by Bonnie Vanak
Huh. Sitting next to him, but keeping a safe distance, she hugged her knees. “Clever. You fooled me. Especially with the scent. What is that scent?”
The ghost of his old grin touched his full mouth. “It’s you. Trick of Beth’s. She’s been experimenting in the lab and distilled your scent. She wanted to distract the Ogres, herd them away from you. Sprayed it on myself to ease your fears when I caught you.”
Kyle fished out a small vial. Arianna sniffed the atomizer. “I really smell like this?”
“Like perfume to males,’ he said in a husky voice.
Fascinated, she took another whiff and shook her head. “What do you smell? Maybe it’s something I can disguise.”
Now he stared at her. “Sweetheart, a half-dead werewolf can scent your time from a mile away.”
“Tell me. Please.”
His breathing grew jagged. “You smell like honey and a bite of cool ice brushed with tangy citrus. You smell ripe, like a peach ready for picking. Had a hell of a time trying to keep my dick down, wearing your scent.”
Warmth spread through her body, her nipples tingling as moisture gathered between her legs. Kyle’s nostrils flared as if he scented her arousal. Arianna clamped her legs together. Okay, guess all pretenses were dropped now. They’d been dropped the moment he sprang on her naked body.
She handed the bottle back, watching as he stuffed it into his pack. “How did you find me so fast?”
“I’m a hunter. I know your scent, and I’m a lot faster than you. I could find you anywhere.”
Tension hardened his body, his gaze darkened and his pulse beat too rapidly. Whoa, still too intense. Time to take it down a notch.
“There’s an Ogre out there, at least one, searching for something. Nearly had a close encounter of the stinky kind.”
Kyle’s mouth flattened. “Did it come after you? Let me go after the bastard, I’ll—”
“Yo, hunter. Ease off the he-wolf routine and take a cold shower.” Arianna drew in a breath. “It was after something, but not me. Because I’d already encountered him earlier, and he had the opportunity to grab me, but had no interest.”
Quickly she explained about the shape shifting and the Ogres masked as bikers in Spuds.
Kyle frowned. “Why are they on the mountain?”
“Not sure, but they aren’t here for the scenery. They want something. Other than me.”
“You can’t be certain,” he said darkly. “You give off a very strong scent closer to your fertile period, and when the moon ripens, so do you. Every male will find you irresistible and want to mount you. Even Ogres.”
Okay then.
“I picked up the trail of the young,” she said, hoping to return conversation to a more normal level. “Bastards who took them laid a false trail, so I did as you’d taught and looked for other markers.”
He gave a brief smile, stretched out his long legs. “Good job. You’re a damned fine hunter, Ari. Take it slow, thorough, and don’t rush into anything, unlike some of the others.”
Finally she glimpsed the old Kyle, her partner on hunts, her friend.
“We make a good team,” she told him. “Now that you’re here, we can hunt them together.”
But her hopes shattered as he sighed and rubbed the bristles on his firm chin. “Sorry, little pint. Can’t risk it. I came here with one thing in mind.”
“What?” She tensed.
Desire darkened his gaze as he studied her. “You. And not to hunt with you, either. But to claim you and mate with you.”
Whoa. Arianna swallowed hard, feeling the world tip crazily beneath her feet. “A bit much. We haven’t had our first date yet. Ever hear of taking it slow? Maybe we can have a ten-year engagement first?”
But he did not smile, only regarded her with his intense gaze. “Darius and Aiden released my beast. I can’t stop this, not until I have you.”
Oh hellfire. Panic clogged her throat. Released the beast? Did not sound promising. Maybe she could reason with him.
Right. She fought a wave of hysteria. Diffusing a healthy sexual male like Kyle with reasonable talk was akin to throwing a bucket of water on a forest fire.
Kyle stood, his manner determined, and held out a hand. “Come, Arianna. Back to my cabin. Let’s get this over with. I have no desire to hurt you.”
The blooded female Lupine wanted to return with him, follow him into the bedroom and submit to his demands. The determined hunter balked, knowing the moment they stepped off the mountain, the young were dead.
