by Kitty DuCane
“I love you too, sugar, and the next time I tell you to do something, you will obey me. Do you understand?”
Victoria grinned. “You know I'm not going to obey you.”
“Sure you will.”
Manuel chuckled. “You two will have to work out your differences in hell. Now say good-bye.”
Manuel fingered the trigger on his weapon as Hayden yelled, “Down.” Fire flashed from Hayden's weapon.
And from Manuel's.
Hayden's heart stopped as red light flashed across Victoria's chest. He crossed the room in two strides and caught her before she slipped to the floor. He glanced at Manuel and the nice, neat hole between his eyes.
Her eyelids fluttered. “I do love you,” she said. “But I will not”—she coughed—“obey you.”
“Then I'll strap you to the spanking bench until you come around to my way of thinking.” Hayden scooped her up and cradled her to his chest.
Hayden's body shook with fear, fear that squeezed his heart until it threatened to burst. He couldn't lose her, not now. She was his everything. He'd be lost forever without her.
He stood, raced down the hall, and kicked in the doctor's door. The doctor still sat in the middle of the bed with the covers pulled to her chin. Hayden laid Victoria on the bed and turned to the doctor. He pointed his weapon at the doc. “Save her.”
Zellia scrambled from the covers and crouched over Victoria. A bright red stain covered the front of Victoria's nightgown. Zellia pulled back the material and examined the hole over Victoria's heart, blood spurting from the wound with each fragile heartbeat.
She turned to Hayden, a tear escaping down her cheek. “I can't save her. It's hit a major artery to her heart. She's bleeding out.”
Hayden grabbed Zellia by her nightgown and hauled her to him. His body shook with rage.
“I'm sorry,” she whispered.
Hayden shoved the doctor away from him and spoke into his comm. “I'm coming out. Victoria's bleeding out. Cover me.”
Zellia grabbed his arm. “You can't save her. Just hold her and comfort her until she…passes.”
Hayden stared at Zellia before he abruptly scooped up Victoria and raced down the hall. He would not let her die.
He entered the courtyard. Sniper fire allowed him to get out the gate. Blade met him on the other side and escorted him to a secluded spot.
“Turn her, Hayden, before it's too late.”
“She may end up hating me for the rest of her life.”
“Look on the bright side. At least she'll be alive, so you can convince her otherwise. Now do it.”
Chapter Twenty-three
Blade disappeared into the trees as Hayden stripped in record time, flinging his clothes about the clearing. His transformation was quick and painless. His snout recognized her impending death as his enhanced eyes settled on the light flutter of her pulse in her neck.
On all fours, he padded silently to her. He licked her neck and hesitated before his fangs punctured her artery with the power of the wolf. Energy flowed from him, man and beast working together to save the most precious thing in the world to him. It took conscious effort to turn a human into a werewolf. Pack rules stated that it was forbidden to do so unless the human wanted to become a werewolf. Fuck that rule.
He felt her soul, her essence of life. Even though she was still unconscious, her body shifted. He held her wolf and commanded it to heal. Hayden sensed Victoria's hesitation, but the little wolf obeyed. After several minutes had passed, when he'd done all he could do, he watched her shift back to her human-form.
He stepped back and sat on his hind legs to wait. He had no idea how long it would take. He'd never turned anyone, only heard of pack members who had done it. No one really discussed it.
Did she mean what she had said? Did she love him? Love him like he loved her?
Time passed slowly as he waited. He dropped his head as sadness rolled through his being. Something must be wrong. He must have waited too long to turn her. Indecision was never a problem before, but she made him indecisive. She made him question his actions, his motives, and what she would think about them.
Minutes passed before his heart broke, a pain so hard that it threatened to kill him. He cried wolf tears as he lifted his head. A long, sorrowful howl escaped from his very soul, the howl slicing through the night.
“What is that racket? Is something dying?”
Joy rocked his wolf. Her eyes were open. Fear was written all over her face. He chose at that moment to change back into a man.
