by Cali MacKay
Even in her current state of mind, having Greyson so close made it impossible for her to ignore the little fact that he was a damn fine specimen of a man—shifter or not. Not that she was interested in men after all she’d been through. And it didn’t matter that Greyson was beyond tall and muscular, or that he had amazing gold eyes and chiseled features. Nor did it matter that he was downright gorgeous, tattooed, and no one had ever had this sort of effect on her.
None of it mattered because she was cursed, and her life was fucked.
“Here…press hard.” He took a clean kitchen towel from a nearby drawer, and pressed it to her arm, her hand covering his for a moment, as she took over. And then he was lifting her up onto his kitchen counter and sitting her down on the edge, making her feel like she was five years old with her legs dangling over the edge, especially when he’d lifted her like she weighed nothing. “Close your eyes.”
“Why?” She couldn’t help but glare at him, wondering what the hell he was up to as her obstinance kicked in and pushed away her panic.
“You’re a damn stubborn woman. You know that, right?” When she perked her eyebrows up at him in defiance, he grabbed her arm in his iron grip, and with his gold eyes locked on hers, he ran his thick, hot tongue along her wound as she freaked—the hell—out.
“What the fuck?” She tried to yank her arm free, but it may as well be wedged in a vise, because there was no way she was shaking herself free of him. And yet, some of the sting and throbbing seemed to have subsided. “That was disgusting.”
He loosened his grip and covered it in a bandage, while giving her a cocky and all too knowing look. “Did it help?”
“Yes.” She wasn’t going to lie about it, even if he was obnoxious.
“It’ll also help it heal a hell of a lot faster. Now, tell me what happened—and I want you to start from the very beginning, with why the hell you even moved all the way out here to the middle of nowhere.” Greyson leaned against the counter across from her, stretching his long legs out in front of him, still wearing nothing but his jeans. Hell—he didn’t even have shoes on. And with his broad, tattooed shoulders, muscular chest, and rock-hard abs, it was all she could do to concentrate. “My eyes are up here, sweetheart.”
“Well, for fuck’s sake. Put on some clothes then if you don’t want me looking. It’s kind of hard not to, when there’s so much surface area.” She forced herself to focus on the information he wanted, though why she was telling him any of this was beyond her.
She’d known him all of half an hour, and he was some sort of weird paranormal creature that shouldn’t even exist. For all she knew, he could have a pile of dead bodies in the basement. And yet…he seemed like her only option for now, and just because he wanted answers didn’t mean she had to tell him everything.
“I moved up to the cabin because my life sucked and I was desperate for a change.” Among other things, like killing yet another man who’d attacked her. “I’d inherited the place from my great-uncle and since I figured it was better than paying the crazy rent I was dishing out in Cambridge, I figured I might as well give it a try.”
“And how long has it been since you moved up here? I’m assuming it hasn’t been all that long, or you’d have gotten eaten by now.” He crossed his arms in front of his chest, which only served to make his massive biceps look even bigger—and that sure as hell didn’t help her concentration.
“Ha ha. Real funny. Three weeks ago—and up until an hour ago, nothing even bothered to take a nibble.” She’d been here just long enough for it to start to feel like she knew the area—which is exactly how she managed to get lost with night falling. “I’d been doing just fine up until today. But…I must have taken a wrong turn somewhere along the way, and was trying to get back home, when that bear came out of nowhere and attacked me.”
“And what happened next?” Greyson was looking serious now, his brow furrowed as he ran a rough hand across his stubbled chin.
“I tried to get away—but I swear, it was like he was toying with me. He’d let me run, and then he’d pounce on me, knocking me over and pinning me to the ground with his weight.” And that was when it happened, just like the other two times before. She let out a ragged breath as tears stung her eyes. “He was on top of me, crushing me, and I swear, I couldn’t breathe. And then…he just dropped dead.”
