by Julia Laque
****
Evangeline’s heart was ready to burst out of her chest. She couldn’t believe she was reacting this way, but the minute he revealed there was someone else, Evangeline had felt her insides freeze up and her heart leap into her throat.
Imagining him with some faceless woman, a werewolf, who shared this common bond, was enough to drive her insane.
What did she care he had someone else? She’d only met him a few days ago and he was her captor, no less. She shouldn’t be having these feelings for him, but there they were. How it happened, she didn’t know, but for some odd reason Evangeline wanted this beautiful, mysterious man all to herself.
His fingertips grazed her cheek, sending tiny tremors down her spine. “Do you?” Adam’s husky voice murmured, his breath tickling her forehead. “Do you want it to be you, Evangeline?”
A tiny part of her wanted to tell him no, but she just nodded mutely as she stared at his perfectly sculpted lips.
His hand traveled from her hair to her neck and began massaging her throat gently. Silver blue eyes turned turquoise to midnight blue as he spanned his fingers around her jaw, arching her neck. Her heart quickened as he drew closer. The instant she felt his warm lips on hers, a fire lit inside of her.
Strong lips, gentle and yet firm, explored hers as his other arm came around her waist to the small of her back. When she felt his tongue glide along her mouth, seeking passage in, she welcomed him with a moan, their kiss becoming more heated and urgent. Pressing herself against him, she tugged him close, wrapping one arm around his neck, the other at his back, needing to feel every part of him. Her mind clouded at his touch, the smell of his skin, his warm body against hers and she pulled ever closer as their kiss turned crucial. She felt his arousal against her belly, his hips slowly rocking back and forth and her body reacted instantly.
Evangeline spread her legs and his thigh slid between hers, rubbing her tender sex roughly. She felt warm moisture ebb out of her and he groaned, squeezing her tightly to him, gripping the fabric at her back. He came up to stare at her and took a deep breath to smell how hot she was for him. Adam came down again and rained kisses down her neck, one arm still holding her, as he pushed himself more fiercely against her.
She felt her strap come down over her shoulder and then cool air as he bared one breast. Pulling slightly back to look at her, his eyelids heavy, he growled low and brought his mouth over her nipple.
She cried out in pure elation. Never in her life had she ever wanted a man more. She couldn’t remember ever feeling such intensity, such yearning. It felt as though she would faint from the ecstasy they radiated.
He licked her nipple, sucking as he grinded her. Evangeline lifted her leg around his waist and his ministrations on her breast got greedier. Her soft moans of pleasure urged him on and his breathing became loud and strained.
Adam came up, abruptly breathless. He leaned his forehead on hers, his hand still cupping her breast as his thumb played with her nipple. “We have to stop,” he whispered and he sounded like a different man.
“No.” She squeezed the back of his shirt as her other hand came down to grab his ass. “Don’t stop.” Her voice too, sounded like someone else, deeper and tense.
Adam and Evangeline were quite a sight. She imagined how they looked, pressed up against the tree, her leg around him, his thigh between hers with his hand on her breast.
Adam kissed her gently as he spoke. “If we don’t stop now, I’m going to take you right here, up against this oak.”
“Do it,” she uttered, wanting him, needing him inside her right then. “I want you to.”
Cursing, he pulled away, taking one lasting look at her exposed breast before covering it with her camisole.
Evangeline couldn’t move. She rested her head on the tree as she tried to control her breathing. Adam stood in front of her, killing her with his deep gaze. “We should head back.”
She looked away, slightly hurt he’d turned her down, but reality set in then, and she stood up straight. Her legs felt like Jell-O, but she forced them to cooperate, avoiding the aching pain in her chest.
Chapter Ten
The soft summer breeze was irritating. The woman standing on her third-story balcony contemplated starting a thunderstorm to emulate the anger coursing through her. Fury and rage were too miniscule words to describe the ferocity she felt, but she took it all with her usual calm, composed demeanor as she did everything else. Losing control was never an option.
