by Maia Starr
“Man, you look like you’re in a pinch!” the man said, his voice sleek and smooth. The inflection of his voice told Kyle the man before him wasn’t human. He’d heard enough wolf shifters speak to know their typical drawl. “Maybe I can give you a hand?”
The stranger reaches down with a thin, bony hand, but Kyle slapped it away in a surge of anger. A wolf shifter is trying to help me? Screw that!
With a new outlet to pour his frustrations into, the tide of insanity began to pull back, leaving Kyle less hazy than seconds earlier. Looking up, Kyle squinted into the beady eyes of the wolf shifter standing over him. Smiling, the wolf shifter offered his hand again, but Kyle rose to his feet without even glancing at the outstretched hand, instead swinging his glare onto the hunched shifter in front of him.
The wolf shifter’s smiled remained as the man straightened slowly and shoved his hands back into his black pants. “I’m Dax, by the way. And...wait...let me guess...you wouldn’t happen to be that new Woodland alpha, would you? I think we’ve met before.”
Kyle grunted and turned to leave. It wasn’t as if he’d never met a decent wolf shifter before, but this shifter gave him a strange feeling when he looked into the pooling darkness in the man’s eyes.
The shifter darted out to stand in front of Kyle once again, his movements so quick that Kyle was startled. “You are, aren’t you?” Dax said while he leaned over and peered up at Kyle. “Just answer the question, will you? Do it as a favor for a fellow alpha, yeah?”
Kyle’s brows twitched, and his fists, now clenched at his sides, wavered uncertainly as he pondered about socking the shifter in the face. “Alpha, you say? So you’re telling me you’re responsible for Alexander’s death?”
Dax tapped his chin. “Alexander? Oh! Right, the previous alpha of your bear shifters, yeah? No, I’m not responsible at all. We’ve have a few renegades here and there that seem only to want blood nowadays. I’ve tried apprehending them myself, but they’re sly shifters, after all. But that’s not what I wanted to talk to you about.”
“I don’t want to hear it, whatever it is you have to say,” Kyle said, beginning to turn once again.
“Even if it means ending your tumble into insanity?”
At the suggestion, Kyle stopped and looked back, his eyes wide.
Dax laughed. “Oh come on; it isn’t like this is a mystery or anything! Any shifter would be able to see the sorry state you’re in. You need a mate, right? Well, then I think I can help you with that.”
“What do you mean?” Kyle said, his suspicions growing with each word the alpha wolf spoke.
“It’s simple, Kyle,” Dax said, his grin widening. “Let’s make a deal.”
Chapter Nine
Tiffany
Tiffany had to hand it to herself; she was adjusting to the quieter, small-town life of Salem much more quickly than she thought she would.
Three days and four nights she’d been working at Herbert’s now, the cozy and slightly retro diner that had worked its way deep into her heart. The presence of Amanda, and Edward, and all the sweet townsfolk that came to greet her every afternoon and night helped to fill the growing hole in her heart. She had fled her old life so that Salem could fill that hole, despite the nasty rumors she’d come to hear about over and over again. Jack wasn’t with her anymore, and each day Tiffany was beginning to accept that fact more and more. And the fact was that she was now single: a woman on the prowl as Amanda so elegantly put it during Tiffany’s second night.
So far, there wasn’t a man who had caught her eye, at least not a single man. Most of the men still around in Salem were husbands and fathers, growing old alongside their partners already. Most of the others must have left to the bigger cities and towns since there weren’t many women left, thanks to the rumors about the kidnappings.
And yet those rumors were spoken about with a bit of flare from practically every person Tiffany had met on the job, like the rumors about magical shapeshifters and the consequential kidnappings were the only interesting things about the town...which wasn’t too far off from the truth. Salem had its charm, sure, but there wasn’t enough to lure tourists in; even a new resident like Tiffany understood that from the few days she’d been in town. Even if the rumors were completely bogus, they were still fun to talk and fantasize about. Amanda, Edward, and she had a running role-playing story during breaks about a shapeshifter who fell through a portal in his world only to show up in their modern world, right outside of Salem itself, left to wander and scare the locals. It was fun, as Edward brilliantly played the shapeshifter, while Amanda played a young woman who’d fallen in love with the guy, and Tiffany pretended to be the best friend who gave advice to her love-struck friend.
