“You don’t have a choice,” he responded, struggling against the pain that sliced through him with the realization that she’d tried to sneak off while he’d slept after the glorious night they’d shared.
Sky turned and headed for the door.
“Touch that door and you’ll regret it!”
She spun on him angrily, “Damn it, York! You can’t keep me here.”
“I’m trying to be a good mate and grant you some leave, but you’re making it difficult,” he snarled.
“Leave!” Sky’s voice hitched in incredulity before her brows lowered in a fierce scowl. “Grant me some leave?” She stepped forward and jabbed him in the chest with a finger. “You don’t grant me anything, York McDonnough! I am my own woman, and I make my own decisions.”
Now it was York’s turn to scowl. “Not where your safety is an issue! I will let you do as you please, my heart, but not if it puts you in jeopardy.”
Sky snorted before smiling menacingly, “We’ll just see about that!” She turned to head for the door, but her feet left the ground when York’s large arm circled her waist.
“Damn it, York! Put me down! I’m not a friggin’ baby!”
“You’re my baby,” he growled at her ear, “and I will take your wrath over your proximity to danger any day.”
Sky struggled for a few moments before giving up with an exasperated sigh. The big lug was just too damn strong for her. Sighing dejectedly, she crossed her arms over her chest. “I don’t understand what the big deal is! I just wanna go outside!”
“I said I’d bring you whatever you want.” He carried her to the bedroom and kicked the door closed before setting her on her feet.
“It’s not the same!” She pouted, her lips forming a moue of displeasure. “I want to go out. I’m tired of being holed up in here.” She frowned up at him, “What’s so dangerous? That guy from the bar? I’m pretty sure I put him in his place.”
“You’re wrong, Sky.” How he longed to tell her of the Megalya.
“You can’t keep me here.”
“Wrong.”
“I don’t belong to you!”
He was on her in a flash. One second she was challenging him and the next she was pinned to the wall, with her arms held above her head and her legs spread by the knee that forced itself between them. “Wrong again!” His eyes glinted in warning. “You are mine, Sky. You always have been, and from the first time I drove into that tight little pussy, you always will be.”
“First time?” she scoffed. “Only time. That mistake won’t happen again.”
“Mistake?”
Sky swore she saw regret simmer beneath his expression as he stood over her, his face brooding. She lowered her head, turning her face from him. “I’m not trying to bait you into a fight, York.”
“And I’m not trying to bite that bait, but you need to understand that you are mine, Sky, and I’ll do whatever it takes to keep you safe. You can’t go out.”
Angry tears shimmered in her eyes. “I want to leave.”
Fuck! “No.”
“I’m not asking you.” “I’m telling you that I’m leaving.”
Damn, is this it? He knew he’d have to tell her about Skin Walkers and Megalya eventually, he’d just hoped that he could wait to get her back to Montana first.
“I’m not yours!”
It wasn’t a scream, but damn close, and he saw her eyes widen just ever so slightly at her slip of control. He was getting to her in ways no one had before.
Lowering her right hand, he slowly lifted a hand to her hair and gently massaged several glossy strands between his fingers. He wanted to declare his love for her, but knew the prematurity of it would frighten her. She thought she didn’t believe in love, and she wore the fallacy like a coat of armor. Worse, telling someone who thought she was immune to love that you loved her after knowing her a few short days would only disenchant her further. He knew that humans felt they needed to build love. To them, love was something that blossomed over time like a well nurtured flower. How could he tell her that he was different? That he loved her wholly the moment he saw her? He couldn’t. Not without explaining exactly what he was, and if he thought his declaration of love would scare her off, then him telling her that he was a shape shifter would send her over the edge.
Sky pulled back and eyed the door. Sidestepping, he blocked the door from her view. His voice was gentle, “My heart.”
“Don’t call me that,” she snapped and crossed her arms over her chest before turning and stalking to the window.
He watched her standing there looking out at the world. Waves of anguish and loneliness were rolling off her. She needed something…someone, and he was here.
