by Unknown
Colin would be arriving back any day now, and I wanted to clean the place up before his return. His absence had made the house a dusty mess. However, this provided me with a temporary place to stay, since I’d given up my flat and the majority of my belongings shortly after he’d gone missing.
Now that he was safe, I looked forward to rebuilding my life and getting back into a comfortable routine.
Tossing my duffel bag on the floor, I took a deep breath, trying to push aside the stress weighing on me. My brother’s scent still lingered in the air after all this time. However, I wasn’t alone. Another musky smell—of a wild beast—urged me deeper into the apartment, calling to me from just out of reach.
As far as I knew, Colin wasn’t expecting company.
A loose floorboard groaned behind me. I spun around, slinging my fist at the intruder as instinct took over. But the hulking man looming over me easily dodged my punch and landed a hard kick to my outer thigh. I stumbled into the living room’s leather armchair but jerked back to my feet, quickly regaining my balance. My cat-like reflexes suffered from being so bone-weary, but I needed to persevere.
Sucking in a deep breath, I scented my attacker’s lupine odor and my blood chilled. Shite.
Werewolves weren’t exactly fans of other shifters, especially felines. The dog and cat politics between us were as hairy as our domestic counterparts’ at times.
“What are you doing here, kitty?” The man snarled the words, sounding every bit the hungry wolf. Dark brown hair swept across his forehead, and he brushed it back with the swipe of his meaty hand. He stalked closer, invading my personal space. I didn’t dare to move away and show weakness.
Questions raced through my head. Who was he? Should I answer him? Something about him seemed familiar, but I couldn’t put my finger on it. Keep the secret safe.
He slid his blue-eyed gaze down my body, pointedly lingering on my curves. His momentary distraction was exactly what I needed to attack.
I leapt into the air, slamming both feet against his chest to knock him down in a fierce hit. My plan nearly succeeded—even if his massive chest was as solid as a brick wall—but he grabbed my ankle at the last minute, dragging me down with him. I twisted, struggling to land on my feet. Unlike my feline counterpart, I wasn’t that agile. Not with a werewolf holding onto me.
Air burst from my lungs as I smacked the floor with bone-rattling force. I gasped, struggling for each breath after the hard blow. A gentle gust of wind made the open front door creak a little. My gaze rose to the lush green outdoors. If I could just make it there, then I could outrun this wolf. Leopards were quicker, so I’d be safe from him.
Shame forced its way inside my chest. My life had become one giant race. Constantly running from one problem to another. That wasn’t me. The fact this wolf had even managed to gain an advantage over me showed just how desperately I needed to rest. If I were at the top of my game, he would be running from me.
His large hands gripped my shoulders, pulling my upper body off the dark hardwood floor, and he shoved his knee into the small of my back. Pain shot through my spine and I gritted my teeth determined to remain strong. “Answer me, lass. I’m tiring of these games. What are you doing at this home?”
None of the local wolves knew about my familial relationship with Colin. I’d made him promise not to mention anything about me. For all the Scottish Pack knew, he had a mother currently living in Europe, and that was all. At least, I hoped he’d kept to his word. I didn’t have any reason to believe he wouldn’t.
The wolf jerked back on my shoulders at the intruding silence, grinding his knee that much further into me. I bit my lower lip hard—the sweet coppery taste of blood caressing my tongue—and refused to cry out as the ache turned to agony. He wouldn’t get that satisfaction from me. His fingers bit into my shoulders, squeezing with enough force to break any human’s collarbone. If he didn’t stop, he might really hurt me. But I would not talk to him. Maybe he realized that, because he repositioned his hands to hold my upper arms instead and shifted his weight so he straddled me rather than pinned me down.
My leopardess slammed against the surface of my skin. Rage flowed through us at the way we were being manhandled by this werewolf. The seed of fear grew inside me. If I shifted to leopard form, my chance of survival would take a turn for the worst. She thrived on primal instinct, but I needed my wits and the remaining ounce of strength I had left.