“Hey…it’s okay, Juno.” Greyson pushed off the counter and closed the distance between them, cupping her cheek and brushing away at the tear that escaped and slipped down her cheek. “You have every right to be shaken up after that sort of attack. I’m just relieved that that fucking bastard didn’t have a chance to really hurt you. Although…it’s odd that he just died, Juno. That sort of thing doesn’t happen.”
“I don’t know anything about bears or shifters, but as far as I can tell, that’s what happened. He was attacking me one minute, and the next he was dead.” It’s not as though she had any real answers for him.
How the hell was she supposed to tell him that the reason she’d moved out into the middle of nowhere was because she was dangerous and couldn’t trust herself to be around other people? Even before tonight, two other people had died because of her, and though they’d attacked her and the world was a better place without them, it didn’t mean their deaths weren’t her fault.
Sure, the cops had told her they’d died of heart failure—but she knew better. She’d seen the horror in their eyes as she protected herself, and though they shouldn’t have tried to hurt her and it served them right, it didn’t change the fact that somehow, as insane as it sounded, she’d killed those men. Two separate occasions—two men had decided to attack, and two men were dead of heart attacks.
It was like she was some sort of magnet for deranged men bent on doing her harm. Their deaths might be a coincidence, since the reality sounded like some sort of weird science fiction thing—and yet another man had just attacked her, and another man had ended up dead. Not that she could tell Greyson the truth.
“I’m sure he just had a heart attack.” It was what they’d find if they did an autopsy. Of that she was sure—and just maybe that’d be enough to keep her safe. “These bears…they won’t blame me for his death, will they?”
“Sweetheart…your scent was all over the place, and then there’s the little fact that shifters rarely suffer from heart attacks.” He let out a ragged breath, his brow furrowed as he gave her a scrutinizing look as if not quite believing she was telling him the whole truth. “Did something else happen? Did you have a weapon of some sort on you?”
“No…nothing. He was just attacking me, and then he was dead. I don’t see how they can blame me for that. And no offense, but if that bastard hadn’t attacked me in the first place, then maybe he’d still be alive. Maybe he was getting such a kick out of terrorizing me that his heart gave out from the sheer sadism of it all.” She didn’t know if Greyson believed her, but telling him the truth didn’t seem like a viable option.
What could she say? That she’d zapped the big bad bear with her superpowers? That she’d warned him to leave her alone…that she couldn’t control the building energy that seemed to feed off her fear and adrenaline? That he didn’t listen to her when she’d begged and pleaded with him, and when he continued to attack her, he’d ended up dead? And then what would Greyson do? Tear her throat out before she could defend herself? Hand her over to the bears? Or would he simply call the cops?
She’d been holding onto this secret for so long, and though she wanted nothing more than to finally tell someone about it, it was far too big a risk, even if she liked Greyson, despite their rocky start. There was something about him that had her lowering her defenses around him. And it left her wondering just how much of a big bad wolf he truly was.
“Juno…what aren’t you telling me?” With his gold eyes locked on hers, she had to look away, her heart racing inside her chest. Could he sense her fear, sense her lying, sense that he was the reason for her racing heart? “You can trust me, you
know. I won’t hurt you.”
Yeah…just like those other guys didn’t want to hurt her. They just wanted to make her feel real good.
The mere thought of those men, their hands on her, their menacing words, the way they hurt her... And then tonight…she swore she’d never been so scared in all her life, especially when that bear—that man—seemed to be toying with her, his assault feeling far more sinister than just an animal attack.
“What I’m trying to tell you is that I have no doubt that fucking bear would have mauled me—and probably done a lot worse if he hadn’t dropped dead.” The way he’d pinned her to the ground beneath him, the way he looked at her with those intelligent and cruel eyes… She had no doubt of what he’d have attempted to do to her had he been in human form—and she had no doubt that he’d have eventually shifted back to a man so he could fully terrorize her. Her entire body started to shake, unable to stop thinking of what he’d have done to her had he not been stopped. “I’m sorry…”
“Hey…” Greyson ran his hand down her cheek, his touch gentle and just a little rough, though she found it surprisingly comforting. “You have nothing to be sorry about, especially when you were the one being attacked.”
