A hand touched my arm, gentle, understanding. I looked back and saw him there in human form, Axel, the man who understood. The pain was there, not the physical—but the hole in my chest from the brother I had lost, the sister who nearly died, all of it at the hands of this woman. But there was more than understanding in Axel’s eyes—there was hope, there was compassion. I could end this. I could choose how.
I turned to the thing that I hated most in this world, and I said what I had to. “I despise you. With everything that I am, I hate you.”
The woman on the floor laughed, blood dripping from her mouth as she did.
“What happens next is up to me,” I said. “And I choose life. There’s been enough death, enough hurt.” Axel laced his fingers in mine, strengthening my resolve. “Get the hell out of my town, and never return.”
I looked to Axel, to the naked man who stood by my side through this. He was there for my journey, and helped me reach the end, helped me find peace. And it was over. There was no room left in me for hate. I’d boiled over and watched my sister harmed because of it. I was done with that. Done with all of this. It was time—
So close that I should have seen it coming, the vampire’s jaw opened wide, just above my neck. I flinched, and raised my arms in defense. I’d expected the stabbing pain of fangs piercing my flesh, the impact of her hands squeezing my shoulders. But it didn’t happen. I blinked, and caught the arc of his swing. Dagger hilt clenched in his fist, Axel impaled the vampire’s eye. A horrible sound filled the air, the sound of a monster crying out her last breath. And she fell.
Axel had known, he’d watched even what I had missed. The vampire collapsed to the floor in front of me, and Axel finished what I had started. And it was over. She should have just gone, but sometimes people can’t let things go the way that they should. I knew that firsthand.
Chapter Twenty
Penny
No new thrall, no more vampire, no more hunting. It was really over.
Through falling water drops, I watched his jeans pool to the motel bathroom’s cracked tile floor. I’d seen him like this before, completely bared to me, both on the rooftop and again in the morgue. But this time was different. I was different.
The warm water washed away the sting of the wound on my cheek, the blood of my cuts, and the foul emotional aftertaste of what had happened.
Axel looked me over, then stepped past the ledge of the small tub. My wet skin grew cold as the water was shielded by his back.
“You don’t mind if I join, do you?” he asked with a wide smile.
Had I seen him look this happy before? I didn’t think so. It suited him.
“Not at all,” I said, tracing my soapy washcloth across the crusted blood on his shoulder. What remained was healed skin, as if nothing had happened at all.
His hand touched my cheek, and I closed my eyes, expecting it to hurt. It didn’t.
“I guess it’s healing,” I said.
“Almost completely,” he replied.
I opened my eyes and found him so close. I breathed him in. Fresh mountain air, and unmatched masculinity. His cock was hard between us, huge, erect, and telling. He was enjoying this as much as I was.
“Turn around,” I said. And he did.
The view from behind was as nice as the front. Hard muscles spanned across his back, all showing his strength. It was my first good look at his perfect ass. I forced my focus to his wound, where the vampire had bitten him. It was nearly healed, just like the rest. I washed away the evidence of the fight. He didn’t flinch. I put my hands over his shoulders, and slid down to that tempting ass, giving it a little squeeze. It was firm, with just the right amount of give.
Axel turned. “Taking advantage?” he asked, with a grin that told me I should.
“Exploring,” I replied.
“Find anything you like?” he asked.
I nodded. I liked the rough hair on his jaw, the short, dirty blond hair on his head. I liked the bulge and dimple of every muscle, and the scars that told our story.
He put his arms around me, holding me close. Water tickled down my back, as my breasts pressed against his hard chest. His cock tensed against my hip, tempting me.
I reached down and took it in my fist. I stroked gently, feeling the soft skin and long length. When I looked up at him, I found his eyes closed, his head tipped back as the water fell on his face.
“Come with me,” he said.
“That’s what I’m going for,” I said. “But I’m not there yet.”
He grabbed my wrist and looked me in the eyes. “We could go anywhere,” he said. There was a seriousness to his voice that I hadn’t expected. “After today, the cops will be after me. I can’t stay.”
