Cane paused beside the jeep, then reached out to finger a lock of her hair. Riley jerked away, but her hair pulled taut and she winced, then froze.
"Let her go," Luc demanded, the words soft.
Riley was dragged to her knees in front of the cage, every root in her hair screaming against her scalp as Cane hauled her against him. Thick fingers curled around her throat, and he licked her cheek. "I can see the appeal."
Wade threw himself at the bars. “You fucking touch her, and I’ll kill you!"
Smoke curled out from where his fists were clenched around the bars, flesh sizzling. He almost, almost managed to stretch the bars half an inch.
Riley strained. “Stop it, Luc! You’re hurting yourself.”
He let go with a snarl, but he was breathing hard. "Nothing will keep me in here. You hear that? Nothing. Let her go.”
Cane released her and Riley collapsed onto her hands and knees, touching her scalp tentatively. His boot stepped beside her and she flashed a seething look at it, wishing she had a knife. Wouldn't be so fucking smug if she jammed a blade into his foot. Fear burned hot in her throat though. There were a lot of things a warg and a pack of reivers could do to a woman.
"Nothing, huh?" Cane laughed. "Maybe I won't be doing anything to her at all."
Riley looked up and caught the faint silvery gleam in Luc's blue eyes. Their gazes met, and she felt like he was trying to tell her something.
A gunshot went off in the cliffs surrounding them, and something soared into the sky before exploding with a flash of brilliant bright light. Twilight was beginning to fall, and the flare gleamed like the first star in the sky.
Cane looked up, an ugly expression crossing his face. Maybe glee. "Looks like we got company, boys!"
Hoots went up around them, reivers ululating in their throats like animals and shaking shotguns here and there. Some of them had clay smeared across their cheeks and faces in red stripes, and it looked like dried blood. One or two of them wore masks, with empty goggle eyes glinting in the sunlight. Animals. All of them animals. Or no, that wasn't fair, for she'd never seen real animals behave like this. These were scavengers and, like a pack, they were shaking with the excitement of the hunt.
Because that's what this was. A reiver scout had seen something out there on the plains. For a second, Riley thought it might even be some of the guards from Absolution, but then McClain's face sprang to mind. Absolution had lost its compass. Would those men and women there come after her and Wade? Would they take a risk like this? For two strangers?
Not strangers. No, she was forgetting something – Lily had lived there. As far as the people of Absolution knew, Lily was one of them, and she was just a little girl. Absolution might be all shook up, but it looked out for its own.
"Lock 'em up," Cane told Colton, as an aside. "Everybody else, mount up! We've got scalps to claim!"
"Remember what I told you," Luc demanded, eyes wild-shot with silver, not quite human. "I'm still there."
Riley was shoved past him, into a small, squat building beside the one in which Lily had been kept. "What?" Her gaze danced between him and Cane, but the taller man was gloating as he and Colton manhandled the cage closer.
There was something in Wade's eyes. An intensity that she couldn't quite understand. Or a demand.
Trust me, his gaze seemed to say. I need you to trust me.
And then the cage door opened and Luc was stumbling toward her, Cane's hand ripping something from his neck at the last second. They collided, and Riley went down as Luc tried to grab her. Every part of her body ached from the toll the last few days had taken, and the adrenaline was only just strong enough to take the edge off it. The world spun as she righted herself, but Wade didn't help her up. There was no hand stretched out to her, no words to quell her fears.
Instead, he was on his knees, his fingers curled as he clutched at his head. In pain? Or... something else. Riley didn't know why, but every hair along her arms lifted as if her instincts knew something that she didn't.
"Lock the girl up next door," Cane told Colton, then smiled. "Have fun, Wade. I'll see you in the morning." Cane took one last look at them, and then he slammed the door shut.
"No... fear..." The words were a twisted, guttural grunt that could barely be called language. "No... matter... what..."
Riley froze, her blood running cold.
Because the face that had uttered them wasn't entirely human.
Not anymore.
22
"Wade," Riley whispered, backing up against the bed as the warg overtook him. There was no answer in his glittering gaze, no sign of the man she knew. “Luc?