The role-playing often made Tiffany dream about meeting a man like the one they had created. Someone strong and muscular, not caring about how he appeared to others, ravenous in his desire to find his way home and lusting after the woman he first met in Salem.
Not that Tiffany actually wanted to meet a man like that. That would have been too weird, too out of the ordinary, even for her. And it’s not like it would even happen anyway. Shapeshifters weren’t real, after all. They were stories dedicated to trying to lure tourists into town, or at least to get people to pass through. So whoever the hell began to connect those rumors with the kidnappings, in Tiffany’s eyes, was a real jackass. That combination scared more people off than intrigued them.
“Thank you for coming!” Tiffany said to the customer that turned to leave the counter, her thoughts wandering in the back of her mind. “Come back soon!”
Will I actually find someone here in Salem? Someone that will make my heart race? Someone that will scoop me up and take me home to his cozy house in the woods after a night at the bar for some fun in his bed?
It would be a miracle to find a guy like that in Salem, and the realization made her sigh as she drew a circle on the counter with her finger.
Bursting out from the kitchen, Amanda, smile plastered on her face like she’d just gotten down and dirty with a guy out back, trudged up to Tiffany. “Hey, what is up, my girl? How’s the place looking tonight?”
Startled, Tiffany straightened and pulled a smile onto her rosy lips, turning to look directly at her newest friend and boss. “Not bad! We’re on the slower end tonight. Only a few more guests are around, just sipping on their coffee and whatnot.”
Blinking, Amanda’s smile never wavered, yet she looked deeper into Tiffany’s gaze, causing Tiffany to glance away. “Hm, is something wrong, Tiff?”
“Nothing’s the matter. I don’t know why you would think something’s wrong.”
“It’s your eyes…”
“My eyes?”
“They’re a little cold tonight.”
Narrowing her gaze, Tiffany glanced back at her boss. “And what does that mean?”
“Exactly what you think it means,” Tiffany said, placing her hands on her hips. “Something’s wrong, so out with it.”
Tiffany pursed her lips and glanced away, crossing her arms in the hopes that Amanda would simply leave the question alone after a few minutes. But an awkward silence persisted, with Amanda continuing to study her coworker until Tiffany finally broke her inner vow of silence. “Oh, alright! I was just thinking about how there aren’t many men in this town.”
Amanda blinked. “There are plenty of men in Salem.”
“Single men, Amanda. Men young enough to want to date me.”
“Oh, right, well, you could always meet someone from the next town over.”
“I suppose.”
Placing a gentle hand on Tiffany’s shoulder, Amanda smiled. “Well, either way, you can go home early tonight. Edward and I can handle it from here on out. Go get some rest, yeah?”
“Yeah, fine,” Tiffany said, brushing off Amanda’s grip and heading into the back of the kitchen to grab her things.
“And think about taking a trip to the next town over to find a boyfriend, yeah?” Amanda called as Tiffany
made her way back out of the entrance.
Red-faced, Tiffany ignored her boss and mosied around the back of the diner to find her car. Rummaging in her purse for the key, Tiffany found herself caught up in her mind. Do I really have to drive over an hour to find a guy? Isn’t that too long of a drive to meet up even if I do find someone? Tiffany hadn’t looked up once on her walk around back, and so she didn’t notice the hulking shape at her side until she inserted her car key and began turning. She had turned the car key halfway when she stopped to catch her breath.
Looming in the shadows was a wolf, impossibly large, nearly twice the size of the car she drove. Black-furred and grinning, the creature padded forward and into the light of a streetlamp, its shadow stretching wildly to either side of it. Its gaze, emerald green and deadly, locked with hers, causing shivers to run up her spine. Time slowed as the wolf padded forward silently, its grin seeming to widen, revealing its white teeth.
