Feral Seduction (Feral Protectors 2) (12 page)

She fidgeted with her hair, braiding and unbraiding it. Idle hands did the devil’s work, according to her father. He’d know. He’d spent more years unemployed than employed. His idle drinking had cost a woman her life.

After the accident, Brandy had vowed to work her ass off so she’d never be like him. Working as a waitress had left her exhausted at the end of the day. But she’d felt fulfilled, as if she’d accomplished something.

Her thoughts drifted to her current situation. What kind of work would she do as part of Ryker’s pack? They had to do something other than sit around all day, right? She made a mental note to ask Stryde.

Hours passed. Pent-up lust ravaged her sense of control, but so far, she was winning the battle. Only a few hours to go and she’d be free.

A soft scrape of a footstep near the door drew her attention. “Stryde?”

Her ears pricked. On full alert, she scrambled to her feet and pressed her back to the wall. As she made her way toward the entrance, she cautiously avoided the moonlight. When she reached the line of light, she stopped. To be so close and not to touch it buckled her knees.

A gruff voice spoke. “Be careful.”

Stryde! She gripped the stone wall and growled, “What are you doing here? The moon’s still up.”

He stepped onto the ledge. Moonlight washed over his chiseled muscles. “I couldn’t stay away.”

She backed up a step. “I have it under control. You can’t be here right now.”

The thread of control she’d clung to all night frayed.

“Your scent, it’s irresistible.”

She matched each step he took forward with a retreating step. “You really shouldn’t be here.”

“I can’t stay away.” His voice, thick like honey, wrapped her in its sticky-sweet embrace.

“Don’t come any closer.”

She backed into the rear wall. A part of her resolved cracked, but she clung to the memory of his rejection. He only wanted her because she was in heat. This wasn’t about love; it was pure, unadulterated lust.

Chapter 12

As Stryde reached for her, she slapped him hard across the face. Stunned, he snapped out of the lust-enchanted daze. What the hell was he thinking?

Brandy’s eyes, wide with fear, studied every movement of his body.

He held his hands up and backed away. “I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean to—”

“Get out!”

His shoulders hunched as he retreated. He’d promised to protect her and what had he done? The exact opposite.

He slinked out of the cave and onto the dirt trail. He needed to dunk his acutely aroused body in the freezing river; otherwise he’d return to the cave and drag her to bed.

He lifted his head and listened to the sounds of the forest. Other than the ever-present buzz of cicadas, nothing stirred in the immediate area. If he shifted and sprinted to the river, he’d be back to protect her in no time.

After descending down the mountain, he rushed toward the river. His yearning to mate with her burned inside every cluster of nerves in his body. He’d never wanted a woman as much he wanted her.

As he plunged into the freezing water, images of her plump, oh so kissable lips flashed through his mind. The sounds of her sighs and feel of her under him came rushing back from the previous night. She had no idea how sexy she was, and he couldn’t tell her. Not unless he wanted to break his resolve to keep their relationship at the level of friendship.

He burst out from under the surface. Glacial water streamed down his face and body. He glanced up at the cave but knew he couldn’t return to her. Not tonight. He’d stand guard, but nothing else.

He cursed the predicament he’d gotten himself into. If he hadn’t left his cave, he never would have met Brandy. But then again, he never would have saved her either.

He smashed his fist into the water. As the droplets rained down on him, he vowed to apologize to her first thing in the morning. Two more nights of agony and it would be over. He could return to his life of solitude, far away from temptation.

He stepped out of the river and wiped the remaining liquid from his body. The frigid air cooled the last of his desire.

He glared at the moon. To be controlled by an inanimate object thousands of miles away was infuriating. If only it would rain. Dim moonlight would lessen her heat and make being around her intoxicating scent bearable.

He stomped up the mountain. Sunrise would come in a couple of hours and with it, reprieve from this erotic torment.

Halfway up the mountain, a lone wolf’s howl fractured the night. Stryde froze. It sounded like it came from near the cave, but it wasn’t Brandy’s mating call.

He shifted. His paws pounded the earth as he rushed toward the cave.

He approached the precipice cautiously, so as not to give away his position. Inside the cave, her unmistakable growl reverberated against the walls. She must have shifted to protect herself.

As he rounded the corner, he spotted another wolf stalking toward her. He would have recognized the wolf’s jet-black coat anywhere. Mazus. The cockiest member of Stryde’s pack advanced toward Brandy with calculated steps. He was so fixated on his prey that he failed to register Stryde’s presence.

