She saw the black wolf charge towards her, but Grayson shielded her. Grayson was in human form and he held her protectively in his arms. Claws slashed across Grayson's neck, and she saw blood spurting out from his wounds. Grayson's entire body was covered with terrible, ugly, fatal wounds.
He refused to let her go even as the black wolf attacked him relentlessly, ripping him to shreds before her eyes.
“No!”
Hayley heard her own scream. Her scream liberated her from her nightmare and she jolted upright in her bed.
She flailed and looked around wildly. She was in her bedroom, in her bed with the covers tangled around her legs. Her entire body was drenched in sweat and her hair was plastered to her face and neck. She pressed her fist to her mouth to stopper a wrenching sob.
“No...” she choked out, rocking herself to and fro.
It was just a nightmare, but she had never felt so scared in her life. She wasn't scared for herself. She feared for Grayson. When she saw the wounds on his body, it felt as though she suffered those cuts and gashes herself. She could feel his pain acutely, but she could also feel his strength and his power.
Hayley rubbed her eyes and her hand came away wet with tears. She scowled and swiped at her eyes again. Why was she crying? It was just a stupid dream.
She put her hand over her chest and forced a shuddering breath into her lungs. There was a horrible, burning pain in her heart. Hayley grimaced and pressed her face into her pillow. The image of Grayson's wounded, battered body flashed through her mind. She could see every cut and gash so vividly. Those injuries would have killed an ordinary human man, but Grayson wasn't an ordinary man. He was an alpha wolf, a leader and protector.
Hayley sat up sharply and shook her head. Why was Grayson occupying her thoughts and dreams? She had only just met the man. Sure, he had saved her from Strom, but it wasn't just simple gratitude she was feeling towards him.
She seemed to...care for him. And the pain she felt when she saw the wounds on his body was so real. But it was just a dream. It wasn't real—or was it?
“Grayson...” she whispered his name. It was a prayer and a wish.
A discordant sound made her jerk so violently she almost toppled from the bed. She heard the sound again and realized that it was her doorbell buzzing.
Hayley froze. She had to be hearing things. Who would ring her doorbell in the middle of the night?
Her doorbell buzzed again, more insistently this time.
Scrambling out of bed, Hayley grabbed the baseball bat from the corner and tiptoed to the front door. Someone was knocking impatiently, almost angrily, on her door.
“W-who's there?” Her voice was no more than a faint whisper.
But the person on the other side of the door heard her. The knocking stopped.
“It's me, Grayson Edge.” A pause. “Your next door neighbor.”
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
Grayson took a step back when he heard the bolt being dragged back and the lock turning. He'd just heard Hayley scream, and he had nearly ripped her door from its hinges and charged in to get her.
A few drops of water dripped from his wet hair and trickled down his neck. Once he got home, he had stepped into the shower and turned the hot water on at full blast to wash away the blood and gore from his body. He had almost scrubbed himself raw and still the stench of Strom's blood clung to him.
But at least those human women had been freed. Grayson had ordered his Beta and lieutenants to escort those women home to their families at once. The four women had burst into tears when they heard his command. They thought they would never see their families again, and they didn't dare hope that Grayson would let them go. He was a wolf after all, and maybe to them, he was no different from Strom.
As he watched the four weeping human women leave with his Sentinels, there was only one woman on his mind. She was human, like them. But she was...special. Everything about her was special.
Hayley—the sweet, quiet woman who had just moved into that little house next to his. He had seen the hurt, fear and anger in her deep, green eyes as Strom was attacking her. The woman had been hurt before, and his wolf wanted to rip out of his skin and hunt down every single person who had caused Hayley pain and grief. He had killed Strom, but his wolf wasn't satisfied. Every protective and predatory instinct surged to the fore, demanding that he go to Hayley and keep her safe.
Grayson knew that a human had moved into the neighborhood, but he had never seen her until now. Too many things had been happening, and he had his mind and hands full with pack business and politics. He was hardly ever home.
But now that he had seen her, scented her and heard her voice, there was just no way he could stay away from her. He had never felt this way about a woman before. He never wanted to be away from her. Everything about her called to him. He needed to be with her.
Both the man and the wolf wanted her. But it wasn't just raw, animal lust. He wanted to protect her, keep her safe, see her smile. He craved her touch, her warmth, her comfort.
Stepping out of the steaming shower, Grayson had thrown on a sweater and a pair of track pants without drying himself and marched out of his large, grand house. His house suddenly felt cold and empty, and there was only one place he wanted to be.
He wanted to be in that little house next door, with Hayley.
Grayson frowned as he stared down her empty driveway. Where the hell was her car? He had seen her speeding away in her rattling, wheezing little car after Ari rushed her out of the alley. She had been in a great hurry to get away from them all.
Had her car broken down somewhere? Was she okay?
He knew she was in the house. There was no one else in the house with her. He scented no other human or shifter in the house.
The door flew open and he saw her. She was wearing an old t-shirt and a frayed pair of shorts. Her red hair was tousled and she was gripping a baseball bat in both hands. She was simply the most beautiful thing he had ever seen.
