by Неизвестный
She released his leg, and the coward covered his face with his arms. When she growled, he pulled himself back, his face contorted with pain.
“Fucking bitch!” he spat through clenched teeth. “I should have killed you.”
Yes, you should have.
She pounced. Two black paws landed solidly on his chest, pinning him to the ground. She had no love for human men. They destroyed everything they touched, and this man meant to kill her. She wanted vengeance, and she would have it.
She showed him her canines, enjoying the terrified look in his eyes. Long claws ripped through his shirt and dug into his flesh. He shut his eyes, and tears flowed from beneath his eyelids and ran down his cheeks.
I wish I could make this last, but I have more pressing business.
She sank her fangs into his neck and felt his windpipe crush between her jaws.
He struggled for breath, and then his body went limp. Sable watched him die, his blood warm on her muzzle. Satisfied, she left him where he lay and loped back to the cover of the pines where she licked herself clean.
One down, one to go. Tonight she would take care of all her enemies.
Shifting silently, she rose on two feet, tossed her head back, and let the wind ruffle her black mane. She might be a wolf, but her human form pleased her as much as her four-footed one. She dressed quickly. Shorts, T-shirt, and a pair of sneaks Malcolm had bought her. She traveled light.
Her mouth pulled into a feral grin. She couldn’t wait to see the look on Karin’s face when she walked in instead of Malcolm. The smile disappeared when she crossed the threshold into an empty room.
Did the bitch change her mind? Annoyed, she padded down the hall. She peered through the door of the treatment room and spotted the cage where she spent so many days locked up. How she would love to give the vet a taste of her own medicine, encage her, and keep her for a pet, but the little slut posed a threat, and it was time for her to go.
She stepped into the office. A toilet flushed, revealing Karin’s location. Sable sat and waited for her to come out.
* * * *
Karin bowed her head to the porcelain god and prayed her stomach would settle. She wanted to be behind her desk, cool, calm and collected when Malcolm walked in. But the best laid plans—go bad more often than not.
Her nerves misfired, transmitting electric sparks of apprehension through her body. God, she was pathetic. Why should facing the father of her baby be so damn terrifying? Either he would believe her—or not. She almost hoped he wouldn’t so she’d never have to see him again. It would make things so much easier. Their child would be a constant reminder of what could have been. Seeing them together would break her heart. Well, this wasn’t about making things easier for her. Her feelings weren’t important. The baby came first. It had to be done. She just wanted to get it over with. She practiced her little speech one more time and left the safety of the bathroom.
Her jaw dropped, and her eyes went wide. Rendered speechless, she stared at the woman sitting behind her desk as if she owned it. Festering jealousy mixed with rage and threatened to devour her. How dare she? She had her claws in Malcolm. What more did she want? Why didn’t he come alone? She looked around.
“Were you expecting someone else?” She sneered. “He’s not here. Did you really think he wanted to see you again?” Sable stood and rounded the desk. She put her hands on her hips and looked down at Karin. “He’s glad to have a real woman in his bed now, a woman who knows how to please her man.” She grinned maliciously. “Now, what’s this important business?”
Malcolm had already stomped on her heart. Sable crushed it completely. She always believed that, even if he didn’t love her, on some level he cared, and that, if nothing else, they had a physical connection that pleased him as much as it did her. She couldn’t bear the thought of him comparing her to someone else and finding her wanting, but she wouldn’t let Sable know how her words affected her.
“It’s nothing to do with you,” she said, with as much control as she could muster.
“If it concerns my mate, it concerns me.” Her eyes narrowed suspiciously.
Her heart twisted when she heard Sable call him her mate. “I have nothing to say to you. I think you better leave now.”
“Oh? I think we have a lot to talk about.” Sable’s pupils dilated and fired off sparks like flamethrowers. “My mate made it clear he wants nothing to do with you, and still you won’t leave him alone.” She approached, circled, and inhaled deeply, like an animal scenting its prey. She snarled and spat at Karin’s feet.