Stryde lunged for the wolf. He caught Mazus by the back of the neck and wrestled him to the ground. The wolf was stronger than expected. He thrashed hard enough to throw Stryde off of him. Stryde slammed into the wall.

Momentarily dazed, he watched helplessly as Mazus leapt onto Brandy. He pinned her to the ground for a split second before she turned and bit his snout. He yelped and retreated. Malice shimmered in his eyes. If Stryde didn’t stop him, he’d wear her out and claim her as his.

Stryde scrambled onto all fours. He monitored every contraction of Mazus’ muscles, waiting for him to pounce.

As Mazus leapt into the air, Stryde jumped to catch him midflight. Stryde’s jaw clamped down on Mazus’ throat. The wolf yowled and dropped to the floor. Stryde released his clasp only enough to allow the other wolf to breathe.

Mazus went limp. Stryde cautiously unclamped his mouth and stepped back two paces. He snarled at the other wolf. Mazus’ dark brown eyes flashed with rage, but he sat still.

The standoff lasted several minutes. If Mazus moved a muscle, Stryde growled.

Brandy stood with her flank pressed against Stryde’s. The way she trembled enraged Stryde. He wanted to tear the flesh from Mazus’ throat. How dare he attack Brandy in his cave. He’d run any wolf out of his pack for a stunt like this.

Mazus shifted. His dark hair brushed the base of his neck. “The rumor at Dark Moon is that you’re dead. Apparently, you’re not.”

Stryde shifted. He placed a protective hand on Brandy’s head. She hadn’t shifted and he didn’t blame her. The murderous glint in Mazus’ eyes would frighten anyone who didn’t know him. The wolf liked to puff his chest up and act like a badass, but he rarely followed through on his threats.

Stryde said, “That’s right. I’m alive and well.”

“And hiding a new wolf.” Mazus fixed his lecherous gaze on Brandy. “I don’t blame you for abandoning your pack. For a piece like her, I’d leave too.”

“I’m protecting her as she goes through her first heat. Nothing more,” Stryde snapped.

“Whatever you say.”

“Get the hell out of here. If I ever find you in this cave again, I’ll kill you.”

Mazus smirked. “Will you?”

“Yes.” Stryde tensed, ready to attack.

“I keep telling Nosh that you’re a deserter. That Leah’s death ruined your ability to lead the pack. Why don’t you go up the mountain and appoint a new alpha?”

“I’ll return to continue as alpha.”

“When? How many more moons will you spend pining over someone who wasn’t even yours? Leah left you years ago to live with Ryker. Why you’re so devastated is beyond me.”

Stryde clenched his teeth. “Tell Nosh I’ll return by the next full moon. As the pack’s beta, he can stand in my place while I’m gone.”

“He’s already standing in your place. You should step down. You’re useless to us now and you’ll still be useless at the next moon. You’ve let a woman make you soft. And by the looks of things, this new wolf has turned you into a spineless omega.”

Stryde’s voice dropped. “Get out before I show you how much spine I have left.”

Mazus brushed past him. “Enjoy your time with her while your pack falls apart. I have half a mind to declare myself alpha if Nosh refuses to claim the title.”

Stryde turned. “If you do that, you will be exiled from the pack.”

“By whom? You?” He laughed. “You’ve been gone too long and people are questioning your position. The only reason you’ve retained your title is because Nosh is too weak to claim it for himself.”

“Tell Nosh I’ll be back before the next moon.”

“I’m not your errand boy. Tell him yourself,” Mazus snapped. When he reached the entrance to the cave, he shifted and disappeared down the trail.

Stryde turned to Brandy. “Are you okay? Did he hurt you?”

She shook her head.

It broke his heart to see such fear reflected in her eyes. He’d failed to protect her once again. What kind of an alpha was he? Certainly not the type capable of leading a pack. This failure reinforced his resolve to stay away from the Dark Moon pack.

As soon as he could escort Brandy to Ryker’s cave, he’d return to his pack and appoint Nosh as the new alpha. In a way, Mazus was right. He didn’t deserve the alpha title anymore.

***

Brandy waited until sunrise before she felt safe enough to shift into her human form. Stryde had done his best to comfort her throughout the remainder of the night, but being attacked by the black wolf had left her jumpy and afraid.

She paced the ledge overlooking the valley. Would her life be like this forever, fending off one wolf after another? She wouldn’t have refused Stryde if he hadn’t been so adamant about abandoning her with Ryker. But she’d shored up her heart.