Tiffany was dreaming...yeah, that had to be it. This was a dream, and Tiffany was about to wake up from it any second now. As the wolf advanced, Tiffany backed up, pinching her skin and watching the wolf’s every movement.
A sound like grating metal nearby drew the wolf’s gaze, and in that heartbeat, Tiffany spun and ran, her heart pounding in her chest and her voice all but gone as her mind went into overdrive. She didn’t even get three steps before the wolf appeared in front of her again with a quick sprint, its movements lightning fast, overwhelming all of her senses in a split-second as she was deftly lifted off the ground. It took another moment to realize that the wolf had picked her up in its maw, its teeth just barely keeping the fabric of her work clothes from tearing.
Then they were flying through the air, her body whipping and her car keys jingling as they fell to the ground. She watched in horror as a man appeared from the shadows, much like the wolf, picked up her keys, and climbed into her car. She didn’t get to see the man drive away with it as she and wolf plunged into the pitch-black forest.
It was only then that she remembered to scream.
Chapter Ten
Dax
Kidnapping the new woman in town was probably the easiest job Dax had ever had, like taking candy from a baby, if that baby was mute and braindead.
Seriously, when was the last time Dax had come across a woman that didn’t immediately utter a shriek upon his sudden arrival at night? This Tiffany girl had simply stared at him, a typical reaction, but she just kept staring and staring until his gaze slipped away once to look at his packmate sneaking in on the other side. Then she ran...she actually ran! Or tried to, at least. Most women he kidnapped fell to their knees or tried to call for help before running.
He liked this girl from the start. And it wasn’t just the fact that she gave him a reason to use his legs a bit. Tiffany was gorgeous, so much so that Dax even hesitated to come out from the shadows at first, instead completely content with simply watching her walk, his eyes lingering on the sway of her wide hips. His thoughts turned wilder at the sight of her, and his wolf growled louder and harder deep down inside. Short and stubborn, with long light brown hair and stunning hazel eyes. Her curves nearly made him drool, and Dax began to imagine what exactly he’d like to do to that wonderful body of hers as he carried her through the thickets and slopes of the forest.
To his surprise, Tiffany had stopped screaming for help rather quickly, instead trying to jab at his nose, and having failed that, tried to punch his eyes. He cackled through his teeth as he slowed to a stop just beyond the light of a campfire ahead, shadows streaming through as he set a weary Tiffany down and shifted. In those few moments of shifting, Tiffany scrambled to her feet, grunting and flailing as she tried to run away once again, but Dax simply laughed and pounced on her. Wrapping his strong arms around her chest, trapping her arms to her side, he lifted her and began to carry her forward into the light. She screamed the whole way, nearly drowning out Dax’s laughter.
“Let me go!” Tiffany screamed, her voice shrill and frantic. She tried to break his grasp but wasn’t nearly strong enough to, so he feet continued to swing and dangle beneath her. “What hell is this? Let me go, you bastard!”
“Now why would I want to do that?” Dax said, realizing his hot breath was brushing against her neck. She smelled like lavender, a scent that filled Dax’s nose and made his inner wolf go wild once again. If Dax held onto her any longer, he might very well be unable to let his lust go untamed. He twitched as he breathed in her scent. “Wouldn’t that be counter-productive, letting you go after all this? I didn’t kidnap you for nothing, woman.”
With a horror-stricken expression etched onto her pretty face, Tiffany struggled harder, doing her best to break free of Dax’s grasp.
Ah, how Dax loved a woman that struggled. It got his blood pumping more than usual, a thrill like no other. Tiffany was the perfect prize, one that would earn him and his pack more money than Dax would know what to do with, and yet his desires were growing with every second. Her body ground against his, and so to keep himself from breaking in his recently acquired product, her threw Tiffany roughly onto the forest floor before the fire, almost close enough for the flames of the campfire to lick her clothes. She rolled away before the flames could catch hold of her clothes and rose to her feet, her eyes going wide when she noticed the myriad of grinning wolf shifters surrounding her.