“You’re pregnant,” she said with contempt.
Karin froze. She hadn’t told anyone. “What makes you think—”
“Don’t try to deny it. I can smell it on you.” Her nostrils flared with fury.
The statement made no sense. How could she possibly know?
“What are you talking about?”
Sable ignored her question. “It won’t do you any good. I’m carrying his real child.”
Another knife in her heart. She thought he couldn’t hurt her any more than he already had, but she was wrong. He lied about everything. He knew he could have children all along. It was just a convenient excuse to get rid of her. The man she wanted to spend the rest of her life with had hurt her more than she thought possible.
“Your pregnancy is an abomination against the natural order of things. You were never meant to mate with us.”
“Get. Out. Now.” Each word erupted in a burst of intensity fueled by rage. She had no idea why this woman hated her so much. She just knew she had to get rid of her now.
“We’re not finished here. Your half-breed needs to be terminated.”
“You’re crazy!”
“You think so?” she spat. “Do you have any idea what you’re carrying inside you?”
Astonished, Karin stared as Sable sank to her knees. She detected a faint animal odor, musky and feral. The woman bent forward, her body contorted and popped, sounding like a group of people cracking their knuckles. Hair burst through her skin and grew like a film in fast forward. In less than a minute, a large black wolf held her in check.
Her brain couldn’t register what she saw. She felt disoriented. This monster sitting in front of her could not be real. This wasn’t happening. Hot breath on her legs convinced her it was. A sudden snarling growl made her jump, and her heart hammered hard enough to bruise her ribs. The wolf’s lips curled in a sneer, showing long and dangerous-looking canines. Those fangs could rip her flesh from her bones and kill her and her baby instantly.
She wanted to look away from the beastly hate-filled eyes, but her body refused to obey her. Her stomach bubbled, and when she splayed her hands over the almost non-existent bump, a strange twitch gave an answering nudge from inside her belly. Understanding washed over her like a flash flood. She felt her baby move under her palms, and tiny feet jump-kicked her into mobility. She had to protect the new life inside her.
She edged away until she felt the desk at her back. Keeping her eyes on the wolf, she reached behind her and felt around for something heavy. Each fretful move annoyed the animal, and it came closer. Puffs of air from its nostrils sprayed her legs. Panicky, she grabbed a paperweight and swung her arm around with every bit of strength she had. The wolf dodged the blow, but when it moved aside, it opened up a path to the door.
Karin ran for it, but the she-wolf ran faster. She stood between her and escape, bared her fangs, and issued a low, warning growl.
“What do you want with me?” she cried. “Leave me alone, and I promise I’ll never call you or Malcolm again.”
The wolf shook her head and lunged. Sable’s teeth sank into her wrist and she cried out with the pain. Pulling away only made it worse. The wolf backed through the door and into the hallway, keeping a firm grip on her, and she had no choice but to follow. At the front door, the wolf clawed at the wood until she opened it, and they moved onto the porch.
Chapter Twenty-nine
Karin felt sweet relief when she saw Frank’s truck parked outside.
“Frank! Help!” she screamed. Where was he?
The wolf tugged, and she followed it off the porch. She almost tripped over Frank’s body.
“Oh, my God,” she moaned. Poor Frank. He couldn’t be alive, not with those injuries. She couldn’t tear her eyes from his lifeless corpse. She had no love for the man, but he didn’t deserve this. Would she die the same way, lying in the dirt with her throat torn out?
The wolf yanked on her wrist, and pain shot up her arm. Karin whispered a prayer through clenched teeth and they moved away from the refuge.
The night air chilled her sweat-dampened skin, and wisps of hair plastered themselves to her cheeks. Forced to keep pace or risk losing a hand, Karin stumbled after the wolf. Saliva dripped from its jaws, mixing with her blood. Pink drops trickled to the dirt, leaving a trail like Hansel and Gretel. Her own fairy tale would not end happily. She’d be eaten before anyone found her.