* * * * *
She watched the magnificent wolf contort in an odd but beautiful way. She closed her eyes. When she opened them again, Hayden stood naked where the wolf had been.
“Wha-what just happened?”
“I bit you.”
She fingered the bite mark. “Yeah, you like to do that a lot. But…I thought I saw a wolf.”
“You did.” He stopped and took a big breath. “That was me. I'm a werewolf, and now, you are too.”
She arched her eyebrows. “There are no such things as werewolves.”
“I'm afraid there are, sugar. That's the only reason you're alive. You can heal so much better in wolf-form.”
“I don't want to be a werewolf.”
“Yeah, I figured you'd say that, but you were dying. I couldn't let you die without trying to save you.”
Her brain raced to process what was unfathomable, a fairy tale, a mythological creature. She cut her eyes at him. “Do it again,” she challenged.
“Sure. But what do I get in return?”
“How about what you're going to get if you don't convince me that we both haven't lost our minds.”
Hayden grinned, which made her grin. She watched the transformation. The wolf was huge; she hadn't realized that wolves grew that big.
“You're beautiful.” Awe filled her voice as she held out her hand. Hayden nuzzled it. She swept her hands over his side. His fur was warm, soft, and sleek. Powerful muscles rippled beneath her palm. She scratched behind his ears, and she thought Hayden grinned. Wonder filled her. It was Hayden in there. The eyes were the same, just a little more feral.
“Okay, change back.”
When the transformation was done, Hayden was crouched on all fours, naked as the day he was born.
“I still don't know if I believe this. Werewolves aren't real.”
“Werewolves are real. So are vampires.”
She blinked. “You know a vampire?”
“Yes, a very powerful one.”
“Do they really drink blood, sleep in coffins, burn in sunlight?”
“Yes. No. Yes.”
“But they are killers, aren't they?”
“No. Vampires and shape-shifters are like humans. We have good people and bad people. Evil is not limited to vampires and shape-shifters, and good is not limited to humans.”
“That is the only thing about this conversation that makes sense.”
She paused for a moment. “Why is everything so loud, and my eyesight—everything's magnified?”
“Wolf traits.”
She raised an eyebrow. “Am I going to be able to do that? Change into a wolf?”
“Yes. You've already changed. You're a beautiful little gray wolf, by the way. I'll teach you when we get out of the jungle. You'll love it. Trust me. We'll go to the nature preserve, and you can let your wild animal run free. We'll catch rabbits for dinner.”
She had to admit that being a wolf was appealing, well, except for eating bunnies. She hoped her wolf didn't like bunny meat.
“So that's how you survived the attack.”
“Yes. I changed and crawled away from the massacre. I was close to death. By the time my wolf had healed, it was too late to make Manuel's men pay.”
Pain gripped her heart. How had she ever thought that Hayden was a traitor? He was so honest and honorable. “I'm sorry I doubted you. And I'm sorry I dragged you into this mess.”
He shrugged and turned to get his clothes.
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Victoria watched Hayden dress, noting his powerful muscles, which had been covered in fur only seconds ago. He was sleek, and so was his wolf.
“I'm not.”
She blinked, trying to remember what she'd said before that he was answering. “You're not?”
“No. If you hadn't tried to kill Julio, I would have never found my soul mate.”
Hayden finished dressing, grabbed her arms, and hauled her up.
“Is that what we are?”
He grinned. “Yes. Just as soon as you learn to obey me.”
Any protests she wanted to make were swallowed up by his long, slow kiss. She melted into him, seeking his strength, his warmth. He left her lips and licked her turning bite. “Does it hurt?”
She shook her head. “I think it's making me horny.”
He kissed a trail of fire up her neck and nipped her ear. “I love you, Victoria Anne McLain. I promise to cherish you the rest of my life.”
“That sounds like a wedding vow.”
“It is. Let's go find Red. I need to ask him a very important question.”
She grinned. “My answer is yes, but we're deleting that obey rule.”
Hayden gave her his wolf grin. “Then I guess I'll have to strap you to the spanking bench until you obey.”
