“Yeah. I’m sorry you saw that. It seems I have no control over what my wolf wants anymore.”
She takes a big gulp of her coffee and walks down the rest of the steps. Her feet are covered by a diminutive pair of pink slippers and I notice small pink flowers trailing down her robe and nightgown.
“You left your truck here last night,” she states, looking up at me from under her eyelashes.
“I needed a run,” I reply.
“I’m sorry I pushed you out last night. I needed a chance to think.”
“And, did you come to any conclusions?”
“Other than wanting to get to know you better, no. But I do want to get to know you better and figure out what this pull to you is.”
After all I’ve come clean about I can’t tell her she feels the call of her mate, even if she is human.
“That’s better than completely tuning me out,” I laugh.
She bites on her bottom lip and looks up at me. “So, how about that date?”
Rubbing a hand over the back of my neck, I fight the urge to pull her against me and nibble on her lip. “I’ll be back at six thirty to pick you up.”
“Sounds good, Kaden. I’ll see you then,” she says and turns to go back inside.
I watch as she walks up the steps and goes inside. The sway of her hips has my wolf demanding that I follow her and claim her as ours.
“Get it together dude, or we’re going to scare her the fuck off,” I whisper to my wolf as I turn on my heel and walk to my truck. There were things I needed to discuss with the pack, and none of them were inside that cabin with Gianna.
* * *
Gianna
I’d thought about Kaden last night until I’d fallen asleep. When I got up this morning and noticed his truck still parked in the driveway, excitement shot through my body. I knew I’d be seeing him today at some point.
I’d thought about him being a shifter and what that could possibly mean to me. One thing I am certain of is I am definitely not afraid of him. He’d tried his best to send that point straight to my heart.
What I am afraid of is a new relationship. Owen had screwed me up with his games and his beatings and I was a bit fucked up inside thanks to the asshole. Trusting would never come as easily as it once did, but I’d have to fight through it if I had any hope of being the normal Gianna I once was. Kaden helped with his interest in me. I just hoped I’d still be myself when I came out the other side.
Going about my day, little bits of excitement would creep in as I thought of Kaden and what tonight has in store for us. My wish to get to know more about Kaden kept filling my head and I’d catch myself smiling or twirling my hair with just a minute thought of him. My hands itch to brush through his dark hair and the small brush of lips we shared was not enough to impress much on my imagination.
Shaking my head, I walk out of the cabin and lock it behind me. A walk through the woods would help get my mind off Kaden St. Clair.
Luckily there is a trail behind the cabin, and I follow it until I reach a beautiful waterfall. The water laps lazily against the shoreline, but in the background the pounding of the falls is so loud it blocks all other sound. I wonder if this was the falls behind the town name.
Shrugging, I step out of my shoes and walk along the water line. The water is chilly, but feels good against my heated skin. I lose all track of time walking through the water and taking photos of the falls as it pounds into the rocks. When I look up I see that it’s getting darker. I rush to put on my shoes and run back to the cabin.
Along the way, I swear I hear someone following me, but when I look back no one is there. Shaking my shoulders, I continue on until I reach the cabin. Once I’m safely tucked inside, I look out the window facing the forest behind it and swear I see a tall, black wolf.
“What the fuck?” I murmur as I watch it turn and run back into the thick brush.
Chill bumps break out on my arms. I can’t believe I was being spied on and it’s scary as shit to even think about. I know with Kaden being a wolf shifter, there are more than likely others in the area. Shifters belong to packs, after all, and that was probably just one of his pack mates, or at least I hope that’s all it was. I try to reason with myself as I move away from the window and check my watch.
“Damn, I need to get ready,” I whisper and dash to grab a shower and change.
I stand under the steaming spray of water and think over the day’s events. I recall how much I’d loved the falls and how amazing they are, and I smile to myself as I think about the tall dark sexy Kaden, whom I’d be seeing in just a short while.
