Never Die

by N. L. Hoffmann

  Again, Luke squeezed my thigh. “Let’s talk over here. Riley doesn’t need to hear this.”

  “Hold up. I can handle this conversation. Don’t try to hide information from me. Understand?” I asked, hopping out of the truck. I had to brace myself against the door, but I held my head up high, determined to show them I could be strong. “I didn’t like my father, so it’s not like I’m going to fall apart into a puddle of tears.”

  Taking a deep breath, Luke nodded for Hank to continue. Hank pulled up his pants, his stomach forcing them back down. “He’s been dead for over a week. We aren’t sure where it happened yet, but the Medical Examiner is going to let us know once they figure out the object that hit him.”

  “This Pack is making a mess of this entire town,” Luke said, rubbing his chin.

  “Thatcher family already did that,” I muttered, earning a disapproving glare from Luke.

  “We have dead bodies everywhere. Soon, someone is going to get wind of it, and the media will be down here causing a circus. We have to nip this in the bud, ASAP,” Luke told Hank. “Which will be taken care of tomorrow when Lance faces his challenger. Whatever the outcome, it has to be an improvement. I don’t see the other Pack murdering more people if they take over Lance’s territory.”

  “You don’t have much confidence in your brother,” I pointed out.

  Luke placed both hands on my shoulders as he stared intently at me. “It’s not that I don’t have confidence in him. It’s just that I don’t think the other Pack is going to play by the rules.”

  *

  Pacing in my room, I looked out the window of Luke’s house. I didn’t want to stay at his place, but then again, he had a point about my not being safe. It was better to be around numbers instead of alone. Still, I had to wonder where Annie was. She had been in that car, I was sure of it. Yet, she was nowhere to be found. We stopped by the restaurant to pick up dinner, and when we spoke to Betty, she told us that Annie hadn’t been around lately. Fear consumed me as I thought up every ridiculous scenario for what could have happened to her. Maybe they took her, and she was a hostage with Jenny. What if she was dead, too, like my parents? My stomach started to get upset from my nerves. Placing my hand over it, I sat down on the edge of the bed. Eventually, I would have to come out of the room.

  I hadn’t eaten dinner yet. My excuse had been that I wanted to lie down for a while. I was told that would be a bad idea, considering my concussion, but I ignored them, and headed up the stairs anyway. Lance found my bucking up against authority amusing. He just shook his head, grinning the entire time. He was very calm for someone whose daughter was missing. Maybe he had a plan. Or maybe he was just that confident he could beat his challenger.

  Getting back up, I headed toward the door. It was time to face the music. I’d have to get over my problem with being in Luke’s home. Having others around me was better than being alone and vulnerable. It was obvious that whoever was trying to kill me would go at great lengths to make sure I ended up six feet under.

  Besides, it’s not like I had a hotel room to go back to.

  The men were still sitting around the kitchen table when I came downstairs. Brad was at the hospital still, and probably would be for days, maybe even weeks. How did someone come back from a wound like that, anyway? Would it help him that he was a werewolf? Could we heal those types of wounds?

  “Your dinner is on the counter, there.” Luke gestured to the white takeout box behind me.

  Grabbing it, I went to sit at the table, looking around the room. I hadn’t bothered to examine his house much the last time I was there. The kitchen was actually really big and roomy, designed for someone who liked to cook. It had been updated recently, with dark marbled counter tops and stainless steel appliances. The floor was stone and cold beneath my bare feet. It was designed beautifully, and I admired him for his craftsmanship. There was no doubt in my mind that he did the entire thing by himself.

  The rest of the house needed to be updated. It looked like it was all a work in progress, and the kitchen had been his first project. I couldn’t begin to guess how old the house was. It seemed he could keep busy in it for a few years. I never could be as motivated as he was. The most physical activity I did on a regular basis was shower.

  “The full moon is tonight, Riley,” Luke began.

  I rolled my eyes. “Not this again.”