Grayson's drew a sharp breath when she launched herself at him. He half expected her to hit him over the head with the baseball bat for dragging her out of bed at this unearthly hour. Instead, she threw her arms around him and clung to him.
“You're okay,” she cried. “You're alive!”
Grayson smiled in surprise and let out a sigh. It felt so wonderful to hold her in his arms.
“Hey,” Grayson said softly, stroking her hair. He closed his eyes at her wonderful, soothing scent. Hot, scalding tears fell from her eyes and plopped onto his neck.
Holding her by the shoulders, Grayson searched her face anxiously. “Hayley, what's wrong? Are you hurt?”
She shook her head quickly. “I...nothing. I'm fine. I'm glad you're fine too.” Her words came out in a rush. “It was a nightmare, that's all.”
“Where's your car?” Grayson asked.
She blinked at him. “It broke down.”
“Where?” he demanded. “How did you get home?”
“Yaya...gave me a ride.”
Grayson turned and stared at the crooked yellow house peeking out from the mess of gnarled, thorny thicket. The tangle of branches and bushes stopped twisting and writhing and pretended to be ordinary, well-behaved house plants when he squinted at them.
The corner of Grayson's lips twitched. “Was Boris in a good mood tonight?” he asked, turning back to Hayley.
Her eyes rounded. “You know Boris?”
“Everyone knows Boris,” he replied matter-of-factly.
Hayley smiled and wrapped her arms around herself. “Would you like to come in? It's cold, and...we're both not wearing much.” She looked down and gasped. “You're not even wearing any shoes!”
As Hayley led him into the house, Grayson had to forcibly tear his gaze away from her full hips and soft, creamy thighs.
His wolf growled in protest as he s
hoved the lusty beast down. He reminded his wolf that they were here to make sure that Hayley was all right. Check on her, not check her out.
Hayley turned to him and her smile became shy and small. “I...I want to thank you, and your sister, for saving me from that guy, Strom...”
“He won't bother you again.”
Hayley winced. “He's a wolf shifter, right? Strom...”
Grayson nodded once.
“So are you,” she said in a stronger voice. “I...um, I saw you that night.”
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
Grayson stiffened. He knew what she was referring to.
“Hayley, I...”
She turned away and said quickly, “Are you the Alpha of the white wolves?”
“Yes. I'm the Alpha of the Sentinels.”
“What about...those gray wolves?” There was the slightest quaver in her voice.
A muscle worked violently in his jaw. Grayson knew what was on her mind. She wasn't asking about the whole Silverfangs pack. She was asking about the three females he had taken that night.
It felt wrong to be talking to Hayley about other women he had fucked. It felt like he was disrespecting her and sullying her. He didn't want to mention them at all, but he would never keep anything from Hayley. She had asked him a question, and he would answer it. He would tell her everything she wanted to know, and he would always tell her the truth.
“The Silverfangs pack, the gray wolves that you saw, were originally led by Asher Ronski. Asher issued me a challenge and I defeated him. The Silverfangs pack is no more. The gray wolves are now part of the Sentinels. I am their Alpha,” Grayson said, his voice and face betraying no emotion at all.
“Defeated,” Hayley whispered. “You mean...”
“Yes, Hayley. I killed Asher. He wanted to die while he still had control of his mind and his wolf, and he wanted me to take over the Silverfangs pack. He didn't want his pack to fall into the wrong hands, so...”
“So he challenged you.” Hayley nodded and said with a wry smile. “I had a boyfriend in high school who was like the Alpha in waiting. He was the Alpha's son. He explained to me in detail about pack politics. I know what a challenge is and how it works.”
Grayson exhaled a rough breath. “Asher felt that it was the only way out for him and his pack. He trusted me.”
Hayley closed her eyes for a long moment. “Those three women,” she whispered at last. “Were they...Asher's wives?”
“No!”
She started at his sudden, vehement response.
“I will never, ever take what belongs to another man,” Grayson snarled. “Those three females were Asher's Betas. But they betrayed him and destroyed him.” He raked a hand through his hair in frustration. “I can't prove it, but I know they had a hand in the downfall of the rest of the Silverfangs Alphas as well.”
Hayley swallowed and said tentatively, “What you did with them that night...”
“Wasn't sex,” Grayson snapped. “It wasn't mating and it wasn't even sex. I had to do it, to strip away their power and make them submit. I didn't want to do it, but I had to. I couldn't kill them or maim them. It was just...” He clenched his fists and paced in angry circles round her small living room. He just couldn't find the right word.
“Duty,” Hayley said quietly.
“What?”
“You fulfilled your duty to your friend, to your pack. I know that breeding is part of an Alpha's duty.” She lifted her shoulders in a shrug.
Grayson covered the distance between them in two strides. “I will only have young with my mate,” he said, his eyes flashing with heat and anger. “I derived no pleasure at all fucking those females.” He bit off each word almost as if just speaking about the episode left a vile taste in his mouth.
Looming over her, he stared deep into her eyes and growled, “I make sure I never impregnate a female who is not my mate, Hayley.”