My heart flutters at the possibilities of the two of us together. His lips on mine, his hands trailing over every inch of my body. My nipples pucker and beg for attention. My fingers trail from my soapy hair over my neck until I reach my nipples where I tweak each between my thumbs and forefingers, but that’s not enough and my fingers continue a fiery journey down over my stomach to reach my throbbing clit, where I tenderly massage it in tiny circles. I slide a finger inside me and start a rhythm all my own.
I start slow, but soon I’m panting and rocking against my finger pretending it’s Kaden sliding in and out of my body. A climax roars through my body and wipes me out. My legs give out and I fall clumsily to the shower floor. The cold water spraying against my skin brings me out of my euphoria.
I quickly jump out of the shower, towel off, and dress for the evening. Since I’d worn my pretty yellow dress the evening before I wear my favorite black number with a set of four-inch heels.
After dusting a little blush over my cheeks I stand back, apply a generous amount of mascara, and swipe lip gloss across my lips.
Smiling, I murmur, “I’m ready as I’ll ever be.”
A knock sounds on the front door as I’m walking out of the bedroom. It only takes me a moment to reach the door and open it. My smile falters as I see the last person on Earth I wanted to see standing on the porch of the cabin.
“Hey, baby.”
“Owen, what the fuck are you doing here? How did you find me?”
“Oh, come on, baby. You had to know I’d find you.”
“I never wanted to see you again and I believe I told you that during our last conversation.”
He grabs me by the forearm and pushes me inside.
“I don’t give two flying fucks what you want. It’s all about what I want, and I say you’re never getting rid of me. I’m it for you, baby,” he sneers.
“Get off of me Owen, and get out of here,” I say as I jerk out of his hold.
“Gia, get your shit together because we’re getting the fuck out of here, and you’re coming home with me.”
“Fuck off, Owen. I’m not stepping foot out of this cabin with you.”
He draws back his arm to hit me, but it never comes forward. Kaden has an iron tight grip on his arm.
“Touch her, asshole, and it’ll be let last thing you ever do,” Kaden snarls.
“Just who the hell are you?”
“I’m whoever the fuck she wants me to be, and right now I’m the man who’s going to wipe the floor with your sorry ass.”
“Really?” Owen asks, and before my eyes, he shifts into a large black wolf.
“Oh my God, you’re the one who was following me today,” I yell.
Chill bumps break out on my arms when I think about it being Owen who followed me.
I watch as a quick shimmer replaces Kaden and he shifts into his wolf form. I take a moment to look at his gorgeous wolf. He’s soft russet browns and white. I want to run my fingers through his thick fur, but I refrain as the two wolves take up growling at one another. One snarl later and Owen jumps at Kaden, but he moves to the side faster than a blink of the eye and Owen bumps into the bar. The bar literally moves when he hits it with his massive shoulders and head. He shakes his head and comes back with a furious growl. Kaden jumps and embeds his fangs in Owen’s neck, he flings him from side to side and then releases him. He flies across the
small space and hits the back wall. Blood trickles from the wounds on Owen’s neck and I see him looking between Kaden, me, and the door.
He comes flying toward me, I’m the easiest of the targets. He knocks me on my ass and sinks his teeth into my thigh. I cry out as a pain like none I’ve ever felt shoots through my thigh. He half drags me, and half runs toward the open door, and I know if he reaches it, I’m dead. His escape is within a few feet, but Kaden cuts him off. His fangs dig into Owen’s hip, and Owen’s teeth lose their grip on me. Owen bucks and tries his best to run for the door, but Kaden holds him steady with his teeth as I tug free and scoot away from them.
“I’m calling the cops,” I yell to the room.
Kaden’s wolf shakes his head yes and I crawl to my purse, still miraculously perched on one of the bar stools. Pulling my cell out, I dial nine one one.
“Nine one one, what is your emergency?”
“Yes I need help out at Marcus’ cabins. Cabin one twelve.”
“I’ll get someone started your way. Do you need medical as well?”