She snuggled against his chest and then bit him through his shirt. “Promise?”
Chapter Twenty-four
Hayden pushed in a drawer and rested his hip on Benny's desk.
“Hayden,” said Benny. “I heard you got the bad guy.”
“You could say that.”
“I'm glad. One less scumbag in the world is a good thing.”
Hayden nodded absently. “Someone's here to see you.”
“Oh yeah? Who?”
Red came around the corner and propped his hip on the other corner of Benny's desk. “Hello, Benny.” The blood drained from Benny's face. “I'll…I'll be damned,” Benny managed to say. “I thought you were dead, Red.”
“I was close to it.”
Benny's Adam's apple bobbed as he swallowed hard. “Well…I'm glad you're okay.”
“Are you?” asked Red.
Benny twitched in his seat. “Sure I am, Red. Why wouldn't I be?”
“Have you met my daughter?” asked Red.
“Daughter? You don't have a daughter.”
“Yeah. I do. She looks just like me.”
“Well, she looks better than Red, but she is as mean as Red,” Hayden interjected.
Victoria came and stood directly behind Benny. Benny craned his neck to get a look at her. Hayden grabbed the arm on Benny's chair and prevented him from swiveling around.
Benny's cell vibrated on the desk.
“Aren't you going to answer that?” asked Hayden.
Benny shook his head.
Victoria placed her hands on Benny's chair and leaned into him. “Answer it.”
Hayden growled.
Victoria growled back.
Captain Miller appeared in front of Benny's desk and motioned for him to answer the cell.
With shaking hands, Benny picked up his cell and looked at the number. What blood was left in his face drained quickly, leaving him white as a ghost. “It's not important. It can go to voice mail.”
Hayden grabbed Benny's hand that held the cell phone, and squeezed. “You recognized Manuel's cell number. You want to tell me what you got from Manuel that was worth killing a whole DEA team over, not to mention almost getting my mat—fiancée killed?”
A hush fell over the entire squad room as everyone stopped to listen.
Benny whimpered.
“Well?” asked Hayden.
A bone cracked. Benny screamed.
“Okay.” Benny's lower lip quivered. “He threatened to kidnap Candace and sell her as a sex slave. He said some sheikh had already seen her picture and had offered him a huge amount of money for her. She's only sixteen. I couldn't let him do that to my baby. I couldn't win against him.”
Hayden let go of Benny's hand. Hayden could smell the truth in him. “Why didn't you tell the captain?”
Benny rubbed his injured hand. “Manuel said there was more than one mole in this department, and he'd know if I betrayed him.”
The captain pinched the bridge of his nose and exhaled an exasperated breath.
Benny put his wrists together and offered them to Hayden. “Here, lock me up. I'd do it again. I'd kill every one of you myself just to protect Candace.”
Hayden understood that concept. He'd do anything to protect Victoria, and that included lying, cheating, stealing, betraying, and killing. He was sure that would be tenfold to protect a child. His child.
“Damn,” said the captain. “The DA's got one hell of a mess.” The captain motioned for an officer from a nearby desk to cuff Benny. Benny went silently.
“Hayden,” growled the captain. “Get your ass in my office now and tell me why the biggest drug bust in history went down in my state without me knowing about it.”
Red laughed.
The captain pointed to Red. “And you're next. I want to know where the hell you've been for the last nine months. You look like shit, by the way. And I really want to know why I wasn't informed you had a daughter.”
Victoria grinned. “Let me know if either of you two wants me to kick his ass. He can't fire me.”
The captain glared at her, then turned and stomped off, but not before she noted his grin.
Red smiled, and Hayden grinned.
“Hey,” she said. “What are daughters and soul mates for?”
Kitty DuCane
Kitty lives in NC with her wonderful husband of 28 years, a yellow Lab, and a pile of cats, all strays—well they’re not stays now. She has two children in college and is taking full advantage of the empty nest: no more ball games or golf matches, just time to read the hot stuff and write the hot stuff.
Check out the latest on her Web site at http://www.kittyducane.com.