Her tears spilled over as she swiped at them while silently cursing herself for letting her emotions get the better of her. “I was just so scared.”
“I know you were, Juno.” Cupping her face in his large hands, he brushed her tears away, his touch hot, as if his body ran several degrees warmer than most. “Come on…it’s getting late. I need to make some phone calls, but you should have a lie-down. The bed is through those doors over there. You have my word that I won’t bother you.”
He stepped back as she hopped off the counter, landing so she was just inches away from him, making it impossible to ignore his muscular body, despite all she’d been through. There was just something about him that called to her—which was exactly why she had to get out of there. The last thing she wanted to do is drag Greyson into her mess of a life.
“Listen…I really appreciate all you’ve done for me, but I can’t stay here. I need to go.”
Chapter Three
“Like hell you are.” Greyson couldn’t believe Juno was going to try to deal with this on her own. He sure as hell didn’t think she was stupid, which had to mean this chick was bat-shit crazy. “Maybe you don’t get it, so let me give you a hand comprehending what will happen to you if you go back into the woods or to your cabin. Not one or two, or even three or four bear shifters will track you down to your place once they find one of their clan members dead, but rather eighteen to twenty of them. And then once they find you, they’ll tear your flesh from your bones so fast, you won’t even have a chance to scream.”
Hands on her hips, she glared up at him, clearly not caring that he stood a good foot taller than her. “And what’s to keep them from finding me here?”
“Finding you? Oh, nothing at all. They’ll track you here, no problem whatsoever. But they won’t be able to do a whole lot more, unless they want to start a war with my pack. And though a few of them might be tempted to do just that, most of them will be smart enough to realize that they’re asking for a whole lot more trouble than you’re worth.” At least Greyson hoped that would be the case. “But that’s why I need to focus on making these phone calls, and it’s also the reason why I can’t have you trying to escape.”
“Look…I honestly appreciate all this, but I can’t deal with putting you in danger, and I refuse to cause you and your pack more problems than I already have.” She shook her head no, her lilac hair spilling over her shoulders as her scent of honey and cedar filled his head. “It’s not as though I can just stay here indefinitely. And since I’m going to have to go home at some point, then I might as well go home now.”
Fucking hell, the woman was going to make him crazy. “Do you even know how to find your way home from here?”
She let out a sigh on a frustrated huff. “Fine…I’ll wait until tomorrow. But then I’m going home. My problems are my own, and though I appreciate your help, it’d kill me to be responsible for you getting hurt.”
“I can take care of myself—and I can take care of you, which is exactly what I’m going to do, whether you like it or not.” He was one step away from tying her to his bed, since he doubted she’d actually behave herself and stay put. Letting her take off so she could get herself killed just wasn’t an option, even if she thought she was capable of dealing with this on her own.
She wrapped her arms around herself, cringing in pain, her body no doubt battered and aching. “I don’t want to put you out, and if you only have the one bedroom, then I’m fine sleeping on the sofa.”
“Take the bed. After all you’ve been through, you’ll be sore enough as it is come morning, and sleeping on the sofa won’t help the matter. Besides, I tend to be a bit of a night owl.” Though it’d be a fucking miracle if he managed to stay away when there’d be a bed nearby with her in it. She was his mate, and her mere proximity was stoking his need for her into something so primal, there would be no denying the urge. “And if you need the shower, there are fresh towels in the linen closet there.”
“Thanks…for everything.” She bit her bottom lip, and then headed toward the bedroom, leaving him to watch the sway of her plump ass. He let out a rumble of a needy growl, and then forced himself to focus on something other than fucking Juno.