“I’m…I’m a Skin Walker, Sky.”
Whatever reaction he thought the announcement would garner, it wasn’t her immobile non-response. He knew she’d heard him. “We’re a rare breed and Shy’s mate, Leto, is one as well.”
She didn’t turn from the window, but he could see the interest that sparked to life in her reflection. “What are you? Some kind of gang?”
He smirked. A gang? I wish! “No, my heart. We’re…” He took a step, planting himself more fully in front of the door, in case she made a run for it. “We’re shape shifters.” Eyes riveted on her reflection in the large window, he saw her expression blank before her fine brows speared down, and she spun on him with vehemence.
“Are you fucking kidding?” Her hands dropped to her sides to ball into tiny fists. “You’re a nut job?” She eyed the room frantically and rushed to one of the small coffee tables to jerk a lamp free, holding it up like a baseball bat. “I’ve been holed up here with you, and you’re some fucking crazy lunatic? Get away from the door.”
“Sky, I’m not…”
“GET AWAY FROM THE DOOR!”
Okay, she was screaming now. “Shhhh,” he soothed, holding out his hands. “It’s okay, my heart. It’s alright. You’re safe. I’m not crazy.”
She eyed the door and then him. “I-I wanna leave. Please move.”
He scented her fear. She actually thought he was a lunatic. Dropping his hands he looked at her softly. “Don’t scream.” Then, he shifted. He tried to think of a form that wouldn’t be too intimidating. He morphed down to a sleek red wolf and watched as the lamp slipped from her fingers and crashed to the floor as she fainted.
Racing forward, he was able to take the brunt of her weight on his wolf’s back before he shifted back to his true form, lifting her into his arms as he did so. He placed her gently on the bed and then hurried to the bathroom to wet a cloth for her head.
Chapter 13
Sky came to with York leaning over her, concern reflecting in the green pools of his eyes. “My heart,” he whispered.
She swallowed hard. Had she really seen… She pushed his hand away and sat up to stare at her knees as she processed what she’d just learned about him.
Drawing in a shaky breath, she looked at him. “Is Shy okay?”
Typical. Her first concern wasn’t for herself but for her twin. “Yes.”
One hand spread over her thigh, and her eyes rounded in fear. She stammered, “Is-is anything going to happen to me?”
He knew what she was asking. She wanted to know if she’d be changed because they’d made love. Baby steps, he cautioned himself and lied. “No.” She visibly relaxed, and he was glad for it.
“W-what else do I need to know?”
Good girl. She was taking it much better than he’d expected. Now, he just had to convince her that she needed to stay with him. “That man from the bar wasn’t alone, Sky. When I retrieved you from your motel, he had someone with him. Some thing!”
Her expression grew wary. “What do you mean some ‘thing’?”
“I know this is a lot to take in right now, but I don’t have the time I’d like to ease you into this. The creature with the man is called a Megalya. They are an enemy to my kind, Skin Walkers.”
“Are they shifters?”
“No, but they want to be. They hunt us in hopes of taking our abilities.”
“Take your abilities?” She ran her eyes over his body. “How? Can you give them away?” She inched a little further from him.
“No.” He didn’t want to have to tell her, but knew it’d incite the respect she needed to survive the situation they were in. “They drink our blood.”
“Vampires?” she gasped.
“No. Worse.” He grabbed her hand. “They kill us and drain our bodies.” He lifted a hand to the band around his throat. “They take our halos as trophies. They are pure evil, Sky, and they’re after you.”
“Me!” A slender hand collared her throat. “Why would they want…” her eyes darted back and forth, and then she blinked and looked up at him. “Skin Walker procreation.” She jumped up from the bed to pace furiously, sorting out loud. “They think I’m the key to Skin Walker procreation. You’re a Skin Walker and we…” She stopped pacing. “Shy’s had a child from your brother. A Skin Walker.” She felt all the blood drain from her face. “They want me because I can get pregnant by one of you and give them a…” She didn’t finish. She couldn’t. The thought of a beast taking a baby, her baby, to feed from it had her racing to the bathroom and dropping to her knees in front of the toilet.