She heard the hoot owl call, and she knew the impending death would be her own. Then an ominous quiet prevailed. Except for the rustling of leaves in the wind, the forest was silent, as if waiting for the sad scenario to play out.
She tried desperately to keep up but she tripped on an exposed tree root and shrieked as she went down. Howls broke the eerie silence as the pack answered her screams.
The wolf released its grip, and her arm flopped to her side. Teeth marks made a bloody bracelet around her wrist. She cradled it to her body and took deep breaths to work through the pain. The beast met her gaze with a sinister showing of bloody fangs. Her head swam, and she suspected her mind had played tricks on her. She hadn’t seen a woman after all, only the black wolf. Why didn’t she let the deputy kill it when he had the chance? Too many people were dead because of her mistake, and now her baby would die too.
She blinked, and the glow of the full moon spotlighted a dark figure standing erect. For a second, she saw a wolf. Then it morphed into a humanoid shape, black fur diminishing as she watched. Werewolf? She shook her head in disbelief. Her mind was open to the possibility of supernatural events and beings, even extraterrestrials, but she never imagined she’d come face to face with anything like this.
“What are you?” she moaned.
“I think you know. The stories are true, little girl. There are monsters in the world.”
“Does Malcolm know what you are?”
“So he didn’t tell you you were sleeping with the wolves?” She laughed. “Did you like being fucked by a dog?”
She let out a strangled sob. “He’s not a monster.” He never talked about his family, his past. Was he really a werewolf? Surely she would have realized. Dear God, what did she carry inside her? Did a beast father her child? No. Whatever Malcolm was, he was still the man she’d fallen in love with. In her heart, she knew he was nothing like Sable.
Sable grabbed her wrist with a sharp twist, and she felt the bones snap. She screamed at the intense pain, and her high-pitched cry set the pack off again.
“Shut up, slut.” She pulled her up. “Tonight you can sleep with your own wolves. They won’t be nearly as gentle, I assure you.”
“Why are you doing this?” Hot tears coursed down her face.
“Your kind took everything from me—my family, my friends, my home.”
“You’re wrong. It wasn’t me.”
“You’re all alike. My people killed for food and survival. Yours kill for fun. You set traps and hang our heads on your walls. Who’s the real monster?”
“I would never hurt you—”
“You already did. You put me in a cage and fucked my mate. In my world, females fight for their men. You impotent weaklings use deceit and seduction. Karma is a bitch.” She let out a sinister laugh. “A bitch named Sable.”
“I didn’t know—”
“I believe you, and it doesn’t make one bit of difference.”
“I’m leaving the Wilds. You’ll never see me again.” Surely there was some shred of humanity in this creature that she could appeal to.
“It’s too late. As long as you and your brat are alive, you’re a threat to me. Your kind never gives up when they want something. Even in the woods, I couldn't live in peace. I do what I have to, to survive.”
Sable’s words made her flesh crawl. The awful truth broke her. “You killed the hiker.”
“Yes.” She prodded Karin's back. “Now move.”
Her feet would not obey. “Why don’t you just kill me and get it over with?”
“Me?” she said in a high-pitched, girly voice. Her eyes opened wide. “I’m no killer.” A callous shove between her shoulder blades set Karin moving forward. “Your pack will do the killing.”
Sable walked behind her toward the enclosure. She didn’t want to die, and she didn’t want her pack blamed for this monster’s bloodshed. A cold knot formed in her stomach. She forced back the panic. If she had any hope of surviving this night, she needed all her wits. Surreptitiously, she looked around, hoping for inspiration. Fighting was not an option. She was no match for the she-wolf, but she had to do something. Foliage surrounded them, but she remembered an old trail past a copse of fir and birch trees.