He pulled out his phone and got ready to do a whole lot of explaining. The phone rang a half dozen times before Cullen, his adoptive father and the alpha of their pack, finally picked up. “Hey…yeah, I’m back…just a few days ago. Listen, we have a problem… One of the bears from Black Ridge is dead after attacking a duine. Yeah, the woman who’s been staying at the old Weston cabin. But it’s a hell of a lot more complicated than just that. She’s my mate. Yeah…I’m sure.”
“I’m your what?”
Greyson turned to find Juno standing there, holding a pillow and blanket, her eyes wide with incredulity, as he swore under his breath. His head had already been swimming with her scent, so he missed it when she walked back into the room, especially since he’d been distracted by his phone call. “Yeah, Dad…I’ll bring her by tomorrow. I know… Good night.”
With his eyes locked on hers, he hung up and stuffed his phone in his pocket, not daring to move when she looked ready to bolt. And though he could easily catch her, he didn’t want this to become…complicated. He’d rather have her stay put of her own free will, rather than because he’d tied her to his bed—though he supposed that wasn’t entirely true. He’d like nothing more than to have her tied up and naked, but being in that position of her own free will was usually what he aimed for.
“Before you freak out, give me a chance to explain.” Greyson put his hands up and out as if to show her that he didn’t mean her any harm.
“What the fuck do you mean I’m your mate?” Her voice was shrill with panic, and he swore, she was a heartbeat away from making a run for it.
Greyson took a slow step toward her and then another, needing to close the distance between them, while trying to keep her calm. And he hated how this was going to sound to her, but he knew if he didn’t explain what she’d overheard, it’d all go to hell. “For shifters, there’s really one person they’re fated to be with—and that’s their mate. It may sound odd, but for us…it’s a big deal—and not an opportunity everyone’s given. It’s like finding the missing half of your soul.”
“So…you think I’m your mate? The other half of your soul?” She let out a laugh that was laced with hysteria. “As crazy as this night has been, that is hands down the craziest part of it all.”
“Juno… Don’t you think I know how it sounds? And believe me when I tell you, this was the last thing I was expecting—especially when you’re not a shifter.” She was just a foot away now, and he could see every detail of her, his vision sharper than that of a normal human. She had the lightest smattering of freckles across her cheeks and nose,
plump ruby red lips, and her blue eyes were flecked with gold.
“I’m sorry, but I didn’t ask for any of this. Shifters? Mates? You’re all insane and I need to go. I can’t stay here.” She shook her head and tried to step around him, when he grabbed her arm, earning him a glare from those intelligent eyes. “You need to let go of me.”
“And you need to actually think this through.” He growled with frustration. The woman was going to drive him insane. “There are bears out there. And not just bears, but bears with a human’s intelligence—bears that will be hunting you down.”
“So I’ll leave Wild Creek and head back to Cambridge.” She shrugged free of his grip—but only because he let her go.
“And what’s to stop them from tracking you there, sweetheart? Because if you think there aren’t beasts wearing a human’s skin in every city out there, then you can guess again.” There was really only one thing that could save her, though he wasn’t quite ready to go down that road yet, especially when he knew it would only make her panic and push her further away from him. “You need to stay here. Then come morning, we’ll go and speak to my father. He’s the alpha of the pack and will have a better idea as to how to get you out of this mess.”
“And what if I’d rather take my chances and go out on my own?” She crossed her arms, shooting him an obstinate glare. “You can’t make me stay here if I don’t want to.”
He ate up the distance between them with a single step, forcing her to crane her neck to look up at him. “I can and I will—so don’t tempt me into taking measures I’ll enjoy far too much, and you’ll hate me for.”
“I’m leaving, Greyson.” She spun on her heels and bolted for the door, and she may have been fast, but he was faster, taking her out like the hunter he was.
They hit the floor with her soft body pinned under him, her curses filling his head as his cock went hard. Not ideal given the circumstances, especially given how pissed off she was at the moment, but it was completely out of his control when her scent was filling his head. It was like catnip to him—if he were a cat.