by Milly Taiden
Upon reaching a small door, she turned the knob to check the inside. More knives were sitting on the shelves of the pantry area. Erica stepped back, moved down the hall, and neared a larger door.
The room was dark due to the window coverings, but she was still able to see. A bed with chains and belts tied to the posts was located to the right. Erica’s attention was caught by a portable closet. She opened the door and came face to face with a wide-eyed, bound, and very scared Casey Young. A still-alive Casey.
Erica lifted her badge from her chest to show the girl she was there to help. Then she placed a finger to her lips and motioned Casey to stay quiet. Casey nodded sharply. Erica heard a squeaking noise from behind her and turned around to point her gun at the entrance. She didn’t see anything, but her instincts told her someone was near. The girl was battered and bleeding, with duct tape covering her lips. Her hands were bound behind her back, and her feet were tied.
Erica reached into her pocket for a blade. Keeping her vision focused on the door, she cut the bindings from Casey’s feet. She helped Casey take a few steps until she reached the bed. Casey’s weight leaned into Erica’s side. She just wanted to get the girl out of that cabin. It took painstaking minutes to help Casey cut the rope binding her hands behind her back. Erica winced when Casey pulled off the duct tape from her lips, leaving her lips broken and bleeding. The girl stood on shaky legs but walked behind Erica toward the kitchen.
They were a few yards away from the back door when the kitchen door opened. A man held a gun in his hand, his face twisted in rage. Anthony.
“Run!” She turned and shoved Casey backward to the safety of the hallway.
Anthony lifted his gun and pointed it at Erica.
“You can’t have her. She’s mine!” he yelled as Erica lifted her own weapon.
A loud, piercing growl made Anthony’s attention snap to the other side of the kitchen. A huge white wolf bared his teeth and rushed toward them. Anthony fired at the large wolf.
“No!” Erica screamed and fired at Anthony. The animal leaped through the air and took Anthony down with his massive body. Anthony screamed and shot blindly at the wolf. Loud snarls and growls filled the air. She couldn’t shoot again for fear of hitting the wolf. Erica watched in horror as Anthony was mauled by the wolf. More shots rang out, over and over.
“Trent!”
The wolf continued to maul the man until all that was left was a bloody mess. Anthony’s lifeless body lay on the ground surrounded by a pool of blood. The wolf moved toward her, took a few steps, stopped, and fell to his side.
She rushed forward, dropping to the ground next the large furry body. “Trent?”
His body contorted, and his bones popped. The wolf howled. It looked so painful she glanced away. The sound of cracking bones became hard for her to hear, making her nauseated. When it stopped she peeked back at a naked, bleeding Trent.
“Oh god. Tell me what to do. Tell me how to help you, please!”
Her heart stopped beating when she saw the gunshot wounds.
He panted and groaned. “I’ll be ok. Just need to shift back.”
“Why did you shift to human in the first place?”
“Because… I had to tell you…Erica…I love you.”
“Shift dammit! Go back to your furry-tailed body and fix yourself. Please,” she demanded in a panic, her voice hoarse. Her heartbeat thundered wildly in her chest.
His bones twisted, making that painful-sounding noise. A knot formed in her throat, expanding along with the fear filling her veins.
“You’ll be ok, Trent.”
She dialed Brock, all the while putting pressure on the wounds she saw bleeding. Fear mounted inside her, and tears dripped down her cheeks, but she refused to believe he would be anything other than ok. She laid her head over his furry chest to listen to his heartbeat. He could not just tell her he loved her and die. She wouldn’t let him.
Chapter Twelve
Erica contemplated Trent while he slept. She didn’t want to risk him waking and finding her there, so she left after checking his vitals and speaking to his doctor. Apparently shifters were quick at healing, but Trent was shot so many times it took longer for him to heal. Brock brought him into a specialized area of a government hospital to let him continue his recuperation.
It was still hard for her to remember the sounds of the shooting. There had been ten shots in all. His body pushed most of the bullets out, but some had to be removed by doctors. She’d been amazed that after two days he was almost back to fully operational. His wounds, wounds that would’ve killed any other man, had only delayed his healing. Visiting him while he slept allowed her to check his progress and gave her the chance to watch him heal without him actually knowing she was there. If he knew she was there, she was afraid he’d start questioning her on the future of their relationship, a relationship she wasn’t sure really existed.
It didn’t matter that she didn’t do relationships; she still had feelings, deep ones, for Trent. But she knew that what they’d shared in New York had been something that wouldn’t last. He was a ladies’ man, and while she’d wanted to, she wasn’t sure she could figure out how to make a relationship work.
It was her last time visiting Trent. She knew he’d be released in a few days and didn’t want to chance him finding her in his hospital room.
Outside his door she bumped into Brock.
“Erica.” He grabbed her before she stepped back and hit the doorframe. She glanced up and caught him frowning at her. “Where are you going?”
“Home. I just wanted to make sure he was fine.” She pulled away. Her gaze went back to the sleeping Trent, and her heart constricted. She wanted to give him a hug and hold him tight.
“He’ll be released tomorrow or the day after,” Brock said.