When she spotted the overgrown opening, she took off. She heard Sable behind her, but as long as she ran, she had a chance. Branches tore at her bare legs and scratched her face, but she made no effort to push them aside. What difference did a few more scratches make? If it’s my time to go, let it be here and not the enclosure.
Panting, she slowed down and looked for a place to hide. She almost made it to a thick growth of underbrush. Strong arms tackled her from behind and pinned her.
Sable laughed in her ear. “Even on two legs, I’m faster than you.”
“Please. I just want to go away with my baby. If you have any feelings—”
“Move.” Sable released her and set her back on course.
Exhausted, she started walking. Tears ran down her cheeks like a waterfall. This monster had no pity in her. What did she fear from a poor innocent baby who wasn’t even born yet? Already she grieved for her child who would never draw a breath. She would never get to hold her baby in her arms. She dragged her feet, her useless arm hung at her side, and her eyes and throat hurt from crying.
The howling got louder as they approached the enclosure. Sable threw the gate open and shoved her forward. The pack huddled together, watching them. Beowulf had never looked so menacing.
Sable jostled her, and Karin took a step and froze.
“What’s the matter? Surely you’re not afraid of your own pack?”
Yes. She trembled, frightened of them for the first time.
“Go on,” Sable prodded her.
Her legs buckled, and she pitched forward, slamming her knee against a rock. It hurt like hell, and her vision blurred. The fearsome silhouettes of the wolves stirred. Beowulf and Lyka came closer. The pack followed. She lay there quivering as they converged around her, their heavy breathing agitated. Did they smell her fear? Her body was a mass of aching bruises. Would the scent of her blood send them into a frenzy and provoke them to turn on her? She couldn’t blame them. They were animals after all.
“What are you waiting for, you stupid curs?” Sable raged at them. “Did the humans make spiritless pets out of you?”
Karin shut her eyes tight. She rubbed her medal and prayed.
Saint Francis, help me! Save my baby!
“Do I have to cut your meat for you?” Sable screamed. “Okay then, I’ll show you what a real wolf does with her prey.”
The pack howled in unison. Tonight, the eerie music Karin loved sounded sinister in her ears.
A snarling growl close to her head terrified her. Sable would rip her throat open, and the pack would finish her off. She curled in a fetal position, folded her arms over her stomach to protect the baby, and prayed.
She felt warm breath on her cheek.
* * * *
Malcolm finished his run, sec
ure in the knowledge of what he had to do. Fifteen years ago, his mate and everyone he loved were murdered, and he was powerless to stop it. Now he had a chance to make it right. He and Sable might be the only two surviving Lycans. Together, they could save their kind from extinction. He didn’t love her, not the way she wanted, but they could still make a life together.
What he wanted didn’t matter. Karin loved Frank. Even without Frank in the picture, there’d never been a future for them. They were too different. Somehow, he would put Karin out of his mind and fulfill his duty to Sable and his people. He would mark her tonight, bond her to him, and seal their connection. His seed would take, and she would conceive.
Surprised to see the window shut, he shifted and entered by the front door. Ralf came straight to him, obviously agitated, and led him to the window. He scented the air for intruders but only detected the familiar odors of Sable and the hybrid.
He climbed the stairs, knowing the loft would be empty before he reached the top. Worry gnawed at him. No signs of a scuffle or an unwelcome guest. His anger mounted. Sable knew not to go out alone. She disobeyed him and locked Ralf in. He scanned the room for a note even though he didn’t expect to find one. His frustration dissipated when he realized she must have gone looking for him. He’d stayed out longer than he intended, and maybe she’d panicked. If anything happened to her, it would be his fault. He raced downstairs, opened the window and shifted.
He picked up Sable's trail immediately. Easy enough to track but he didn’t like where it took him. If she intended to follow him, this is not where his trail would have led her. She had no reason to confront Karin. He hadn't seen or talked to her since that night at his house. Halfway there, he heard it, a chilling chorus of howls, then silence. He froze. If Sable was hurt, he’d never forgive himself for leaving her alone.