All at once, a chorus of whistles and jeers were thrown her way, causing her head to whip around at each voice that struck her. Dax watched silently as his pack moved in closer to get a better look, trying to calm himself down.
“Nice!” one said as he leaned in to look her up and down. “Man, look at that body! He’s going to love her…”
Tiffany smacked him a second later, the contact echoing in the woods around. The shifter that had been slapped barely moved, yet when fury overcame his initial joy, he grabbed Tiffany’s shoulders and threw her on the ground. A cheer sounded from the pack as the shifter climbed on top of her, her screams cut off by the shifter putting his hand over her mouth.
“Shut up!” he shouted. “I’m gonna make you regret that! Surely that bear won’t mind if we screw her beforehand, yeah? We caught her. Besides, he hasn’t even decided whether he wants her or not just yet.”
Dax came forward. “Kyle said he’d think about it...but he’ll buy her. I’m sure of it, and we aren’t about to sell off used property, so get off of our lovely Tiffany, will you?” The shifter sneered but rose to his feet after Dax’s look hardened. Once again Tiffany scrambled to her feet, backing up as close as she could to the fire, her hazel eyes brimming with fright. Her gaze drifted frantically, looking for a way out, and Dax watched her. After a moment, he nodded towards the other men. “Bind and gag her already. Our ride will be here any second. We have a meeting, boys, so let’s not show up late simply because this girl isn’t cooperating.”
Like a hungry mob, the rest of the pack descended on her with rope and a bundle of cloth, which was shoved into her mouth. Her screams, now muffled, were music to Dax’s ears. She was turned over and pressed hard into the ground as her wrists and ankles were bound. The shifter who shoved her down earlier came up to Dax, his eyes sparkling with excitement.
“Are you sure we should sell her? She’s a beauty, Dax. I wouldn’t mind having a go at her…”
I wouldn’t mind having a crack at her either...she’d be fun to break. “There’s a new alpha bear desperate for a mate, and willing to pay whatever is necessary to get her. Think about how much money we’ll sell her for. We’ll be set for life.”
The shifter shrugged. “We could always just kidnap her again after we sell her to that ugly bear. It’s waste not to have both her and money.”
The suggestion left an impression in Dax’s mind, and he went silent as Tiffany, now fully bound and gagged, was lifted to her feet. His mind raced, thinking of ways to take her back after selling her. The campfire danced in Dax’s eyes as his gaze bored into Tiffany, her body seeming to cave inward under the pressure of
his gaze.
“We could kill him...that new alpha bear,” the shifter said. “He’s new and doesn’t seem very experienced with the role. It’d be easy to off him.”
A memory flashed in Dax’s mind from a year prior, when he’d first met Kyle. Well, maybe met was a strong word, but Dax remembered spying the hibernating bear under a log, just after he’d slaughtered the previous alpha. He remembered every second of that murder, how Alexander’s blood painted his fur and skin when the job was done. Dax didn’t think twice of letting Kyle live back then, knowing he’d meet the bear shifter again one day, and now that decision seemed to be paying off.
When he heard the rumble of Tiffany’s car pull into the darkened clearing, the headlights illuminating the forest behind his pack, Dax grinned from ear to ear.
He’d sell Tiffany to the bear and then take her right back...but first, he’d leave her in his care for a while, to let something build between the two. He loved to tear things apart, after all.
“Alright, put her in the trunk and let’s get going,” Dax called. “We don’t have all night.”
And so Dax and his men threw Tiffany in the trunk and drove away, the hair on Dax’s body standing in anticipation of all the fun he was about to have.
Chapter Eleven
Kyle
Guilt rocked Kyle like a giant hammer hitting him in the stomach, making his hardened shell on the outside nearly cave inwards with the deal that was about to go down.
What the hell did I agree to? Am I really about to buy a woman from that jackass of a wolf? Is my insanity pushing me to do this?