“Yes, please, I’m losing blood pretty fast.”
As the dispatcher hangs up, I reach up and grab a dish towel I’d left out earlier. I wrap it around the wound in my leg and collapse against the bar. Black dots dance across my vision and I know without a doubt that I’m going to pass out.
I cast a quick look to Kaden and Owen, he’s still holding on to him tightly and Owen has started to whine.
What a little bitch, I think before the world upends and everything goes dark.
4
Kaden
Anger courses through my wolf as he shakes the ass wipe, who is now whining like a fucking baby, between his teeth. I have to fight the urge to kill him with every fiber of my being, and my wolf is more than ready to decapitate his sorry ass.
I’ve sent out images to Elias of what’s been happening, and I expect him and the hunters to be arriving shortly. This has to be the rogue wolf that’s killed humans two towns over. He’s the only wolf I’ve seen, other than my pack mates, since talking with Sam the previous day.
As I’m thinking over all this my eyes land on Gianna’s crumpled body. Blood pools under her leg from the bite, and her heartbeat is faint, but still there. My wolf whines, and I know I need to get to her. I release Owen and race over to her.
The shift is fast, even though I have to fight my wolf to get control, and as soon as I’m beside her, I grab her leg and put pressure on the nasty wound.
Fuck fuck fuck, she’s going to die if they don’t get here fast.
“Thank God,” I mutter when the hunters and Elias arrive a moment later.
“Where’s the wolf?” Sam asks, looking around the room.
“Damn, he most have left when I came over to help Gianna. He’s injured, so he should be easy to track.”
“On it,” Sam and Levi, one of the other hunters, say as they leave the cabin.
“What can I do to help?” Elias questions as he walks closer to Gianna. I have to fight my wolf as Elias nears, and remind him that Elias is his alpha.
“We need a tourniquet, a belt or something, to tie around her leg,” I growl out, and Elias looks at me for a second before he hands me his belt and I loop it around Gianna’s leg. I tighten it as tight as I can, and look at her pale skin.
“The asshole didn’t even care that he hurt her. He just tossed her around like she was a rag doll,” I snap out, and Elias growls softly in warning. I am toeing a line with him, but I don’t give a fuck at the moment. My mate is injured, and she is all that I care about.
“We’ll get him and make him pay,” Elias growls under his breath, and I can hear an underlying fury in his voice. He, as much as me, hates for a woman to be mistreated.
Before I can respond, Deputy Jagger busts in the cabin with gun drawn, but when he sees Gianna laying on the floor and Elias and I by her side, he slides it back into the sheath at his hip.
Elias walks over to him and explains about what happened here. They both move out of the way when two paramedics roll a stretcher in. I reluctantly move out of the way, but never release her hand.
“Are you related to her?” One of the paramedics asks while the other starts checking her vitals and hooking her up to an IV.
“Yes, I’m her mate. That makes me related,” I snap out, barely holding my wolf in check. He wants out, and he wants to find the bastard who hurt our Gianna.
“Can you answer a few questions for us?”
“Her name is Gianna Jones, she just arrived in town a few days ago. Other than that I can’t tell you much,” I tell him, and he frowns. I snarl and he takes a step back.
“Okay, we’ll get the rest from her when she wakes up,” the paramedic says and tucks the notebook he’d been writing on in a bag by Gianna.
“Is she going to be okay?” I ask the first guy that’s working on Gianna.
“She’s lost a lot of blood. She’s stable, but we’ll definitely know more when we get her to the hospital in Sommermire.”
When they move to load her onto the stretcher, I nearly snap, and have to rein my temper in, and let them do their jobs.
“I’m going with her,” I tell them, and the one who was writing in his notepad shakes his head.
“Sir, there’s not enough room back here and if something happens we’ll need all the space we have.”
Elias’ hand lands on my shoulder and he turns me toward his truck. “Come on Kaden, I’ll take you.”