The massive werewolf grunted as he tried to drag me to my feet. I fisted my hand on the rug beside us. It was tucked beneath the coffee table and sofa. If he wanted me to go with him, then we’d be rearranging the furniture in the process. I would not let myself be taken that easily.
A visceral snarl slipped from his throat near my left ear. “Let go.” Dread and nausea coiled in my gut. He threw more strength into his effort until I was nearly off the ground. I was a lot stronger than any human and some shapeshifters, but his wolf’s huge frame made me look puny by comparison.
The more he pulled on me, the tighter I clung to the rug. Determination rooted me in place. His stench overwhelmed me, and I hissed at him.
I hated werewolves, aside from Colin, but even my brother grated on my nerves at times. We’d never been terribly close, surprisingly enough. We should be there for each other since both of us experienced the complexities of leading a supernatural life, but we weren’t. Brothers and sisters; leopards and wolves. Some things didn’t work out the way we intended them to. However, I still aimed to keep him safe. Regardless of our differences, our blood bond meant something to me.
Our human mother knew how to pick her men: a werewolf and a wereleopard. I didn’t know my own father, but I remembered Colin’s. He’d been abusive toward me since I was a feline shifter. Mother had moved us before realizing she was pregnant with his child.
Colin didn’t know his father either, but it was better that way. When he was little, Mum had made up a story that his father had died. Every once in a while, he asked who his father had been, or more in general about his life, but the questions became less troublesome for him after a while. Perhaps he found a way to cope. If he only knew...
The wolf tightened his grip, straining to get the best of me, and I knew I’d be covered in bruises before the night was done. Just like before, when I was with...
I shuttered the repressed memories. I’d survived many things in my life, and if this werewolf thought he’d conquer me, then he had another thing coming. While I was nearing the end of my strength, I wouldn’t submit and be taken by him. Not if I had any say in the matter. My will to survive drove me harder than that.
The werewolf cursed under his breath, and the muscles in his arms slightly shook. Every instinct I had warned me of the telltale signs of attack he was displaying.
The time had passed for reacting. Now I needed to act before I might miss my chance.
I slammed my head back, catching him in the mouth. He jerked away, letting me go as he slapped his hands over his ruddy face. I bared my teeth at him, letting my instincts guide me while I kept my beast in check. The leopard in my chest stalked just below the surface, pent up energy ready to burst through and take me over without permission.
Stop it.
Yesterday there had been a full moon, so the lunar tides were still strong tonight. While werewolves were tied to its effects more strongly than other shapeshifters, we weren’t immune. My beast was more unruly tonight than normal, and my body burned with lust. However, I’d rather jump off a cliff than give in to those desires with a werewolf.
I’d anticipated going to the local pub to sate my needs before taking a run in leopard form. My plans had obviously fallen through. After this was over, all I’d want to do is rest.
Within moments, the wolf was mostly recovered and that much angrier.
I took a few sideways steps to move further from him but not show myself as submissive. I leaned a little to my left, angling my body toward the door right behind the hulking man. With him injured,
I doubted he’d be able to catch me. At least, I hoped.
His searing gaze traveled down my body, analyzing and sizing me up. Movement at the door caught my attention for a split second, and that was all it took. The werewolf lunged at me.
I tried to sidestep to the right, but there wasn’t a lot of room with the couch barring my escape. He landed a vicious punch to my jaw, sending me flailing backwards into the coffee table, which collapsed with the force of impact. Dark spots blurred my vision and I kicked him in the chest with all my might, sending him sailing.
“Alistair! Fuck!” a masculine voice further away shouted in surprise. He must’ve been the momentary distraction. Bloody hell.
Within seconds, the wolf was straddling me. So much for that last bit of strength. His fists slammed into my ribs, stomach and face. I lifted my arms, but it was hopeless. Each punch was like being hit by a lorry over and over again, until my body couldn’t take it anymore.
