a she’d never seen a man before.

  And maybe she hadn’t, at least not one like Aiden.

  The men grappled back and forth, evenly matched despite the size differences. Aiden stood taller and leaner due to his recent captivity. Mac was shorter, if you could call being over six feet short, and broader in the shoulders.

  They broke apart, prowling around each other, circling as they watched for an opening. There was a savage grace in the way they moved that compelled her.

  Then she saw their eyes.

  Where they glowing?

  Small wounds were scattered across Aiden’s torso. A smear of blood was on his arm. Half a dozen bruises along his face and torso. But even as she watched, the wounds knitted back together, the colorful bruises faded.

  Impossible.

  A pit in her stomach yawned open. Air became short. She couldn’t tear her eyes away from the fight as her mind slowly processed the truth.

  Werewolves were real.

  And she was smack dab in the middle of a pack of them.

  The back of her neck prickled, and Shayla rubbed her palms against her skirts.

  They were reputed to be fierce warriors in search of their mates, soldiers who devoted their lives to protecting humans.

  Guardians.

  She used to dream of being rescued by her very own warrior. She’d romanticized them. Now that she was faced with the truth of their existence, the reality of it was everything she’d imagined and so much more.

  Even the boy, Connor.

  Then she realized that those burn must be the ones she’d inflicted with her torch the night they were rescued. Shayla winced at the damage, but instead of anger or resentment, those who noticed her, gave her nods of respect.

  She saw the rest of them now, could pick them out of the crowd. There were seven werewolves. There was a stillness to them, a restless energy boiling beneath the surface, as if on the verge of springing into action.

  As the first wave of fear faded, Shayla stirred the embers of her gift until a little wick of a flame answered her call. The shadow of every man in the place shrank, melted into the form of a wolf. They were shades, remnants of magic that had taken life. But when she looked at the seven men, instead of wolves, their shadows were sucked into the soles of their feet and filled their bodies. The sight of huge-ass werewolves in their two-legged form became superimposed over the men, bleeding through their human form.

  As if sensing the touch of her magic, those wolves turned toward her. One by one, the men fell silent and stopped watching the fight to watch her instead.

  Most of them just looked curious, a few were a little too interested, and Shayla curled her fingers into fists to keep from tugging up the front of her dress.

  Only then did she recognize her rookie mistake.

  They were magic, of course they could sense it as well.

  Dread clamped down hard and vicious on her chest, like all the air had turned to water in her lungs. Shayla went rigid as magic swelled under her skin. She refused to succumb to the almost overwhelming need to use it. They had no proof she’d done anything. As long as she kept her mouth shut and remained in control, she would be fine.

  She would not lose it in front of them.

  She was the one in control, not her magic.

  She was strong enough to keep it from devouring them.

  Aiden straighten abruptly, his gaze unerringly finding her. Then his eyes narrowed dangerously as he scanned her from head to foot. Something inside her eased a fraction, allowed her to breathe.

  Panic receded as their gazes clashed.

  He didn’t notice the punch Mac threw at his face.

  Shayla gasped, ready to run to him, but instead of dropping, Aiden hardly staggered.

  She could almost swear he growled.

  And if she squinted, swear that those were fangs peeking from between his lips.

  Aiden picked up his shirt and came toward her, his reluctance obvious in the way he took his time. She couldn’t blame him, not after the way she’d behaved.

  Not that she minded, since it gave her time to enjoy the play of muscles as he strode toward her. Instead of pulling the shirt over his head, he wiped his chest. Each move drew her eyes until she had a hard time lifting her gaze above the glistening skin so openly displayed.

  He stopped five feet from her. His hands dropped to his sides, and he seemed confused as he studied her, completely unaware that he performed the equivalent to a stripper runway show.

  And she was very susceptible, squirming at being caught all but panting at his feet.

  That’s when she saw his shadow. Like smoke, the big beast filled Aiden’s body, almost seeping into the air around him as if it wouldn’t be contained. She detected a curiosity from the beast as the shadow pushed against the cage of its human form.

  Trying to get to her.