“I know.” She took a step toward the elevators. Clearly, Brock wasn’t ready to stop talking, because he followed her.
“Are you still beating yourself up over not realizing Anthony Holmes was our killer?”
She stopped and looked up at his face. “I should have known he was linked to Derek.”
Brock shook his head. “You couldn’t have known about sibling rivalry. You weren’t raised in a normal household. It was impossible for you to guess.”
“I should have realized it when he was in all the photos but then wasn’t around.”
“How? Magic? He wasn’t showing his face in any of the pictures.”
“But everyone mentioned how he was always with his brother. I didn’t pick up on it when I should have.”
“You know this is like putting a puzzle together. We were given clues and we tried to fit the pieces into different slots. Sometimes we figure it out faster than others. It’s part of the job. You stopped him. You need to let it go.”
She sighed and headed to the elevators.
“Erica…”
“Yes?”
“Give the man a chance,” he said after a moment.
She stopped in front of the elevator bank and glanced up into Brock’s concerned eyes.
“What are you talking about?” She gulped. Was it that obvious that she had feelings for Trent?
He shrugged. “Trent cares about you.”
Did he? He’d said he loved her, but what if he didn’t mean it? Maybe that was adrenaline and fear talking, because he thought was going to die. “He cares about all women, Brock.”
“If you love him, why not take a chance? Why not give him the benefit of the doubt?” Brock smiled with understanding. “He put his own life at risk for yours. I really think you need to think about that before cutting him off.”
How much more did she need to trust him? If she were going to follow her heart, something she’d never done before, then she needed to know he was fully committed too. The way things stood she had no idea what Trent was thinking. They hadn’t had a single conversation since he’d been brought home.
“You’ve made it difficult for him to speak to you. He wakes up s
ometimes, and when he does, you’re all he asks for.” Brock sighed in frustration.
She looked up at her long-time friend and finally admitted her biggest concern. “I’m scared. What if he decides I’m too weird for him?”
Brock pulled her into a hug. “I don’t think there’s any chance of that. You’re amazing, and he knows it.”
But he hadn’t told Erica that. And she needed to hear it from him before she jumped into a pool without knowing how to swim. Relationships were scary things. She had never committed to anyone, so it was weird to think of being committed to someone like Trent. The truth was that underneath all the bullshit, he was a nice guy. And he made her happy. She pulled away from Brock and walked into the elevator.
“I’ll see you in a few days.” She waved when the door started to shut. Brock nodded and turned back toward the room. Trent was going to be fine, and she needed a break after the last case. Brock had insisted she take vacation. Her time off, away from the aftermath and paperwork, was needed for her mental health.
* * *
Two days later, Erica was home, still wearing her pajamas, when her bell rang. She had just finished her first cup of coffee. She opened the door and was immediately grabbed by a pair of hands and hauled into a muscular body.
She gasped. It took nanoseconds for her resistance to melt. A whimper sounded in the back of her throat when he licked and nipped at her lips. His tongue flicked over hers in slow, sensuous waves that pushed her to rub closer to him. Fire erupted in her veins, and all her focus narrowed to just feeling him touch her. His hands gripped her hips and held her in place while the steel of his cock rubbed against her belly. A sliver of logic broke through the sensual haze. Jesus, what the hell was she doing?
Blindly, she stepped back out of his grasp. She needed to put some distance between them.
She cleared her throat and watched him try to catch his breath. The smoldering look he gave her did nothing to help her think. “Trent. How…um, how are you feeling?”
Erica stepped back and away from Trent. His eyes were bright, and his wild side was visible in his tightly drawn features. Her pussy clenched and desire flooded her body.
“I’m feeling like you are trying to hide from me.” He took a step toward her.
She blinked at his accusation. “Why would I try to hide from you?”
“I don’t know. I tell you I love you, and all of a sudden I never see you again.” He took another step toward her.
She tried to focus on his words, but it was hard when he looked so good and she’d missed him so much. All she could think of was licking his jaw and biting his sexy lip. Holy crap. How the hell was she supposed to stay away and work with him while feeling like that?
She folded her arms over her chest. “You love all women, Trent.”
“No, I don’t. I’m nice to all women. I’ve never told anyone I love them other than my mother.” He was closing the distance between them fast.
Erica, shocked into immobility, almost jumped out of her skin when he grabbed her by her arms. She looked up into his sexy eyes, and warmth spread through her. “You’re the first woman I’ve said I love you to. It would’ve been a lie to say it before, so I never did. Erica, you’re my mate. My mate.”
“Trent, I don’t know…”
His hand moved up to caress her cheek. “What about your family? You’re a shifter! What will they think of you being with a human?”
She gnawed on her lip.
“Once you meet my mom and sisters, you’ll see there’s nothing to fear. They’re amazing. They’ll love you. They know you’re my mate. You’re the woman I love, and that’s all that’s important to them.” He rubbed her arms, soothing her concern. “You might think me a Casanova, but the truth is I have never been out with more than one woman at a time.”