* * *
Darkness spread out around me as I blinked my eyes open. Pain radiated through every inch of my body—with my jaw and teeth hurting the worst—from the hard punches. I cradled my cheek in my hands. Last thing I knew I was at my brother’s house on his broken coffee table. Now I had no idea where I was. Pushing into a sitting position, my eyes slowly adjusted to the black room, and I could see cage bars surrounding me, holding me hostage.
Another thing that was blatantly obvious was my clothes: they had been removed, aside from my underwear, and I was in an oversized t-shirt that smelled like wolf. Maybe it came from the general laundry Colin had once mentioned where they kept spare t-shirts and sweatpants, due to the violent nature of the shift. At one time, I’d been intrigued, but now I just wanted my clothing back.
The scent of my surroundings hit me suddenly. Rage, adrenaline, urine and blood. Here and there were spots reeking of desperation and fear. Where ever they held me wasn’t good, my skin itched as my leopardess grew ever more restless.
I squeezed my eyes shut, overwhelming frustration pouring through me, and I wished I’d been more careful. Perhaps if I’d let my beast loose, we wouldn’t be in this situation right now. Or we could be dead. I reclined on the floor. My body ached from the abuse dealt to me by the werewolf. However, I was still alive, so I had that going for me.
I ran my tongue over my teeth, making sure they were all intact, while I stared at the cage's darkened ceiling. After spending so much time running from the scientists who had studied my brother and so much energy attempting to rescue him from those monsters, I was trapped in a hell beyond any other filled with werewolves. Life wasn't fair.
The scraping of a metallic chair across the floor caught my attention, but I lay still, not wanting whoever lurked in the shadows to realize I was awake, even though I’d moved earlier. Perhaps I could learn something from them if they thought I was still unconscious. If not, then... well, I'd figure that out when I came to it. How had I not sensed him previously?
Questions buzzed through my head. Would my brother come after me once he found his home trashed? Uncertainty slithered down my spine. What if his loyalty to the Pack overrode our relationship? It had been a while since we'd last seen one another. I pushed those thoughts away. They would only drive me closer to madness and I didn't need any help getting there.
"Here kitty, kitty, kitty..." a familiarly rough voice whispered in the dark.
My chest clenched with dread. It took everything in me not to physically react to those words and that voice. Something in them positively scared me. That plain sort of passionate violence sped my pulse before I had a chance to get myself back under control.
"So you are awake." A bright light encased me in its glow, while leaving the rest of the room dark and shadowy. What good would pretending to be out cold do for me? That might give him the upper hand if he tried to pull anything since I wouldn’t be as alert. I tried not to dwell further on it.
But it still didn't mean I had to answer to him. While I’d been vulnerable to his attack before, I now had the bars between us. For the moment, at least. There was no telling if he had the key or not.
Opening my eyes, I slowly pushed myself into a sitting position and looked out into the dark room. While I wouldn't let him see my fear, I did want to keep track of where he was; even if my eyes were out of the question for the moment, my ears and nose were still more than adequate in locating him.
“What do you want from me, ye monster?” I asked. My accent thickened as my frustration grew in leaps and bounds by his games. A true man wouldn’t hide in the darkness like this. He’d look me in the face while threatening me. Then again, he wasn’t a man. He was a beast.
“You know what I want. Aye, you might’ve escaped my full wrath earlier, but there won’t always be someone around to keep me from getting to you.” The words resounded in my head as if I’d heard that phrase before. The chair scraped again, and this time, I knew he’d stood because I could hear his shoes clomp against the concrete floor. “That cage won’t hold you forever. I’ll find out the truth about you yet.”
I sat very still, doing my best to look neutral when what coursed through me was deep- seated fear. Alistair reminded me so much of Colin’s father. Almost to the point of…
I shook the thoughts from my head. There was no way. Was there? The more I thought about the similarities, the less confident I was in my safety. This couldn’t be happening to me. If he knew who I was, he could find out about Colin, and then neither of us would be safe.