  “You need to take this seriously. Everything is going to change for you tonight, despite what you think.” Luke took a drink of his soda while staring me down. “You may be able to keep your distance from me now, but once the mate-bond is sealed by the moon’s light, there’s no way you can deny me.”

  “I guess that would be the same for you, huh?” I asked.

  Lance chuckled. “You have no idea. You think he’s up your ass now, wait until the full moon.”

  Shoving him with his elbow, Luke glared. “I’m not up her ass.”

  “No, you’re more confused than that,” I opened up my box of food. It was cold, but the BLT sandwich would still taste the same. When I took a bite of it, I hummed with pleasure. Why was food so good to me now? Before, I barely remembered to eat. After the werewolf change, it was like I couldn’t get enough of it. Everything tasted amazing, all the time.

  “I don’t see how I’m confused,” Luke said, slightly offended.

  “Want me, don’t want me—you know? You can’t make up your mind, and during this indecision, you’re dragging my heart through the shredder.” I took another bite, humming some more. “God, this is heaven.”

  “All of your senses are heightened since becoming a werewolf. We have so much to explain to you about becoming one of us. I knew the moment I bit you that you’d make a great wolf. You’re the first female I’ve turned.” Lance took a bite of his burger, but his eyes widened when he saw me coming at him with my hands outstretched for his neck.

  We fell to the floor as I toppled over him. He cried out in surprise, head hitting the stone floor. I lifted my fist, prepared to hit him in the face, but Luke grabbed my arm. “Stop it!” he growled.

  “He turned me! He made me this way.” I jerked my arm, trying to wiggle from Luke’s grasp.

  Lance started laughing, eyes shining with unshed tears. “Keep wiggling like that, darling, and someone may be happy to see you.”

  “Get off him!” Luke pulled me away, causing me to fall backwards on the floor.

  I lifted myself up off the floor, onto my elbows, glaring in Lance’s direction. “You dick!” I shouted, moving to attack him again.

  “You should have stayed out of the woods, Riley. You aren’t as stealthy as you think. You might as well have been screaming your intentions at the top of your lungs.” Lance climbed to his feet, rubbing the back of his head.

  Luke went over and slammed a fist in his brother’s face. Blood spurted out of Lance’s nose. He groaned, reaching with his hand to cover the flow of the stream. “What the fuck was that for?” Lance demanded.

  “For changing her without her permission.”

  “She shot at one of my people.”

  “After you bit me!” I shouted. Huffing, I glanced back over at my food, and then went back to sit down. Hunger was making me delirious. Ordinarily, I didn’t attack people, but that could have been another side effect of becoming a werewolf.

  The sun was just about gone, which meant the moon would be coming out shortly. How long did I have to wait for the changes to begin? I was beginning to get nervous. I set my sandwich back down as I watched as the boys took their seats back at the table. They continued to eat in silence, sending glances in my direction. Maybe they didn’t know what to expect, either. It wasn’t like Lance was mated to anyone. It was possible they didn’t even know what they were talking about.

  Feeling queasy, I sat back in my chair and briefly closed my eyes. The concussion was making me nauseated. I felt like crying, and I wasn’t one to cry. I lost my ability to cry over my problems years ago. But now the overwhelming desire to cry
was there.

  Standing up, I headed toward the stairs. Luke came up behind me, grabbing my arm. “Where are you going? This is going to happen tonight, and I’m not sure what to expect. It’s probably best you stay down here.”

  Feeling dizzy, I turned to hold onto his arm with both my hands. He placed his hands on my hips, a look of concern crossing his features. My whole body began to heat up with desire from his nearness. I stared up into his face, tempted to kiss him, even though my body felt weak. Wanting him was becoming a problem. But at that moment, all I could think about was him lying naked next to me.

  Shaking my head, I pushed away from him. We couldn’t do anything to together anymore. Only I went right back to him, my lips pressing against his as I thrust my tongue into his mouth. He groaned, a combination of surprise and being turned on. I wove my fingers through his hair, pressing him closer to me. It was as if I couldn’t get close enough. I wanted to consume him, and make him mine.