It was true, the coroner would tell the cops what had happened, where Axel was going. And they’d find the body of the vampire. It was only a matter of time. And probably not long.
“I know,” I said. “I’ve been thinking about this, too. I don’t want to stay here. Even if you could. I want to go.”
His lips pressed against mine, and he released my hand. I kissed him back, then pulled away. He looked at me, questioning without saying a word. I offered him my hand as I stepped out of the shower. He took it.
I led him from the bathroom, leaving broken tile for rough carpet. Then I turned to face him. Dripping wet from head to toe, his toned muscles glimmered in the shitty hotel lighting. Droplets clung to the stubble on his face, and slid down over firm pecs. I took in every glorious inch of him, from the confident stance to the trail of hair leading down between his legs. He was sexy, and oh so delicious.
“I want you to take me away,” I said. “And I want you to make me yours.”
He shoved his tongue between my lips, he cupped my ass, and he lifted me up. I wrapped around him as his tongue delved deep, deep just like I wanted his cock.
“I need you more than air,” he growled. “I love you, Penny.”
“I love you, too.”
His fingers teased around my thighs, to the edge of my opening. I nipped his rough jaw between my teeth in encouragement. The tip of his finger dipped inside, and I moaned as the sensation carried through me.
Deeper, faster, he moved his fingers, stirring me to the edge of ecstasy. The build was slow, and completely beyond my control as he held me.
“Be my mate,” he said as I whimpered in delight.
The answer was easy. It was the one thing I knew to be truer than anything else in my life. I wanted this.
“Yes.”
Just like that, he laid me down on the mattress, his eyes on fire above me.
“Turn over,” he said.
I did as I was told, toes on the floor, with my back to him. The floral comforter beneath me carried his scent. I gripped the cheap fabric and reveled in the feel of his rough legs against my thighs, in anticipation.
He entered slowly at first, pulling back with every inch he gave. His cock was impossibly bigger like this, stretching me, filling me. Swollen and tender, I knew it wouldn’t take much to push me over that cliff.
With one arm, he held himself over me. With the other, he worked my clit. It turned each thrust into more. Rough stubble scratched my shoulder as he held me, consumed me.
“I’ve wanted you since I first saw you,” Axel said, voice deep and labored. “You’re more than I ever dreamed.”
“No one, mmmm…” I said. “No one understands me the way you do. You’re what’s been missing.”
His pace quickened, slowly undoing me.
“You complete me,” I whispered. My vision blurred as ecstasy washed over me. Tightening, quickening, fulfilling. Waves of pleasure coursed throughout my body. His teeth pierced my neck as he pulsed inside of me. The pain mixed perfectly with bliss.
Our lives were forever changed, forever entwined. Mates.
Epilogue
Penny
It had played out exactly the way we knew it would. Cops had swarmed Corbeau looking for Axel. Good thing we were
long gone. Kaylee had told me all about it on one of our daily phone calls. It was the promise I’d made to her when I left—call every day. The promise she’d made me in return was to follow curfew and stay out of trouble. Who knew how long curfew will hold, since there were no more thrall, and no vampires left to make more.
Fortunately, I’d had time to say my goodbyes before we hit the road. It was the second time I’d watched my father cry. I’d expected it to be harder, for him to be angry. But he hadn’t been. He’d understood. He had accepted me for who I was, and he’d accepted Axel as my mate.
We’d left town a good twelve hours before the small sheriff’s office had even found the vampire’s body. It was a good head start, enough to go far beyond where they could follow.
It took another six months on the road before we found Frozen Peaks. With a population of eighty-seven, we were the only supernatural beings. That was the first thing I liked about it. I’d had my fill of excitement.
The second was the effect the place seemed to have on Axel. There was something about the mountains that suited him. It was clear early on that he was meant to be amongst pine trees and cliffs. He smiled more, shifted more, than I’d seen him do anywhere else we’d traveled.