York hurried after her and dropped to a knee at her side. He tucked her hair behind her ears and rubbed gently at her back as she retched. When she stopped he wet a cloth and rubbed it at her mouth before sitting on the floor and pulling her into his arms. The scent of her fear and distress was gut wrenching. He hated that the Megalya could affect her so without even being near her. He’d kill them all for that fact alone. His expression darkened, radiating sheer power. “I’ll protect you with my life,” he promised, “but I will not permit you to leave. When my mission’s up I’ll take you home, but for now, you have to trust me and stay with me. I can and will protect you.”
What could she say? There was no other choice. She certainly wasn’t going to face some cannibalistic monsters on her own. She might be a badass, but even she knew she wasn’t that tough. “Why do we have to stay?” She couldn’t help but ask, even knowing how cowardly it sounded. “Why can’t we just go back to America now and leave them here?”
He hated to have to tell her the truth. “There are Megalya in the States as well.”
“No,” she whimpered and curled a hand in the front of his shirt.
“Don’t worry. We live at Apex. There are no Megalya there.”
Apex? She’d never heard of it. Was it a town? It didn’t really matter. He lived at Apex. When she went back to her life, back to her own apartment, she’d be alone. “What about Shy?” she asked. “Is she safe at Apex?”
“Shy’s not at Apex. She and Leto reside at StoneCrow.”
She shook her head. “I don’t know where that is.”
“It’s in Montana as well. Walkers have two strongholds. Apex and StoneCrow. Monroe StoneCrow rules where Shy and Leto are. At Apex, we answer to Tyce Steele.
She’d read her fair share of werewolf novels. “Are they the Alphas?”
York smiled softly. “Yes, they are what you would recognize as Alphas.”
“What are you?” She studied him knowing that his strength and power must give him a prominent role. “Are you a Beta?”
“No,” he smiled. “Our leaders are called Dominants. I am a Sentry. We are the enforcers. The soldiers. Skin Walkers exist in five differing stages; each stage is more skilled and powerful than the next. Like our ancestors, all Walkers have the ability to shape-shift, but we do so in varying degrees.
“Stage one Walkers are typically the extremely young Walkers, children and teens who aren’t yet versed in their heritage and abilities. Stage two Walkers are slightly more advanced. They are able to shift to the form of one animal, but only for a limited amount of time. Stage three Walkers, like myself, can shift freely to a few different animal forms.
“Stage four Walkers, like Monroe and his Chief of Security, King, are much more advanced. They possess the ability to shift to any form of animal for any length of time. Some think that Stage four Walkers are psychic; but it’s simply their keen sense of smell that allows them to detect other’s emotions. Dominants, like StoneCrow and Tyce, my boss, are our leaders.
“The rarest of us all are known as Indigenous Walkers. Our history and beliefs say that they are descendants of ancient Anasazi Walkers. They can shift to any animal form, for any length of time, but they also possess the keenest senses of all Walkers. There is even a belief that Indigenous Walkers possess the ability to control the elements.”
It made sense. It was weird, but it made sense. “Tell me about where Shy is.”
“StoneCrow,” he reminded her. “It’s a fortified manor. It looks like a castle really. It’s built into the mountainside. It’s four stories tall and has several cabins on the grounds as well. The entire estate is surrounded by a wall. No one gets in or out without permission. She’s safe, my heart.”
Sitting quietly, she processed all the information. To his credit, York didn’t push her. He simply held her and waited.
“You didn’t answer me,” she peeked up. “When are we leaving?”
“Soon, love. Trust me; I don’t want you here any longer than necessary. Monroe has asked me to track the Megalya that are here. We have to keep tabs on them, so we know where our enemies are. If they’re going to build a hive here, I’ve got to report it.”
“Hive?”
They congregate in underground facilities. We call them hives. It’s where they take their victims, and… He let his words die off.