She gazed at her view with wise eyes, eyes that had seen millions of things over several centuries. Things that would make the illustrious King of North America and Blacktail alpha cringe in agony.
The thought of the two supernatural species made her eyes flash and she felt them burn red. She’d allowed their growing races to run rampant for far too long.
Her jaw flexed before she spoke to her underling. “Our efforts, thus far, have been deplorable.” She said, glancing back at her recruit.
The half naked man behind her bowed his head in subservience. “I understand mistress, but they are growing in population faster than we could imagine and with the King marrying—”
The woman turned to glare at him now, cutting him off, she said, “There will be no marriage, Leonardo, and you know it.” She spoke to him as if he were a troublesome child and she a teacher.
“Of course, mistress. I miss-poke. I only meant—”
“Enough.” She waved a hand at him. “Leave me. I believe Rosaline was looking for you earlier. Go and be of some service to at least one of us.”
She watched as the young Leo hardened at the mention of her sister and turn to leave. Shaking her head, she thought of how frightened he’d been the first time he was brought to her and her sisters. The boy had screamed in agony as they had their way with him. Chaining his wrists and ankles were no longer necessary, but it certainly took most of the fun out of it.
They needed to work on their new toy down below…and soon.
****
They headed back to the cabin in total silence. Adam walked slowly, so as not to overexert Evangeline, but this time he kept up his strides with her. The last thing he wanted to see was her walking in front of him. Hell, it wasn’t even the day of the moon heat, but he sure felt like he was going to explode.
He shook his head in disgust. How could he have taken advantage of her jealousy and put his filthy, murderous, wolf hands on such a woman? He was not worthy of someone like her.
Fuck!
Reading her emotions, he squeezed his eyes shut. She was feeling hurt, confused and horny. Great.
Just then, Adam felt a number of emotions near them. “Shit.”
Evangeline turned to him. “What’s wrong?”
Adam felt his Fighters as if they were shouting their sentiments for the entire woods. Jason and Alex felt embarrassed because they were about to encounter their alpha, all sexed up. Ramo was pissed and Nick was worried.
“We have company,” he told Evangeline.
She looked at him in surprise.
“It’s okay. They’re my pack members.” Instinctively, he grabbed her hand. “Do you want to meet them?”
Evangeline went from nervous to curious. He didn’t know why, but he felt like he was about to introduce a girlfriend to his parents for some reason.
“Sure,” was all she said.
They entered the clearing where his pack members were assembled in front of the cabin. Jason was sitting on the front steps, avoiding his gaze.
Alex stood next to Ramo, shifting his feet uncomfortably. Ramo’s hands were on his hips, a look of impatience planted on his face as Nick stood next to him, fists clenched.
It was Nicholas who Adam addressed first with a palm in the air. His pack members could never physically do anything to him and they were subservient to him, but they sure didn’t mind voicing their opinions and Nick looked like he was going to pitch a fit.
“She’s fine,” Adam told him.
Nick was wor
ried he’d taken advantage of Evangeline. Good Old Nick, always a gentlemen. It was clear he was agitated and he flexed his hands, running them through his tawny hair. He nodded at Adam, but looked uncertainly over at Evangeline.
Adam watched Nick stare hard at her, studying her current state of emotion when he felt Nick become fucking smitten with her.
They stopped in front of his men and Ramo was the first to approach them. He had short brown hair and brown eyes. He wore jeans and a t-shirt just like Adam and Jason, but he also sported a lip ring and several tattoos.
“Hello there. So you’re the one we’re starting a war over.” Ramo smiled smoothly and reached out a hand to Evangeline, then froze as Adam snarled. “Easy there, cuz. I was just going to give her a customary shake of the hand.” Ramo turned to Evangeline and cautiously took her hand. “Geez, you’d think I was stealing his bone or something.” He winked at her and then stepped away.
Adam was still a little surprised how possessive he was over her and the knowledge of it scared him to death. She wasn’t his, but he was acting as if she was.
“Evangeline, this is Ramo Perez, my cousin.” Adam eyed her apprehensively.