  Realizing these thoughts weren’t normal, I pushed away from him again and headed for the door. I had to get away from him before something bad happened. I was having a nagging feeling that told me whatever was about to happen would change my life permanently. That there would be no escaping if I completed what the moon wanted me to do. What a ridiculous thought. What the moon wanted me to do? Since when did the moon make choices for people?

  Only as I stepped outside and looked up at it, I realized there was something much more powerful there. It was alive, and it controlled werewolves everywhere. That when a mating happened, it was because the moon decided it was those people’s fate to be together. It was then that I realized what Luke did to me was just the first step.

  Panicking, I ran toward the truck, prepared to take off. There was no way in hell I would do what the moon wanted. Yet, she was calling to me, the light from her surrounding me like a veil of magic. “Shouldn’t it be my choice?” I shouted at it, ignoring the bewildered looks of Lance and Luke on the porch of the house.

  I started for the trucks, but I felt the pull again. When I looked behind me, I nearly tripped over a rock. The moon looked a lot closer than it had seconds before. I swung open the truck door, prepared to leave, but something touched my arm. Turning, I came face to face with Luke. He ran a hand up my arm, looking at me from lowered lashes. I was mesmerized by him. I was trapped.

  Chapter Twenty

  Unable to stay away anymore, I went to Luke, placing my lips over his. He groaned, wrapping his arms around me. My tongue dove into his mouth, touching his softly. Urgency taking over, I ran my hand down his stomach and into his pants. He leapt back, chuckling.

  “Let’s go inside,” he said, taking my hand.

  I bit my bottom lip, unsure if I was ready to make such a large step. The heaviness of how serious this decision seemed weighed on my shoulders. But I followed, because I suddenly felt like this was the right choice. I was running away because I didn’t know what the future held. Neither one of us was willing to give, so why was I following him into the house? Because I loved him. Each step I took, the more confident I felt about that statement. It wasn’t because the moon was demanding I finish the mating between us. No, it was because my hand felt perfect in his. His large one over my small one felt more right than anything else in the entire world could.

  Lance left to go somewhere. I didn’t even see what direction he went in, but that didn’t matter because I was following Luke up the stairs to do something that would change the course of our lives forever. As we went up the steps, it felt like the moon was coming with us. On the landing the moon peered in through the windows of each room, lighting up the inside of the house.

  Luke led me into his room, closing the door softly. He raised my shirt over my head, fingers brushing along my skin. I didn’t know if I could take it slow with him. My nerves felt like they were on fire. My teeth ached like I needed to sink them into his skin. I craved his blood. Running my tongue over my teeth, I clenched my fist, staring at his neck. He leaned in, brushing his lips over my shoulder. Moaning, I pressed my body up against his, feeling his hard length against me. I dug my nails into his back, urging him to move down from my shoulder. My nipples were hard, aching for his mouth to taste them. I was becoming impatient, but he had all the control.

  “I need you to fuck me, Luke.” I reached for his jeans, trying to unbutton them. He let me shove them down, but when I tried to grab his cock, he grabbed my hand, grinning.

  “Slow down.”

  “I can’t,” I whined.

  Luke led me to the bed, and I slid over the cool blankets, staring up at him. The man was absolutely gorgeous. It was hard to believe I’d actually landed a Thatcher. I wasn’t sure if that was a good or a bad thing, but I was happy he was mine. Soon, it would mean forever. I didn’t really believe in the whole mating for life thing. That was the nonsense you read about in romance novels. Yet, here it was, happening to me.

  “What are you thinking about?” Luke asked, crawling over to me.

  I fingered his jeans, playing with the button until it came undone. He sucked in his stomach when my fingers brushed along his skin. I reached in, grabbing his length in my hands. He closed his eyes briefly, and then gazed at me with an expression I never thought would come from him. I smiled, leaning in to kiss him softly.

  “What are we going to do after this?” I asked, my worries coming out before I could stop them.

  Luke leaned on his elbow, looking down at me. He trailed his fingers down my side to the button of my jeans. I sighed when his fingers dipped beneath the waistband of my pants. Slowly, he unbuttoned them and began to move the denim down over my hips. I raised them, urging him to continue. His hands felt amazing on my skin. I wanted them all over my body.