Chapter Two
Dougal
Normally I wouldn’t head straight down to investigate new prisoners. However, this one intrigued me. Not only was she a female, but she was a wereleopard. I’d never seen anyone like her before in person.
Then again, I didn’t usually have reasons to suspect that one Pack member was in danger, while the other was a danger.
Alistair had had his reasons for attacking the woman, I didn’t doubt that, but Duncan’s urgency made me second-guess the older wolf. From what I gathered, Alistair almost killed her before we’d had a chance to question why she was in a Pack member’s home, especially one who had been recently kidnapped while overseas.
The basement was dark with the exception of the cage’s spotlight as I descended the stairs. Alistair’s faint scent proved he’d been here recently. The quiet clap of the basement door leading outside raised my hackles. He’d fled before I could confront him face-to-face. The coward.
The wolf in me wanted to chase after him and make him submit to our authority, but the dark-haired wereleopard drew my attention.
Anger consumed me at the punishment inflicted upon this woman. Bruises and faint traces of blood marred her fair complexion. While I knew she'd fought with and dealt blows to Alistair, I couldn't condone the fact he'd beaten her further once she'd been unable to defend herself and was helpless. This looked more as if he’d enjoyed himself, not that he was protecting himself against an attack. The brute didn’t control himself, the evidence of violence before me said as much. If he hadn’t been interrupted, there might be a corpse here now.
I balled my hands into fists, forcing myself to calm down. My fury might convince her that I was a threat, and right now, she needed to talk if I had any hopes of figuring out what was going on.
She turned her head in my direction. The strength and grace in the way she held herself sparked something deep inside me. Regardless of her injuries, my body reacted to the leopardess beyond what I could imagine in my darkest desires. I wanted to claim her body and show her pleasure, not pain—even if Pack dynamics would be rocked to their core.
Being the new Alpha, I had to balance what I wanted to accomplish with what the Pack was willing to support me on. Somehow, I very much doubted they'd be pleased with me quenching my lust with our prisoner.
I stepped toward the cage. Rational thought escaped me, and only the roaring fires of desire and need raged in my body. If I didn’t stop this foolishness soon, I’d end up making a large problem much
bigger. I was the Alpha and I needed to clear my head before I ravished her.
“What’s your name, lass?” I asked, my voice a bit husky. If I started off neutral, I might gain more cooperation from her than if I used Alistair’s violent approach, which I most definitely didn’t agree with. Then again, I’d only been in the room with her for a few brief moments. She could be more of a threat than my body wanted to believe.
Besides, my priority was my Pack. While I wanted to treat this wereleopard fairly, I didn’t know who she was, or why she was in Colin’s house. She could be part of the reason he’d been kidnapped. Colin had never mentioned knowing a wereleopard, and it seemed all too suspicious that she was here when he was set to arrive back with us for a time.
Colin failed to give much information over the phone when he’d called, so I only assumed he’d fill me in when he made it here.
She remained carefully still, and her gaze was aimed directly at me. However, I knew she wouldn’t be able to see me. The spotlight was on, so she had to have pinpointed my location by my voice. But she didn’t respond, just stayed quiet and jutted out her chin a little. Just like a stubborn cat refusing to give an inch.
More and more, I could see what might have set off Alistair. He was quick tempered on a good day, and with someone like this facing him down... She had fire to her personality. I had to give her that. Her intoxicating honeysuckle scent lingered in my nose and carried a sensation of warmth through my veins. Although beaten and bruised, she was strong and more arrogant than afraid.
However, I was intent on getting through this before my restraint weakened. If I opened the cage, she might attack, potentially making me hurt her further. Alternatively, the incredibly lustful man in me might decide to dominate her sleek body. Images of our bodies naked and entwined fluttered through my head, and I shoved those thoughts away. How could I be thinking something like that, especially about an injured female wereleopard? Perhaps the moon’s power was extra strong tonight.