Brushing his hand off my shoulder I spin around and face the open door of the ambulance. “If anything at all happens to her I hold you both responsible.”
I can smell their fright from where I stand, and it shines from in their eyes as they look back at me. Good, they need to know I’m fucking serious.
“Are we good?” I ask Elias.
“We’re good. I understand the circumstances have you and your wolf on edge.”
Even though he’s alright with me brushing him off, he adds alpha power behind his sentence. My wolf balks at the treatment, but I hold him back. This isn’t my father or the pack I was destined to take over. The alpha blood running through my veins is pulsing, but I know I have to shut that shit down and follow a new leader now.
I nod, and dart into the cabin as they’re loading her into the ambulance. I know the hospital will need her ID and other information, so I grab her purse from the floor, and dash back outside just as the ambulance is starting up. “Come on, the ambulance is leaving. and I want to ride it’s ass all the way there in case that bastard decides to try something.”
“The hunters are closing in on him, and he’s nowhere near this place.”
When we arrive at the hospital in Summermire, I watch as they carefully unload Gianna, who is now awake, and giving them hell. I walk inside and stand at the desk.
“Can I help you sir?” One of the girls behind the desk asks in a bored voice, and I have to take a deep breath to calm my wolf.
“They just brought my girlfriend in,” I respond after a moment. He’s straining to be let out so he can find her.
“Name?”
“Gianna Jones,” I snarl.
“Yes, sir, but they’ll need a moment before you can go back.”
I nod, not trusting myself to answer verbally, and walk to were Elias is standing by the window.
Not being able to stand still, I pace the room and run my hands through my hair until I know it’s a complete mess. I know both of these are my nervous ticks, but I really don’t give a fuck right now. As the minutes tick by, I get more and more nervous, and my wolf gets more and more anxious. He’s gnawing at the bit to be set free, and I am barely containing him.
“What the hell are they doing back there? It’s been fifteen minutes,” I growl out, and Elias walks to me. When he lays his hand on my shoulder, I have to force myself not to growl at him. He’s my Alpha, and as such I respect him, but he is walking on thin ice at the moment, and he should know that. When a wolf finds its mate, and th
en that mate is threatened, the wolf is unstable. Elias knows that, and knows the only reason I haven’t ripped him apart is because he’s my alpha.
“They’ll let you know when you can go back, if you can. These places don’t understand mates, and you need to get your shit together before you see Gianna,” Elias murmurs so no one else can hear.
“I know, I know,” I say as I start to pace again.
“Gianna Jones’ family?” A nurse asks from the doorway in the back of the waiting room.
“Right here,” I reply, and she takes a step back. I realize then that I must look as volatile as I feel. I take a deep breath, and remind myself she’s taking me to my Gianna. “May I see her please?”
She nods, and motions for me to follow her. Elias nods, and I turn from him and walk to the one I can’t live without.
The nurse leads me to the back, and I pause just outside Gianna’s little room. After another deep breath, I push open the door and walk inside, closing the door softly behind me.
When I lay eyes on Gianna, I notice how pale she is. I gaze at the bandage wrapped around her leg from mid-calf to upper thigh, and the bag of blood hanging from the IV post beside her. When the scent of the foreign blood mixed with her apple pie scent hits my nose, my wolf tries to break free again.
“Calm down, buddy, it’s helping her,” I whisper to him, and walk to Gianna’s side.
She’s dozing, so I sit in the chair beside her and wait for her to wake up. I watch as her heart beats on the monitor and I observe her breathing. Her heartbeat isn’t as faint as it had been at the cabin. Seeing her, smelling her, I finally feel like I can breathe again. As the constriction in my chest lessens, I reach for her hand and fold it between both of mine as I bring it to my mouth. I inhale deeply, and let her life force surround me.
“I thought I’d lost you even before I could get to know you,” I whisper into her hand.
“Kaden?” I hear her ask softly, and I raise my head to look at her beautiful face.
Dark Moon Falls: Volume 2 Page 85