There was no reasoning with a fully aroused male, but this was Kyle. He rescued injured and helpless creatures. Like her.
“Fine. You can claim me in your bed.” She swallowed hard. “Do what you will. But first, we’re finding the Lupines I’ve been tracking.”
“Too dangerous.”
A sickening feeling slammed into her. “Damnit, Kyle, I didn’t come all this way just to have you go animal on me. Can’t you control this?”
“I’m trying,” he said quietly. “It’s taking every bit of my control not to throw you down right here and mount you.”
“I can’t return now.”
His mouth a tight slash, Kyle clasped her wrist. “You must.”
The low command in his voice brooked no refusal. She took his hand, noting the gentle grip compared to the sexual violence flaring in his eyes.
She could smell his arousal, spiked by the pheromones flooding from her pores. Kyle’s big body tightened, his gaze darkening, a pulse beating wildly in his throat. Stricken, she watched the bulge in his crotch grow considerably larger.
She wanted to lie beneath him and spread her legs open.
She wanted to run away, screaming and crying.
A rill of fear skidded down her spine as she glanced at his long fingers, remembering the swiftness and skill of his wolf and those vicious claws. But Kyle would never hurt her. Arianna settled for raw honesty.
“I want to be with you, Kyle, but I’m afraid. Most of all, I’m scared for those poor kids, taken away from everyone and everything they’ve ever known. Please, don’t let them die. I beg you, leash the beast long enough for us to rescue them and return them to their parents. And then you can do whatever you wish to me.”
Something dangerous glinted his gaze. “Anything I wish? You promise?”
Arianna swallowed hard, remembering whispers of velvet ropes, blindfolds, exquisite pleasure bordering on pain. “Anything. I promise.”
Tension rode his jaw. He breathed through clenched teeth, staring into the forest, every muscle taut as a bowstring.
Finally he gave a rough nod. “All right. I’ll help you find the young.”
Relief filled her, making her legs tremble. “Thank you. You’re not a savage, Kyle.”
But the intent gleam entered his gaze again. “Don’t underestimate me, Arianna. You may regret it.”
Maybe. But for now, she’d remember the respect and friendship they’d always shared. “I wish things could be different.”
“Me too,” he rumbled.
“It’s my fault... if I wasn’t so scared, Aiden and Darius never would have put you in this position. I hate this.” Swallowing hard, she stared at the ground.
Warm fingers clasped her chin, lifted her face. Gently, he stroked along her cheek, his touch soothing. With a sigh, Arianna leaned into him. This was Kyle, the guardian who kept her safe.
“It’s not your fault. And if I ever meet the son of a bitch who did this to you, who took a brave little girl and made her terrified of sex, I’ll kill him.”
Arianna looked up, her heart pounding hard as he dropped his hand. Kyle’s mouth hardened as he stared into the forest.
“Change your socks. You’ve been tracking through the rain and need to keep warm.”
Kyle stood watch as she sat on the rock to change her footwear. Her wolf sentinel, who’d had sworn a vow to protect her from all harm. But he never promised she’d remain a virgin.
She hated coming into heat dur
ing the full moon. It equaled pouring gasoline on a smoldering fire. And Kyle was fire enough.
Minutes later, she followed him through the thick pines, mimicking his moves. Staying still when he did to listen, scanning the ground. They did not speak.
The hunt gave her the opportunity to study her guardian.
He was rugged as the harsh timbers and jagged mountains surrounding the ranch. And he possessed a smooth virility that made females turn their heads to give him a second glance.
He was sexy, edged with danger. And soon, she would become his and his alone.
Arianna’s breathing hitched. Something primitive and exciting awoke, triggering her sensuality, along with the damnable fear. But this time, she pushed the fear aside, combing through thin cobwebs of memory.
An image flickered... chained and bound naked to a wall. Being helpless and unable to free herself. The beast with glowing eyes...
But this was Kyle, not the faceless threat from her shadowy past. Although he was strong and dominating, he never hurt. Women in town whispered Kyle rode his women like he rode horses, always in control, letting them know who their master was. And the women loved it.