  After he took off my jeans completely, he moved to my bra, unclasping the front of it. My breasts exposed, he covered my right nipple with his mouth, flicking it with his tongue. I moaned, arching my back to give him more access. His hand traveled down my stomach, dipping beneath my panties. When he dove his fingers into my wet heat, I cried out. I felt my orgasm building higher the more he flicked his tongue over my nipple and stroked my clit.

  Moaning, my eyes rolled back as the orgasm got closer to the surface. Then he stopped. I whimpered in protest, earning a grin from Luke when he looked down at me. He started pushing off his own pants and boxer briefs. I stared at his erectness, wetting my lips in anticipation. Shifting himself over me, he teased my entry with the tip of his cock. I squirmed, trying to inch closer to him so he could slip inside.

  Deciding I had enough, I pushed him over, swinging my leg over his body so I was straddling him. As he protested, I slid over him, smiling broadly as he filled me completely. I rode him, sliding up and down, slowly at first. He ran his hands up my sides and over my breasts, stroking my nipples with calloused thumbs. I hummed my approval, riding him a little faster.

  “Yes, fuck me, Riley. So perfect. You’re so beautiful.” He growled as I went faster, grinding into him like it was the last time we would ever be doing it.

  Luke stroked my clit, and I could feel the orgasm building again. I bared my teeth in anticipation, feeling the desire to sink my fangs into him. He would be mine. As I crashed over the edge, I cried out, leaning down to bite him in the neck. His blood flooded my mouth, satisfying my thirst for him.

  *

  A hand went over my mouth, waking me from sleep. I turned my head a little to see who it was, and found myself staring at a masked man. He shook his head once, then nodded in the direction where Luke was sleeping. Next to Luke was another masked man with a gun pointed at his head. Luke was still asleep, surprisingly. Our lovemaking must have worn him out. It did me in, too, which was why I never sensed anyone entering the room in the first place.

  Nodding once to show that I understood, I gestured with one hand for Luke’s robe on the chair. The man shook his head and pointed to my clothes strewn across the floor. Slowly getting up, I put my clothes on, trying not to wake Luke. It was
embarrassing for me to be walking around in the nude, but I wasn’t going to risk Luke’s life. He was mine, and I had to keep him safe.

  We crept out of the bedroom and headed down the stairs. I searched around for Lance, my nostrils flaring to capture his scent, but he wasn’t anywhere in the house. Disappointed, I stepped outside with the men. One came around in front of me and lifted up a black bag. Next thing I knew he was covering my head, so all I could see was darkness. Too bad the moon couldn’t help me now.

  Strangely enough, I could feel Luke asleep in the house. It was an odd sensation. Would he be able to find me by the same feeling? Did we have a connection that could be felt across the nation? Part of me prayed he would find me, but then another part didn’t. If something happened to him because of me, I didn’t know if I could ever forgive myself.

  I stumbled across the driveway, my bare feet kicking at rocks. Crying out from the sharp ones, I gripped my kidnapper’s arm. He shoved me off of him, growling. I stumbled, not sure where I was going until someone else grabbed my arm, jerking me into another direction. My alarm bells were going off then, letting me know that Luke was up and freaking out.

  “Shit,” one of the kidnappers swore. He shoved me, and I fell into what felt like a hole. I hit my head on the bottom of wherever I was. My hands swung around, trying to gain some kind of balance. I was in a trunk, I finally deducted. Immediately, my lungs seized, and I couldn’t breathe. I reached out to find the opening of the trunk, but there was a loud thump that came from the men shutting it.

  “Don’t make a sound, bitch, or he’s dead.” One of them growled at me from outside of the car.

  They’d tried to kill me before, so why weren’t they doing it now that they had me? It didn’t make sense. It could only mean they had a new strategy. Fear began to consume me as the possibilities flooded my mind. Why would they decide to change their plans for me? I couldn’t even think of a reason why they would want me in the first place.