He continued to hold her, giving her that soft look that melted the insides of her heart. “My mom always says that just because something didn’t work out didn’t mean I had to become an insensitive jerk. Besides, my mom and sisters would have my head if I treated any woman poorly. Trust me they’re going to love you as much as I love you.”
“I’ve never had a family. What if I mess up? What if I don’t fit in?”
“That’s what I’m here for, to help you up whenever you fall. Nothing is ever going to be perfect. Take a chance on me, please.” His voice was rough and emotional. She wanted to leap away from the fear and into what he was proposing, but she was scared.
“But…but what if you change your mind afterward?” The thought alone made her want to cry.
“You’re my mate. Don’t you understand what that means? You are the only woman for me and my wolf. There will be no changing my mind. I don’t want anyone else. I love you. I know you’re unique, and you don’t see things like other women.” He stopped, lowered his head, and gave her a light kiss on her lips. “But that’s what makes you so special, and I wouldn’t change that about you for anything in the world.”
He stepped away from her, and she wanted to ask him to hold her again.
“You care about these victims more than anyone, because you know how much they suffered. I know you find it hard to trust people. I’m not going to rush you into it. We can take things slowly. But I can’t let you go.” He stepped in front of her again and cupped her face with his hands. The determination in his gaze turned possessive. “I won’t let you go.”
The feelings she’d been trying to suppress bubbled up inside her and made her eyes water. She fisted her hands at her sides, hoping to control the need to jump him and hug him to death. He must have seen her emotional turmoil, because his voice lowered to a soothing whisper. “I love you, Erica. Only you. No one else but you. Can you love me back?”
She nodded, unable to fight her feelings any longer. “I love you too, Trent.” The words came out a watery whisper. Her hands went up around his neck and hugged him close to her.
“Thank god, sweetheart.” He pulled back and glanced down at her. “So can you give us a chance? You and me together. No timestamp and no expiration date?” He looked at her straight in the eyes. The love she saw in his eyes made the decision for her.
Her throat closed up but she managed to answer him. “Yes. But know this means you won’t be able to date other women. If you do I’ll have to kick your ass.”
He laughed. “We seriously need to talk about this violence, love. I told you, I only want you.”
And then he kissed her with so much tenderness her heart soared. For the first time in her life, she felt someone truly cared. And she wanted to trust him. He’d put her life before his own. He understood she was different and loved her anyway. No one had ever done that.
When he picked her up in his arms, she squealed and pointed him to the bedroom. Now that she had agreed to be his, she wanted to feel his body filling hers again.
“Let’s go to bed.” He nuzzled her lips. “I want to show you how much I love you.”
She sighed, dropped her head into the curve of his shoulder, and smiled as he carried her to her room.
Epilogue
Erica lay back in Trent’s arms, taking in the sunset and the warm Caribbean air caressing her skin. His lips trailed the back of her ear down to her shoulder. She sighed and turned her face to allow their lips to meet in a hot kiss.
“So what did Brock want?” Trent asked after nibbling on her lips and turning her brain into a useless puddle of goo.
“Hmm?” Her eyes closed as she enjoyed the feel of her new husband’s hands sliding up and down her stomach.
He laughed and moved his hands up to cup her breasts over her bikini.
“You are such a tease.” She groaned.
“Tell me what Brock wanted, and I can make this so good you’ll be screaming my name in seconds. And I know you love screaming my name,” he whispered and licked the shell of her ear, making her shiver.
“He wanted to complain about his new boss.” She sighed and melted back into him. Her legs widened, allowing
one of his hands to dip between her thighs and into her bikini bottom. His fingers spread her pussy lips and massaged her clit. She moaned and rolled her hips on his digits, looking for penetration.
He chuckled. “Uh-uh. What else did he say?”
She growled. “He’s not happy… The new team member is a woman he knew…from when he was in college. Apparently they have…uh, unresolved issues.”
Trent’s hands stopped moving. “What do you mean a woman he knew? As in someone he dated?”
She nodded. “Um hm. Trent, please. I’m dying here.”
“I got you baby. You’ll be calling me god in about a minute.”
She laughed. She was glad she’d taken a chance on the love of her wolf, because he was well worth it.
~ About the Author ~
Want to know about me? Milly Taiden (aka April Angel) was born in the prettiest part of the Caribbean known as the Dominican Republic. She grew up between New York, Florida and Massachusetts. Currently, she resides in New York City with her husband, bossy young son and their little dog Speedy.
She’s addicted to shopping for shoes, chocolate (but who isn’t?) and Dunkin Donuts coffee.
A bookworm when she can get her hands on a good story, she loves reading all Mina Carter, Cynthia Sax and Dianne Duvall among others.
Find out more about Milly Taiden here:
Email: [email protected]
Website: http://www.millytaiden.com
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/fansofmillytaiden
Facebook Friend Page: http://www.facebook.com/milly.taiden
Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/millytaiden
~ Acknowledgements ~
This book is for some very special people I love:
Jewels Fernandez. Since day one you became my biggest fan, always cheering me on and encouraging me through each of the times I’ve had the ‘I suck its.’ You’ve made time to read my books, even when you’re sick, just so I can feel comfortable submitting.