No sign that he even heard her. Black hair spilled from his entire body as the change overtook him, his features twisted and deformed, half-animal, half-man. His lip curled back off his dangerously sharp teeth, and he advanced with a menacing step.
What had he said before? I'm still there. He was aware of everything that happened when the fury of the beast had him in its grip. That meant he was somewhere in there, somewhere inside. She just had to find him.
It was terrifying, but he'd known. And he'd allowed it, which meant he believed that he might get through this without killing her, as Cane no doubt intended. It all came down to her though, and how she reacted.
Strong emotions set him off, made it harder for him to keep control. And that was when he was human.
“I’m not afraid that you’ll hurt me.” Riley swallowed the hard lump of fear in her throat and forced herself to meet his silvery gaze. “Luc,” she called. “I know you won’t hurt me. I know you can do this. You can hold it off. Control it. You can win. And in the morning, we can kill Cane for this.”
A growl erupted from his throat, and she almost flinched.
Keep going. Keep him listening.
“I love you,” she blurted, as he started toward her. “I want you to know that. No matter what happens.” Swallowing hard, she added, “It’s okay. This is not your fault. I love you.”
A rippling shudder went through the massive form, a slight hesitation. Riley leapt on it, her breath hitching in her throat, almost a cry of fear. Oh, God. What if she couldn’t get through to him? What if, no matter how hard he fought, he couldn’t control himself?
“I love you,” she said again, fear making her trip on the words. He hesitated again, then shook it off. Riley closed her eyes, the heated scent of wolf musk filling the room. “You’re a stupid, arrogant idiot, but I love you. I love you because you held my hand in the dark, and helped me rescue Jimmy. I love you because you kissed me in that pool, and for the first time in my life, I realized that it wasn’t just sex. I love you because I can yell at you, and you don’t care if I’m just a woman.”
He was listening. Oh, God, he was listening.
Riley kept going, trying to think of every little memory she had of him, anything to bring Luc back to her. “You drive me crazy. You’re everything I shouldn’t want, but I do. I want to be with you forever. I want... I want children,” she blurted. “A place together. I know it’s only a dream to you, but I think we can do it. Maybe just the two of us – or three, because I know you want Lily with us. We could do it. We could be a family.”
The monster stopped in its tracks, breathing hard. Riley didn’t dare hope. One slip and it could be on her, its awful claws rending.
“Do you remember when I held your hand?” she whispered. “When you were hurt? I was so afraid I was going to lose you, and I knew how scared I’d been when I was lost in the dark. I held your hand all night, even though I was afraid of you – not of what you were, but of how I felt. I was so confused, because this is against all of the rules I grew up with.”
A quiver ran through that enormous body. Riley forced herself to be brave. Taking a step toward him cost her everything she had. She licked her lips as his head jerked, watching the movement. “Easy,” she whispered, slowly lifting her hand. “I just want to touch you.” She sucked in a breath, inches trembling bet
ween her hand and his arm. “You like it when I touch you,” she reminded him. The distance narrowed. Her fingers brushed the black fur that covered his lean, sinewy form. She almost yanked them back then, but any sign of fear or rejection would only destroy this tenuous connection.
“I love you,” she whispered, sliding her hand over his arm.
He flinched, breathing harshly through his nostrils. Nearly eight feet of monster. Riley’s hand firmed on his fur. “Your fur’s soft,” she whispered in surprise. He was quivering, but he’d made no move. Slowly, she lifted her hand and stroked his arm, running her fingers through the thick silky pelt.
“You like that, don’t you?” she whispered, lifting her other hand and brushing the backs of her fingers down his chest. She didn’t dare believe she’d won. Wade quivered beneath her touch so violently she knew it was taking everything in him to control this.
I want blood. I want flesh.
If either of them let go, he’d hurt her, she knew it. Breathing deeply, she slid her hand into his, feeling the threatening pinprick of his claws as she slid her fingers between his. “Shush,” she murmured as he twitched. “I just want to hold your hand, like I did last time you were hurt.” She ran her other hand over his chest. “I’ll hold it all night, Luc. You just have to stay with me. I’ll be your anchor. Just stay with me.”