Evangeline smiled at Ramo. It was hard not to smile at his cousin. The guy looked like he had a dirty joke on his mind all the time and it seemed to drive girls wild.
Adam finished the introductions. “This is my beta, Jason Linus.” Evangeline looked at him in awe. She’d clearly read about his longhaired friend and that bothered him too.
What the hell! Get a grip. These men were like his brothers.
“And this is Nicholas Manning and Alex Suarez.”
Evangeline shook all their hands and smiled politely. “It’s nice to meet all of you.”
Alex Suarez was the brain in his operation, and he always looked pissed. It didn’t help he wore all black and his full mustache and beard gave people the impression he was about to hit them. Adam was afraid he might make Evangeline nervous, but she seemed fine.
“Aren’t you a friendly hostage,” Ramo joked and Alex punched him in the arm, hard. “Ow! Just kidding.”
Nicholas spoke. “It’s great to meet you, Ms. Wolcott, but do you mind if we talk with Adam privately for a moment?”
“Sure. No problem. I’ll just go inside.” Adam reluctantly let go of her hand. She gave Adam one last look before going in and this new sick, possessive side of his wanted her to stay with him. God, he was losing it.
As soon as the front door closed behind her Ramo and Nicholas started talking at the same time.
“Tell me you didn’t sleep with the king’s fiancé?”
“Are you out of your fucking mind?”
Adam bristled at his Fighters’ tone. He turned first to Ramo, then Nick. “No and it’s none of your damn business.”
“This shit’s gotta end, man.” Ramo had gone from suave while Evangeline was around to pissed again. “I didn’t like this plan from the beginning, but now you’re getting involved with her? This is nuts.”
Adam ignored the two of them and turned to Jason. “What happened with Jones?”
Jason stood up and shook his head solemnly. “He was with the king for several hours and was even allowed to attend the coven’s meeting, but Maxwell is certain Serena isn’t there. The coven thinks we want to start a war. They think we’re making everything up to get total control over the area.” Jason took a deep breath and looked away. “I’m sorry, man, but after hearing Jones out, I really don’t think Cyrus has Serena.”
Stunned, Adam stared at Jason. He wasn’t the only one in turmoil over his sister. Jason Linus was giving off a profound sadness. You didn’t need to possess the bond to know how in love Jason was with his sister. It was written all over his pain-stricken face.
He wasn’t sure if Serena knew how Jason felt. He’d never actually come out and said it to her or Adam. Hell, Jason didn’t like to talk at all, let alone tell his best friend he was in love with his sister, but Adam was not looking forward to the day he did.
Nick, Alex, and Ramo were looking at both of them, always uncomfortable when they felt Jason’s soft side for Serena.
“Where the hell can she possibly be?” Nick asked.
Alex said, “I hate to say it, but I think we acted too swiftly on this one.” He looked apologetically at Adam. “I mean…I would of done the same thing if it were my sister, but now we have to face the repercussions for taking the king’s fiancé. He’s going to want to retaliate.”
Alex was right. He, Adam, had started a war for assuming his life-long enemy had taken his sister. Had he been thinking clearly, he might have thought of a better plan. He looked at his Fighters. They would stand by his side, fight with him and even die for him. He cringed inwardly at the thought.
Adam and Cyrus had kept the peace for so long, why the hell did he have to kill Tyson? How the hell did this whole mess start?
And where in God’s name was Serena? He didn’t believe she would take off of her own accord without telling Adam. She was smart and responsible. It just wasn’t like her to up and bail.
Nicholas cut into his thoughts. “Adam?”
“What?” he said quickly, his eyes glued to the ground.
Nick stood with his hands on hips. He spoke carefully. “You have to take her back. The longer you keep her, makes it worse for all of us.”
His sister was still missing, and he’d started a war with the vampires, and now he had to accept he was never going to see Evangeline again.
He had to take her back; back to her fiancé, the bloodsucking animal that was blackmailing her.