  Then the shadow melted down into the shape of a ginormous wolf, nearly twice the size of the others. He gave her a grin that was all teeth. A large tongue lolled out, with all the eagerness of a puppy wanting to play.

  “You shouldn’t be here.”

  The harsh words snapped her out of her second sight like a slap, and a whisper of unease oozed through her. They could never discover that she knew the truth. She couldn’t stomach seeing them turn on her, seeing their opinion of her change to distrust. To disgust. Her throat tightened as if a giant fist had grabbed hold of it when the real reason became clear. Aiden’s opinion of her mattered. Mattered too much.

  Then Shayla scowled as his command penetrated. “Am I your prisoner?”

  A dangerous-looking snarl curled his lips, as if to say that he could do whatever he damned well pleased. Not wishing to be escorted back to her room, Shayla raised her hands in surrender before he could put any thoughts into action. “I came to apologize.”

  Aiden just stared at her, and that lost look came back to his face.

  It disarmed her, lured her a little closer than might be wise. “For the way I acted. For what I said.”

  He shrugged, muscles flexing and rippling, and her gaze dropped back to his chest. Her face heated to realize she’d inched closer to him without realizing it.

  “Stop it.” The growled command sent a shiver down her spine.

  “Stop what?” She’d somehow had lost the thread of conversation.

  “Looking at me that way.”

  Shayla blinked, finally meeting his gaze.

  His eyes glowed, the shadow congealing inside him as the human and wolf came together for one purpose.

  Pure lust.

  Aiden leapt forward, all that ferocity and hunger directed at her.

  Shayla fell back with a gasp, slamming into the cold wall of the castle. He towering over her, crowded closer, never touching as he very deliberately placed his hands against the wall on either side of her head.

  Blocking her escape.

  Not that her legs could move. Her body lit up at his nearness, craving the heat he generated. She anchored her hands against the stone behind her, desperate to grab onto something, anything, but the oh-so-scrumptious, half-naked man inches from her.

  Aiden dipped his head until his face filled her vision. Some of the hunger had faded, but not the intensity. His face softened, a slight curve to his lips that said he enjoyed her predicament and meant to torture her with it as long as possible.

  The change in him sent her heart tripping into overtime. It was her turn to protest. “Stop.”

  Or she would forget everything—all the reason why being with him was such a bad idea—and kiss him senseless.

  Aiden leaned in closer,
the scent of his musk swirling around until her lips tingled.

  “I want a kiss.”

  “What?” A blush heated her face, mortified that he must have read her mind. She shoved at him, but the hard rock of his chest didn’t budge. Now that she was touching him, she couldn’t seem to drop her hands, couldn’t stop from brushing her fingertips over his sculpted torso, and she shuddered at the thought of all that power focused on just one thing.

  Seduction.

  A groan rumbled up his chest, and heat curled into her gut, asking her to explore more.

  Take more.

  “I’ll accept your apology in exchange for a kiss.” He ducked lower, ready to take what she hadn’t offered.

  Shayla leaned forward, licking her lips, almost able to taste him, and spoke quickly before she lost her last shred of her sanity. “Down, boy. I’ll agree, but we have things to discuss first.”

  Chapter Fifteen

  Aiden paced his room, calling himself all kinds of a fool for allowing Shayla to flee without taking the kiss she’d promised. Hell, he should have just seduced her into giving him what he wanted.

  After seeing her reaction to his bare chest, he knew he could do it. He’d strutted around, preening for her, enjoying how flustered she became at the sight of a little bit of skin.

  His wolf chuffed, almost like a snicker, and Aiden ignored him. He’d awakened that morning almost convinced that their attraction could be something more…until she’d shown her true nature.

  She was right about one thing.

  Last night had been a mistake, but not for the reasons she stated.

  He refused to permit history to repeat itself by falling for another human. He wouldn’t allow his need for her to weaken his resolve, couldn’t allow her to creep in under his skin. He would do the sensible thing, forgo their kiss, and ask for her help in finding his men as he should have done in the first place.

  With that plan in mind, Aiden marched next door.