Another shudder, fighting against his instincts.
“You can do it,” she breathed, pressing on his shoulder. “Let’s sit down. Let’s rest. Come, my love.”
Slowly, he went to his knees, a soft growl curling through his throat. Riley’s hand began to shake as he pressed himself against her, burying his muzzle against her abdomen. She tensed, then slowly lowered her hand to the soft fur on his scalp. If she didn’t think too much, it was almost hypnotic, the slow, steady stroke of her hand through that warm fur.
Without thinking, she started humming, the same old lullaby he’d hummed in the cave that night, when he carved a doll for the child he'd thought he'd lost. Though he didn’t move, she could tell he was listening, a rumble of satisfaction curling through his chest.
“That’s it,” she whispered, a feeling of absolute incredulity rushing through her blood. Her head swam. She’d done it. She’d brought him back to himself.
Now she just had to hold him until dawn.
And a glance at the window showed her dawn was a long time away.
23
A long, mournful howl filled the crisp pre-dawn. A smile stretched over Bartholomew Cane’s lips at the sound, and he kicked his heels down off the chair in front of him, almost spilling his wine.
“There it is.” He laughed. “The son of a bitch is starting to realize what he did.”
Tossing back the last gulp of wine, he glared across the room. Colton sat quietly on the sofa, the little girl curled up beside him. Cane had demanded she be given a room away from Colton’s overly protective hovering, but Colton had defied him. No amount of pressure, no force he applied, would change Colton’s mind. It was the first time his second had openly defied him.
I gave my word she wouldn’t be hurt.
But Cane hadn’t. His gaze narrowed on the girl. She’d been nothing to him but leverage, but now that she’d caused his second to defy him, it was personal. The girl would have to die. Preferably in front of both Wade and Colton.
Colton needed to learn who his master was again, and Wade... Wade needed to be destroyed, for daring to try and kill him.
His good mood evaporating, Cane tossed his glass into the fireplace. It shattered and the girl woke with a start, flinching into the sofa. Colton looked up, meeting Cane’s gaze, his own dark eyes hot and aggressive.
Cane shoved to his feet, locking their gazes with his will. “You want to push me?” he asked, dangerously soft. “I own you. And, by God, I’ll show you by the time this day’s over.” His gaze drifted to the girl again, and she cowered with a whimper. “But for now, I have Wade to deal with. Consider this a reprieve.”
“Don’t be afraid,” Colton murmured, squeezing her hand. “I won’t let anyone hurt you.”
That last comment with a sharp look at Cane.
Fucking ungrateful little shit. Cane bared his teeth and strode toward the door.
A reiver on guard yawned in his face at the top of the stairs. Cane snarled and kicked him in the chest. The man’s eyes widened, and he screamed as his body arched back into space and disappeared. A meaty thud sounded as he landed far below.
That put a smile on his face.
Cane stretched, turning his face toward the horizon – and dawn. He could feel it under his skin, the itch that he could never escape subsiding at least. Both his and Wade’s appropriated charm hung around his throat, forcing the beast inside him down. The last few months had been awful as his charm began to fail – never knowing when he was going to lose control, never knowing if he’d ever change back to a man. He’d needed another, and with both Wade and McClain in this area, the chances were good. Besides, he had some unfinished business with the pair of them.
A scream of inhuman rage came from the west, from Wade’s prison. The reivers on duty all spun toward the sound, some crossing themselves to an ancient God. Pathetic little pissants.
The loss in the warg’s voice was beautiful. A goddamned symphony.
Cane grabbed the edges of the thin ladder and slid down to the bottom. Above him, dawn light silvered the adobe of the house someone had long ago carved into the cave system, and he’d since taken over. Dust stirred around his boots, and Cane scuffed his hands against his jeans as he turned.