“Save a horse, ride a wolf,” she muttered.
Kyle turned, giving her a sharp look. “What?”
“Nothing. Just talking about riding. You know, horses ...”
Damnit, she always babbled when nervous. But he put a finger to his lips and scanned the area.
Arianna shut her mouth. He’d heard something. So she focused and blocked out her emotions. And then she heard it as well, a sound amid the scrape of wind against the trees.
It came from the woods above them. Excitement and dread coiled in her stomach. “That’s a child.”
Kyle’s expression hardened as he nodded. Her blood ran cold as memories surged. An icy blow upon her cheek, the sharp pain making her cry out.
The memory made her head hurt, and she reluctantly let it go. But she would not let go of her determination to find the young.
Kyle tensed, every muscle coiled and ready, his expression ruthless. If he looked at her that way, she’d run screaming down the mountain and never look back.
They’d traveled no farther than a quarter mile when she scented the young. She followed Kyle’s lead, hid her pack and shifted simultaneously with him. Arianna followed the enormous gray timber wolf through forest.
Wind ruffled her fur, swirled dead leaves and brush at her paws. A weatherworn log cabin came into sight through the thick brush and pine trees. The log walls looked musty and old, with one grimy window peering out like a cataract. The door looked warped, but strong enough. A hunting cabin, probably, abandoned by the Skins who built it as shelter.
She hung back as Kyle loped close to the cabin, his nose pressed to the ground. After he circled the perimeter, he returned, nudged her hindquarters in a clear order to follow him. As they hid behind some brush, he shifted back.
Arianna shifted into Skin form as well. Don’t screw this up. These young need you, not your fear.
Kyle’s gaze narrowed. “I scent Skin, but nothing fresh. Whoever’s in there is Lupine.”
“Then let’s go.”
Fingers laced around her wrist. “No. You remain here.”
Not so fast, hunter. “Let me handle this. You’ll come on too strong and scare them.”
Something dangerous glinted in his gaze, then his eyes flashed amber. Arianna steeled herself, knowing he was still cranked up from their earlier encounter, now furious at those who dared to hurt innocents. “I know what they’re going through. I know what to say to them. They need soothing.”
Clenching his fists, Kyle closed his eyes, seeming to wrestle the beast back into its cage. When he opened his eyes again, they were normal. “Go on. But I’m right behind you.”
Relief filled her. Kyle’s beast had been restrained for now. When they were alone later, who knew?
After slipping a small flashlight into her jeans pocket, she crept to the cabin and turned the rusty doorknob. Locked.
Using brute werewolf strength, she broke the lock, then headed into the darkness. Silence greeted her. She sniffed the air. The pungent scent of unwashed bodies, dirt, urine and fecal matter assaulted her nostrils.
Someone was here, and she could scent him, but not see the young. Arianna took a cautious step toward the bed and her boot jammed against something soft and yielding, Kyle muttered a low curse.
Arianna focused all her wolf senses. Everything became clearer. Then she almost wished it had not. Horror snaked down her spine. A small figure curled by a rumpled, filthy bed. Hunched on the dirt floor, the creature looked like a small animal.
It was a dirty, very thin little girl about four years old with big, sad eyes. Daisy, the youngest. Her ash-brown hair was matted and dirty. Arianna aimed the pencil-thin beam of light over the girl. Her pink dress was stained and torn. A small patch of dried blood was on the collar.
Breath fled her. Who could do this to a child? Memories rushed back; the awful, pinching hunger, the fear, hopelessness and despair, and the terrible aloneness, thinking no one would ever rescue her.
The girl crawled away from her, into the corner.
Heart pounding hard, Arianna whipped her gaze around and saw Kyle’s tight expression. Silence fell in the cabin. The other children were hiding.
Arianna spoke in a gentle whisper. “It’s all right. We’re like you and here to help you. We’re not with the bad men who hurt you. We’re here to take you home to your parents. They miss you very much.”
A small rustling in the corner, like mice.