He wasn't touching her, but they were standing so close together that their breaths mingled. He could hear Hayley's heartbeat quickening as she tilted her face up to him. She swallowed and tried to steady her shallow, erratic breathing.
Grayson towered over her, his wolf rising at the proximity and scent of this beautiful, captivating female.
Hayley gasped as his eyes glowed feral. But she didn't step away. Instead, she reached up and touched the side of his neck. Grayson tensed as her touch electrified every nerve in his body. Her touch was achingly soft and tender, like a whisper, a promise, a dream.
Hayley stared at the blood on her fingertips and took a small step back. Grayson saw the horror and comprehension in her eyes.
Drawing a shaky breath, Hayley tore her eyes from his and looked down his body. She eased his long sleeves up his arms with quivering fingers. “No,” she whispered, shaking her head slowly as she registered the cuts, scratches and deep bruises down the length of his arms.
“It wasn't a dream,” she murmured, her eyes widening in horror. “I knew it...it felt too real...”
Hayley reached out and fisted his sweater with her trembling hands. Before he could stop her, she yanked his sweater up.
CHAPTER NINETEEN
Hayley sucked in a painful breath as she stared at Grayson's body. There were angry red claw marks all over his torso. The wounds in his side were deep and raw, but as she stared at them, she saw that some of his wounds were already knitting shut. She ran her quivering fingers over his scars, scars which were still fresh and throbbing.
She knew that shifters could heal very quickly and they were much stronger than humans. But the numerous bite and claw marks all over his body revealed how violent and savage the fight had been. He could have been killed.
The scene from her nightmare flashed before her eyes. She had seen him drenched in blood, his skin and flesh torn from his body. She had seen the vicious fight in her dream. She had seen how Grayson had fought so hard to protect her. But it wasn't a dream. She had seen the truth in her mind's eye but she needed to hear it from Grayson.
“Who did this?” she said, her voice rising. “Who did this to you? Tell me! Goddammit, just tell me everything, Grayson! And—don't tell me that it's none of my business. Because it is!”
Grayson caught her hand and tugged her closer to him. “I will never say that to you,” he said hoarsely. “I will never shut you out, Hayley. You...” His throat moved and he seemed to be struggling to find the right words.
Hayley scowled. “It was Strom.”
“Yes,” Grayson said through gritted teeth.
“You got hurt because of me.”
“I fought Strom for you—and for the other human females.”
Hayley yanked her hand away and blinked. “What are you talking about? You're just saying that so I won't feel guilty.”
“I will never lie to you. And I won't sugarcoat anything for you. You are a strong, smart woman, Hayley. I know there is nothing you can't handle,” he said softly.
After a brief pause, Grayson explained, “What an Alpha does with his pack is the internal business of the pack. No one will interfere. But Strom went a step too far. There were innocent humans involved.”
Hayley gave a jerky nod to encourage him to go on.
“Strom kidnapped human women and forced them to become his 'wives'. These women were snatched from their towns, their families and taken into the pack. They weren't shifters, they couldn't fight back and they didn't belong with the wolves. Strom let his animal appetites rage out of control and he broke the unwritten law that governed all shifter packs and clans. And yet, his wolves, his Beta, his lieutenants didn't stand up to him. The other packs all looked the other way. No one wanted to antagonize the Red Razor pack so no one stopped Strom. There was no one to save those innocent humans. Strom would have continued his brutal, barbaric ways. He would have taken more humans but it would never be enough.”
Hayley gulped. “Strom said he wanted me as wife number five. He said he was coming back for me, after...”
“He won't come for you.”
“You challenged him.” Hayley touched the deep cut on his neck. The wound had opened up and bled earlier when she touched him.
She felt Grayson jerk. His muscles tensed and she could almost hear his blood roaring through his bulging veins. She realized what he was doing.
He was restraining himself, leashing his wolf down forcefully. She stared at his tightly clenched fists. He was fighting his wolf and his raging desire. The strain was causing his wounds to bleed anew.
Hayley stared at his terrible, horrific injuries. The numerous bite and claw marks criss-crossing all over his body told her how much pain he had endured for her, and for those human women.
“You killed Strom.”
“Yes.” There was a flicker of pain in his blue eyes as he braced himself for her judgment.
“You saved those women,” Hayley said fiercely.
“My lieutenants are escorting those women back to their families right now. Strom is dead. The Red Razor wolves will be severely punished for allowing their alpha to commit all these atrocities,” Grayson growled. “It will be a clear message to all the other packs as well. This must never happen again.”
Hayley couldn't breathe as Grayson stepped closer to her. She stared up into his blue eyes, the same blue eyes that she had seen in her dream.
She understood that shifter politics were complicated, violent and bloody. Grayson had put himself and his pack in grave danger by interfering in another pack's business. He hadn't shied away from doing the right thing. If he hadn't challenged and killed Strom, Strom would have hurt many more humans. Including her.
Grayson Edge was a wolf shifter, but he wasn't at all like Strom. Strom was a predator, a beast, a monster. Grayson was a true Alpha, fearless, righteous and he would risk everything, including his life to defend and protect those who couldn't protect themselves.
Alpha Next Door (Wolves Hollow Book 1) Page 5