Packs of reivers slunk out of his way as he stepped over the body of their fallen comrade. Nobody would dare say a word, even if they thought to. Cane had bought them a lot of good luck, his wargs taking over Isolation, New Hope, and Haven within months. The reivers had more food – and slaves – than they knew what to do with.
No, no one would dare say a word about the body.
He crossed the hard-packed dirt of the center of the mine, listening to the unearthly scream within the building in front of him. It was almost human now, if a human had ever felt a loss that deep.
“Wade!” he bellowed.
Another scream of rage shook the building in response. Cane climbed the wooden steps and paused on the ramp outside the door. The scent of hot, coppery blood washed through his senses, making his mouth water and his heartbeat accelerate. A tingle ran over his skin, the hairs on his arms standing up. Cane looked down. No. The extra charm was supposed to stop this.
He’d questioned Colton about the charms not long ago, needing to know if the shaman magic in them was fading, or if it were something else. Colton had dared to say that it wasn’t because there was a monster inside him, it was because he was the monster. So close to the creature he despised that he would never be able to keep it hidden.
He’d made Colton bleed that day. The one good thing about a warg’s healing powers – you could slice them to shreds, and they’d still be able to hunt at your command the next day.
Silence fell. Cane looked up sharply, and drew his gun. Shoving open the door, he came to a halt on the threshold, his incredulous gaze roving the room.
Hell. Wade’d done a number on her. Blood splashed the walls like raindrops, and the bed was crushed, the legs crumpled beneath it. Wade knelt in the center of the room, naked, clutching the bloodied ruins of the woman’s black shirt and whatever was left of her. His back quivered, his hands shaking as he sucked in a sharp, pained breath.
Cane took a step inside the room. He smiled. “Did you like that, Wade? Did she taste good?” He breathed in deeply, the woman’s scent so strong he could almost sense her. “Did you get one last fuck in before you tore her to shreds?”
“I’ll kill you,” Wade whispered hoarsely.
Cane lifted the pistol and put it to the back of the man’s head. He clicked the safety off, the sound echoing in the room. Wade stiffened. The seconds dragged out.
Cane laughed and aimed the g
un high, clicking the safety back on. “Don’t think it’s that easy. I don’t do mercy of any kind. You live with this, and you remember.” His laughter turned huskier, as if the very thought of it aroused the monster inside.
Movement shifted behind him. The door slammed shut. Cane half-turned, just as something heavy smashed him across the face. The blow spun him off his feet, his hand losing the pistol. Somehow, he ended up flat on his back, staring up at a blonde, blood-spattered woman with one of the timber bed legs in her hand.
“Surprise.” The woman smiled before lifting her boot and kicking him in the face.
“Bitch,” Cane snarled.
Riley’s eyes narrowed and she kicked at him again, the toe of her boot digging into his ribs with a satisfying crunch. Cane snarled, catching her leg against his side and tearing her off balance.
Shit. She went down hard, landing awkwardly on the bed leg. The spear of pain through her ribs made her head spin. As her vision swam, she saw Cane leer up over her, his teeth bared in a grimace of fury, blood dripping down his face. Her own blood ran cold at the expression on his face; he might’ve still been a man, but a monster stared back at her, wanting only to hurt.
“Riley!” Wade came out of nowhere, barreling into Cane. They smashed against the wall, smearing some of the blood Wade had flicked on the adobe to fool Cane.
Riley rolled to her side with a wince. Get up! But her brain and body weren't quite connected at the moment. The toll of all her injuries and exhaustion were finally starting to take its payment from her. Bearing her teeth, she pushed up onto her knees, moving slowly.
Cane and Wade wrestled backward, the muscles in Wade’s naked arms tensing and flexing as if he were struggling. He took a step back. Then another, his teeth bared in fury.
“Colton!” Cane roared. “Get in here!”
Riley’s gaze locked on the shut door. If Colton arrived, the odds were grim. She saw Cane’s pistol on the floor and scrambled for it in ugly, jerking movements, just as the door kicked open with a bang.
Heroines and Hellions: a Limited Edition Urban Fantasy Collection Page 34