“Tend to the little one,” he whispered. “I’ll get some light in here, try to reassure them into coming out.”
He lit a small oil lamp on a shelf. A soft yellow glow illuminated the cabin, detailing the decrepit conditions. Arianna crouched down before the little girl, making soothing noises. No response. Insight hit her. She shifted into wolf and whined.
Still, Daisy did not respond.
But the other children did.
From behind a rotting chair in a corner, a boy and girl crept out. Kyle crouched down, shone the light away from their eyes.
“Hey there. We’re not going to hurt you. We’re here to help.” Her guardian spoke in the same deep, soothing tones he’d used to lure her out of the hollowed log where Arianna had hidden years ago. Gone was the feral beast intent on mating with her, replaced by the caring, compassionate Lupine who knew how to tame wild, frightened creatures to his strong hand.
At the sight of her siblings, the younger girl scampered over to them. The boy clutched her hand, his expression fierce. A young, proud Lupine. His name was Jessie, his older sister was Amanda.
Arianna vowed never to forget their names.
He was nearly twelve; the older sister looked about eight. Both wore loose, frayed clothing much too light for these colder elevations. Jessie looked mistrustful, but Amanda seemed traumatized, her vacuous eyes looking past Kyle at the door, as if she feared someone else would soon enter the cabin.
Arianna shifted back, clothed herself and stood.
“What are your names?” Kyle asked.
No response.
A lump clogged Arianna’s throat. “They won’t give them to you because their names are all they have left as a defense. Once you give out your name, you give your captor power over you.”
Jessie’s swung over to her. He clutched the girl’s hand in a protective manner. Arianna’s heart gave a vicious twist. She studied the children, forcing back memories she’d tried long to suppress.
“You have to shift into your wolf. It will reassure them you’re just like me,” she told Kyle.
When he did, suspicion vanished from Jessie’s face and Amanda relaxed. Even Daisy finally lost her vacant look.
“You’re one of us,” Jessie said.
“Yes, we both are.” Arianna gave him a reassuring smile.
“Then you’re not going to beat us?” Amanda girl whispered.
Her guardian needed to release his fury, and he didn’t want to scare the children.
She crouched down at their level. “You’re Jessie,” she told the boy. “I found your scent and the trail you left for us to follow. Good job. You’re very smart.”
He gave a small smile. “I knew someone would find it, hoped someone would find it soon. Daisy’s only four, and she hasn’t eaten much since they took us.”
Daisy hugged herself, rocking back and forth. Self-soothing behavior. Arianna knew it well.
She picked up the girl, holding her close as Daisy’s siblings sat on the bed.
“We heard one of you cry out as we hiked up the mountain. Are you injured?” she asked Jessie.
Jessie glanced at his sister. “Amanda got scared when she heard something in the forest. She thought the bad men were coming back.”
When Kyle returned, he motioned for Arianna to join him outside. She handed Daisy to her brother, who cradled his sister in his thin arms, his manner protective.
Arianna touched his arm. “You’ll make a fine alpha one day.”
Outside, she gulped down deep breaths of fresh air, trying to erase the stench of the cabin and its horrors. His jaw working, Kyle regarded the distant peaks. “We have to get them out of here. It turns dark fast in these mountains.”
“Can we make it to the ranch?”
He shook his head. “Too far from here without enough daylight. We’ll have to carry the little one. But we should be able to make my lake house around sunset. It’ll be hard going, but they’ve got to have food and shelter. Out here, on the mountain, they’re an open target.”
“They need to feel safe.”
“If I find the ones who did this...” With considerable effort, he leashed his frustrated rage. Kyle drew in a deep breath. “Let’s go. We have a long hike ahead and the temperature’s going to drop fast as the sun goes down.”
Chapter 7
THEY MADE IT to Kyle’s mountain retreat as the sun began to sink below the mountains. The log cabin had a stone walkway leading to the lake. Behind the cabin was a garden filled with now dead wildflowers, accented by river rocks and guarded by naked cherubs. Some of the statues posed as if ready for flight. Others sat on stone perches, sporting cheerful grins.