Jesus Christ. If ever he needed a stiff drink or better yet, a loaded gun to his head, it was right now.
****
Evangeline peered through the window at the five massive men gathered in front of the cabin. She didn’t want to be nosey, but she couldn’t help herself. They were huge and in their own chilling, gladiator way, quite beautiful.
She wondered which one was which the other night, fighting the jackal and kinda hoped they would all phase right before her eyes.
Was she insane? She was an unarmed woman surrounded by werewolves and she wanted them to phase. There was definitely something wrong with her.
Not for the first time, her gaze fell on Adam again. His stance was so powerful, so commanding and she remembered how it felt to be in his strong arms.
No part of her regretted their kiss. In truth, she was dying for him to kiss her again. She had never felt such rapture, such pure, exquisite passion. Evangeline felt her stomach lurch at the thought of his hands on her, his tongue laving at her nipple.
How could she feel such intense feelings for a man she just met, a man that had taken her hostage? As the thought came to her, she realized none of it mattered to her anymore. She certainly did not feel like a hostage. She wanted to be here…with him.
Evangeline watched as Adam shook hands with Nick and Alex and how Jason and Ramo both gave him a pat on the back. Whatever the pack members told him, it wasn’t good news because Adam looked miserable.
He stepped slowly onto the porch and to the front door. Evangeline turned to him as he entered the small living room.
“What’s happened?” she asked him apprehensively, her arms crossed tightly at her midriff.
His gaze on her was unwavering and utterly lost. “You were right,” he said, slowly.
She raised an eyebrow.
“Cyrus doesn’t have Serena. I don’t know where she is.” Walking over to the cabinet, he pulled out a bottle of tequila. He didn’t open it, just stared at it with a lost anguish look, and then put it down. He turned to look at her. His shoulders slumped, he managed to rearrange his expression to the eerie calm that drove her crazy, and leaned against the wall. His voice heavy, he said, “You’re free to go.”
Pain shot through her chest at the thought of leaving him. She scrambled for some excuse as to why this hurt so much. She should be happy to go home, but how could she ever be happy? Her home wasn’t he
rs much longer. She’d soon be with the coven and married to a vampire she despised.
“I’m so sorry I dragged you into all of this. Cyrus won’t blame you. I’ll make sure he knows it was all my doing. He won’t…he can’t…do anything to you…FUCK!” he shouted and reached for the bottle of Patron, flinging it across the room. The bottle smashed on the adjacent wall with a loud bang, debris falling along with its contents all over the floor.
Evangeline jumped at impact when glass hit drywall, but recovered fast. She turned to him and watched him cover his face with his hands. She hated to see him this way, so helpless and torn.
In a soft voice, he said through his hands, “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to scare you.”
“It’s all right. I’m fine.” And she was fine. She was with him and as long as they were together she would never feel scared or alone. This realization didn’t shock her. Hadn’t she always known the Blacktail leader wouldn’t hurt her? He was in pain now and all she wanted to do was comfort him.
There was an odd, yet delightful awakening building inside her and it mesmerized her. Evangeline couldn’t take her eyes off him. It was as if an invisible force was pulling her heart toward this man. It pained her to see him this way and she wanted to take it all away. She wanted to be the one to relieve all the stress, all the grief in his life.
Adam spoke, his voice deep and strained. “I don’t want you with him.” His hands turned to fists and moved to press against his temples. Through clenched teeth, he growled, “The thought of him touching you drives me fucking insane.”
Evangeline squeezed her eyes shut as the tears came. Deep in her heart she’d hoped Adam’s feelings toward her had begun to turn to something else, even as she denied her own because no good could come of it. The knowledge he cared so much, however, stirred her blood. He wanted her as much as she wanted him.
She didn’t know how or why or when it happened, but somehow, during their brief and extraordinary time together, Evangeline had fallen in love with this tortured man, and his tortured soul.
When she raised her lids, she saw him up against the wall, leaning his head back with his eyes closed. There was no more thinking. She knew what she wanted and it was this beautiful, powerful, tormented man.