We made friends, something that didn’t come easily for either of us. It started one night at the town’s only diner, when a big guy came over to our table and slid into our booth next to Axel. Of course Axel responded exactly the way I’d expected him to—unpleasantly. In response, the big guy, Russel, bought us a round of beers. After the third, Axel actually smiled at Russel’s jokes.
Two days later, they were out in the woods chasing bears from Old Lady Kline’s cabin. After that, we ended up hanging out with Russel and his wife Lydia three nights a week. She told dirty jokes and drank as much as her husband, so we got along just fine.
Eventually we ditched the bed and breakfast and started renting an isolated cabin in the middle of woods. The owner was a kind man in his late eighties, and also the town’s sheriff. I got a job at the diner, and Axel worked for Sheriff Lemon.
Slowly, I fell in love with Frozen Peaks, from its friendly community to the open landscape around it. But it wasn’t until Sheriff Lemon passed, and the town asked Axel to be sheriff, that I knew we had to stay. This was it, our forever home. Just us, alone in a mountain cabin. Well, the two of us, and Scruffy, the mangy dog we’d met at the shelter in Corbeau. I asked Kaylee to adopt him for us on one of her visits. She was happy to help.
The one-eared dog sneezed every time a snowflake landed on his nose, but he kept up all the same. Tearing through the soft forest floor, Scruffy stayed on Axel’s heels—well, paws. A gentle breeze carried me on open wings as I watched the wolf and dog follow below me. Diving and weaving between treetops, I had the advantage of easier terrain. Miles of open space to shift and play, and my mate forever with me, I’d found my little piece of paradise. I still missed Danny, and always knew that I would. But in Frozen Peaks, I wasn’t angry anymore. It wasn’t because the vampire was gone, though I was glad my family and hometown were safe again. It was because I’d found my place in the world, made my own life. I was living on my own terms, with the man I loved more than anything. I’d found peace, and so much more.
Also by Keira Blackwood
Sawtooth Peaks
The Sawtooth Peaks Complete Series Box Set
Running to the Pack
Defending the Pack
Uniting the Pack
* * *
Vampires of Scarlet Harbor
Pierced
* * *
The Protectors of the Pack Series
The Protectors of the Pack Complete Series Box Set
Bodyguard
Enemies
Heir
* * *
Want to know more about Axel’s past? Check out Sawtooth Peaks for Axel’s backstory. Be warned, as Axel himself says, he was no hero before he met Penny.
Want more vampires and thrall? Check out Pierced. Continue reading for previews of both Running to the Pack and Pierced!
Running to the Pack: Chapter One
Hailey
The phone book shook in my hands as I rifled through the pages. Though it had sat on the counter for years it still felt brand new. The stiff spine made it difficult to read the listings toward the center and my eye that was almost swollen shut made it hard to read at all. I picked a cab company at random and set the book down on the counter. I couldn't take comfort in anything familiar. He knew my habits, he knew too much of me. I struggled to focus on pressing the right numbers as my fingers trembled.
Two rings then a deep voice with a thick, Eastern European accent spoke, "City Cabs. How I can help you?"
"I need a cab as soon as you can. Four fifty-nine South Walnut Street," I said, appreciating his directness. I was in no condition for pleasantries, just barely holding it together.
"Five minutes is okay?"
"Perfect." I hung up the phone. Just five more minutes.
The knot in my middle twisted and squeezed. I rushed around my small apartment looking for what I needed. There was no time to worry about the rest. Ding. Another text. Inhale deeply, exhale slowly. Inhale deeply, exhale slowly. I emptied my drawers in huge armfuls, dumping them into the open suitcase on the bed. My racing heart threatened to pound its way out of my chest as I collected my belongings. Ding. I swallowed hard, fighting the urge to vomit. It would be over soon. I just needed to focus. I grabbed the framed pictures from the nightstand, the two pictures I could never replace, memories of the people that mattered most to me. I rested them on top of my clothes, careful not to break the glass. I stuffed in the dangling legs of pants and sleeves of shirts and zipped my bag shut. I glanced at the phone sitting next to my packed bag on the bedspread. I wondered if I should take it. What would happen if he found me and I had no way to call for help? I was sure no one could help me in time anyway. He was too smart to get caught. The restraining order meant nothing to him. When he wanted to reach me he did. We'd been through this already. What if I brought the phone along and he had some way to track it? Knowing him, he probably did. Too risky.