“I want to go home,” she moaned. For the first time in her life, she missed her crappy little apartment back in Washington State.
“Soon,” he promised pulling her into him and bending to kiss the top of her head. “Soon.”
Chapter 14
“I’m coming with you,” Sky argued.
“No. You’re not!”
They’d spent the day together. Mostly, York had answered the numerous questions Sky had, but after dinner when he’d informed her that he was going out, all hell had broken loose, and he couldn’t blame his Sky. She was too afraid to stay alone, and he was equally afraid to leave her, but he was just as fearful of bringing her with him.
“What if I have a run-in with them? It’s possible, Sky. It’d be best if you stay here.”
“NO!” Her eyes rounded in fear as she stared at the door. “What if they come and take me while you’re gone?” She walked up to him and grabbed his shirt. “Please, don’t leave me here.”
Fuck! How could he say no when she looked at him like that? Worse, he could scent her fear. She was genuinely terrified of the Megalya finding her while he was out.
“You said you’d protect me.”
He stiffened.
“So do it!”
***
“Stay back,” York hissed quietly, planting a hand against Sky’s chest and pushing her back against the wall. Bringing her had been a bad idea. He’d found a hive. Or so he thought, but he couldn’t get close to it without leaving Sky unprotected. Something he couldn’t do with so many Megalya in the vicinity. He cursed under his breath. If he’d left her at the motel, he could have shifted to bird form and flown above the area. As it was, he was relegated to lurking in back alleys with Sky in tow.
Watching as a Megalya ducked into an underground parking garage, York decided he’d take Sky back to their hotel and come back while she slept.
“Come on.” He grabbed her hand, pulling her quickly along behind him as he hurried in the opposite direction of the Megalya.
“Did you see a hive? Is it here?”
He didn’t answer. The fine hairs on the back of his neck were on end, and something just didn’t feel right. He pulled Sky closer and moved faster.
“York?”
He heard the fear in her voice, but couldn’t respond. His inner beasts were surfacing with the warning that was cour
sing through him. Turning, he ducked down an alley. A short cut, but he slammed to a halt when a figure appeared in the darkened end of the alley before him.
Sky slammed into his back and cursed “Shit!” She made to go around him, but his hands locked on her hips and held her immobile. “York?” She peeked around him and saw the shadowy figure. She swallowed hard when another joined it, then another, and another.
“When the fighting starts, run to the stairwell at the end of the alley,” York ordered darkly.
Fighting? What fighting? No!
Sky gripped his arm, “Let’s run!”
“We can’t outrun them.” He was peeling off his jacket. “Do as I said and run when I tell you.”
“B-but what about you?”
“I’m a Walker, Sky. I’m trained to kill. Don’t worry about me; just get your ass back to our hotel. Have the front desk re-dial the last number I called and tell whoever answers that you’re an Angel, and you need immediate extraction.”
Sky was shaking her head, “What? No! I’m not leaving you!” She looked down the alley and couldn’t stifle the chills that raced down her spine.
There were four men…Megalya, coming toward them now. They looked almost human, but it was unnerving how they all looked the same. Each man was wearing a long, dark trench coat in the stifling Philippine heat. None of the men had hair, and their skin was an eerie, pasty white.
One by one the hulking men jerked off their coats and discarded their dark glasses, and Sky gasped. They were thick, with heavy muscle, but not like York. They looked…stocky, but that wasn’t what had Sky recoiling. All of the men had completely black eyes that made them appear demonic, and if that wasn’t terrifying enough, as they each opened their mouths to snarl or hiss the action revealed wickedly sharp teeth set in jaws that appeared to unhinge as their mouths opened impossibly wide.
Land sharks! It was the first thing that popped into Sky’s mind, and so terrified was she that she didn’t even notice York was shaking her until he barked, “SKY!”
She blinked several times and jerked her gaze from the beasts coming toward them to gape at the man who was now rubbing her arms in a comforting gesture.
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