After Stryde’s heated exchange with the black wolf, she realized that his problems were much bigger than just dealing with her. Based on their conversation, it sounded like his entire pack was on the verge of war. He needed to return to stabilize his community as soon as possible. She didn’t want to be the reason he lost his status as alpha in the pack.

She glanced at the dais where Stryde lay on his back with his hands clasped over his belly. He stared at the ceiling.

She walked over to him and sat on the edge of the bed. “You should take me to Ryker’s den today. Based on the way you’ve described him, I’m sure he can find a woman to help me through the last two nights of heat. You need to go to your pack and let them know that you’re still their alpha.”

Stryde turned his head toward her. “I think you’re right. I should take you to Ryker’s den. I had no idea how much things were unraveling in the pack. It’s time that I set things right.”

She forced a smile. “Thank you for saving me from that wolf last night.”

“I left you vulnerable. I shouldn’t have left you alone, even for a second.”

She reached for his hand. “I know why you left. You were doing the right thing.”

He pulled away. “Pack up anything you want to take with you. We’ll head down the mountain in a few minutes.”

She fought back tears. “Thank you for everything you’ve done for me. I know you don’t think that changing me was a good thing, but I would have died if you hadn’t. I owe you my life.”

“You don’t owe me anything.” He swung his legs over the edge of the bed and stood. “I’ll be waiting for you outside.”

She nodded. As soon as he turned his back, a fat tear rolled down her cheek. She’d probably never see him again after today. A heavy weight rested in the pit of her stomach. The man who’d saved and protected her was leaving her. To his credit, he’d told her he’d leave her from the beginning, but she hadn’t listened. Over the past three days, something had shifted inside her heart and the thought of leaving him ripped apart her soul. But leaving was the right thing to do.

She folded her clothes and shoved the picture of her mother into one of the pockets. She looked around the cave one last time before joining Stryde on the trail.

“I wish things could be different,” she whispered.

He gazed down at her with a dejected look. “We can’t always have what we want.”

She tilted her head up and stood on tiptoes. He leaned down and pressed his lips against hers. He pulled her tightly against him. The heat from his body melted with hers, but his lips remained gentle. The sweetness of the kiss only made the pain in her heart worse.

When he finally broke the kiss, his eyes shimmered with unshed tears. “I’m sorry I can’t be the man that you need me to be.”

She blinked back her own tears. “Maybe if we wait until the problems with the pack are resolved? Maybe sometime in the future we can try again?”

He stepped back. “It’s better to walk away. You have to trust me on that.”

“But—”

“Don’t! This is hard enough as it is.”

She sighed and turned away from him. “Lead the way.”

He descended the mountain at a clipped pace. She had to half-jog to keep up with him. As they reached the beach, a flock of birds took off from the surrounding trees.

Stryde stopped so abruptly that she slammed into his back.

“What’s wrong?” Her gaze darted along the tree line.

“Something’s off.”

“Is that black wolf back?”

“Shit.” Stryde shoved her to the ground as the crack of a gun sounded in the air. A bullet whizzed by and slammed into the beach. Sand sprayed up and rained down on them.

Stryde yelled, “Crawl for cover. Get into the trees.”

She scurried on her belly across the scratchy sand. When they reached the tree line, Stryde stood and pulled her behind a pine tree.

A dark figure emerged from the far side of the beach. Her stomach dropped. The hooded man stalked toward them. He held a wicked-looking gun in one hand.

“It’s him,” she yelped.

“Shh. Stay down and follow me.”

She raced behind him through a tangle of branches and across a meadow. When they reached the other side, Stryde turned. “I don’t see him.”

“There!” She pointed at the man who skirted the inside of the tree line.

“Come on.” Stryde grabbed her hand and sprinted around a towering boulder. After splashing through a small stream, they rushed up the side of a hill. Her legs burned and her lungs tightened as she fought to keep up with him.

They rushed toward a wall of boulders. Stryde skidded to a stop and shoved her toward a huge rock. Was she supposed to climb it?

While she frantically searched for a handhold, she spied a small crevice between the stones. Maybe he meant for her to hide inside it.

She wedged herself into the hole, fighting to fit. Behind her, Stryde shoved hard. She popped through the opening and fell to her knees inside the tiny hiding place.

“Don’t move,” he whispered after cramming himself into the space.

Footsteps pounded on the ground just outside the shelter. They faded for a minute before returning.