I grabbed my suitcase and purse, and left the phone on the bed. Ding. I was surprised I could still hear anything over the thrum of blood pounding in my ears. Inhale deeply, exhale slowly. Yeah, I should leave it, I decided. I threw on my favorite grey hoodie, pulling the top over my head, and tucking my thick, brown curls in behind my shoulders. I checked my reflection in the mirror by the door and slid on my aviators. They almost hid the purple and blue marring my left eye. There was no covering the slice on my lip, so the glasses would have to do. I didn’t recognize the hollow shell of a woman that looked back at me. I always thought thinner would be more beautiful, but what I saw wasn't beauty. I hated what I saw—fear.
I was doing what I was best at: running away. I lifted my sunglasses and looked out the peep hole. He wouldn't just stand around in the hallway where I could see him, but I had to check. It looked clear. Inhale deeply, exhale slowly. I squeezed the handle of my rolling suitcase and closed my eyes. I can do this, I told myself. Everything would be better once I got out of this godforsaken city. It doesn't hurt to lie to yourself if it keeps you moving. I moved into the hall, looking both ways. Empty. Inhale deeply, exhale slowly. Ding. I slammed the door behind me, harder than I should, shielding me from the sound of him reaching for me. I rushed down the hall toward the closed elevator doors. The floor numbers were ticking up. Someone was coming.
I feared it could be him. I debated what would happen if he was there. Did he know I was running? He shouldn't; I was so careful. This was the one day all month that asshole would be stuck in surgery and conferences without taking breaks alone in his office. But even during conferences he made time to text. I waited long enough for him to be halfway into the first meeting, hoping he would be too involved to keep close tabs on me. I prayed I was right. Even if it wasn't him in the elevator, I didn’t want to run into my neighbors either.
I couldn't wait to find out. I ducked into the stairwell and lifted my bag into my arms, squeezing tightly as I rushed down the stairs. My feet were racing almost as fast as my heart. From the lobby I could see the yellow sedan pulling up to the curb in front of my building. The cool autumn air bit at my face and hands, another reason to be thankful for the protection of my hooded sweatshirt. I opened the back door by the time the cabby stepped out of his door to help me.
"Want to put bag in trunk?"
"No." I squeezed my bag against my chest and climbed in.
"Okay,” he said with a confused look. "Where to?"
"Bus station."
"Okay." He looked once more at me, concern in his warm, brown eyes, before turning forward and driving away. He left me in peace, and I was thankful for that.
I watched my building shrink and disappear behind us, my life with it. The streets were lined with familiar buildings, with the familiar bustle of city life. I had only spent three years in Elkston, but I had made friends, had my own place, and had taken three years of college classes. I closed that chapter of my life, sooner than I had intended. I said no goodbyes, and had no idea what would come next. I sank back into the seat and let out the breath I didn't realize I was holding. Tears streamed down my cheeks, as I repeated to myself: inhale deeply, exhale slowly.
Running to the Pack: Chapter Two
Cole
I kept the damned florescent lights in my office to a minimum, sitting as close to the window as the desk allowed. Even as the sun lowered in the sky I preferred the natural light, or lack thereof. Dense trees clustered behind the glass. A mix of softwoods, from tall and slender lodgepole pines to the reddish-brown western larchs, coated the sharp inclines surrounding the town of Sawtooth Peaks. Yellow needles blended among the sea of evergreen and brought the colors of autumn to the otherwise verdant landscape. The yellow sky mirrored the forest floor, mixed with oranges and pinks, a swirl of color that promised the day would soon be at an end.
Revenge: A Shifter Paranormal Romance Page 9