Howl My Name (BBW Paranormal Shapeshifter Romance) (Grayslake Book 5) (3 page)

Pussy beast.

“Si-Si-Simone.”

When she didn’t say much else, he nudged her along. “Uh-huh.”

“He-he-he…”

Reid stepped forward and he had to give Simone some credit, she didn’t budge. He bent down enough to enter her vision. “Spit it out, kid. He tried to rape you. I got that. But what is going on around
here
? Someone called the Southeast Itan. You know who? You know why?”

Simone swallowed hard and her attention flicked to his face before turning to the ground once more. “E-E-Evelyn. She called and said our Itan… It’s always been this way, but… She… She attacked them and told me to run.”

All right. At least he had a name. “Look, kid. That asshole back there was your Itan. I killed him. Now this shit storm is mine. Where can I find her and whoever else I’m gonna need to kill to get things settled. Because I gotta tell ya, I don’t really feel like being the Itan here. I wanna kill and go. You help me with that?”

She swallowed hard once more, attention still on the rocks at her feet. “My-my—” he was really getting tired of her stutter. “His brothers. The inner-circle and they-they-they have her.”

Brothers. What was it about bears that had them giving birth to four kids to make up inner-circles? He was glad he was a wolf. They just fought shit out and it was done. This leadership by birth crap was bullshit. “All right. Might as well get this over with. Where can I find ’em?”

“They’re at the clan den.” At least the stuttering was gone. “In the wet room with Evelyn.”

A wolf had to appreciate a place like that to kill assholes. Hopefully they’d still be down there and make cleanup easy. “Anyone other than them gonna give me shit about Patrick?”

Simone shook her head. “They’re the strongest. You have to watch out for Eze—”

Reid waved her off. “I got it kid.”

He’d read the files when Terrence put him on the road. He probably should have paid more attention to the pictures though. He rubbed his jaw, thinking about Patrick’s broken body. Yeah, a little more focus wouldn’t have been a bad thing. Like, actually looking at ’em at all. Eh, nothing to do about it now. The wolf was anxious to get back to the hunt and tear into a few bears that had Simone trembling and this chick Evelyn calling in the cavalry.

“Where am I headed?”

The girl peeked at him once more. “Over the ridge, three miles.”

He grunted in acknowledgment. “There a reason you’re hiding this close to the den even though the Itan tried to rape you? I’m guessing it ain’t the first time, either. Man was a little unhinged and there was no missing he wanted you.” At her head shake, confirming his accusation, he clenched his jaw. Wolf really begged to lose his shit.
Soon
. “I can scent that you’ve been here a while. Why’s that?”

“They’re strong, but they don’t know how to track or hunt.”

“You do?”

She nodded.

“And if the Itan and inner-circle didn’t teach you shit, who did?”

She licked her lips. “Jack. In town.”

“Reason you ain’t staying with Jack, then?” Kid shouldn’t be living alone on the side of a mountain.

“The Itan would have found me. My father would have killed Jack.”

“Who’s your daddy?”

“Patrick,” she raised her head, any hint of fear and trembling gone as hate took their place. “Patrick Archer.”

Well, fuck him sideways. He sighed. “All right then. Lemme go kill your uncles real quick and I’ll come back for you.”

“You say it like it’s easy.”

Reid smirked, anticipation thrumming through his veins. “That’s ’cause it is, kid. That’s ’cause it is.”

And fun as hell, too.

* * *

The younger male shifted from foot to foot, unease crowding the aromas filling the air. Evelyn realized her bear was filtering through the scent of her own blood and fighting to focus on the others. Daniel’s anger, Sean’s worry, Ezekiel’s joy. They all swirled through the air to join the kid’s.

“What?” Her uncle snapped at the young male once again.

“We were out patrolling and found Patrick—”

Zeke’s fist shot out and slammed against the side of the kid’s head.

“Sorry, sorry,” the male immediately apologized. “We found Itan Archer in the forest. Someone killed him. A wolf.”

Her uncle vibrated with rage, the joy vanishing beneath his rush of anger, and she smiled. The other two were surprised, Daniel furious while Sean was more thankful than anything. But Evelyn? She was overjoyed.

Zeke lifted his arm once more, but the bear didn’t run. He should, everyone knew her uncle’s strength, but he also knew running was pointless. Hell, once they were caught, the pain tended to be ten times worse than what they would have felt had they stayed put.

Now, with her father gone—who cared who killed him—the Southeast Itan would have to be called. Salvation came with his death. Knowing safety would come soon, their savior close, she couldn’t allow another bear to be harmed. Not while she could save him. Her uncles couldn’t put her six feet under with the Southeast Itan’s impending arrival. She could pull shit she wouldn’t have dreamed of.

Evelyn gathered spit in her mouth, sucking on her cuts and collecting as much as she could.

Then she let it fly. She spat it at her uncle, across the six feet that separated her from the door. It struck his back, splattering his shirt and hitting his neck as well. The red painted him, and the collision had him freezing in place.

Once more she drew attention to herself to save another and once again she wouldn’t regret it.

Zeke slowly turned and glared at her, flashing his rapidly changing fangs. His jaw distorted, breaking, and quickly reshaping to form his snout. “You
cunt
.”

She let her crazed emotions free and her mind shatter just enough for her suppressed bear to climb forward. She could imagine what she looked like; carved face, blood coated, midnight eyes that glowed even in the bright light…

“Touchy, touchy.” She pouted. “I like talking dirty as much as the next girl, but coming from you, that doesn’t make me hot. You get off on the blood, the screams.” She flicked her gaze to his groin and smiled wider even as she fought the urge to vomit. A rapid look at the trembling male and she had his attention. She shifted her gaze from his and to the right, encouraging the messenger to flee. “I’m just giving you what you want. You have the blood.” She smirked. “And I’ll scream for you.”

A new scent crept into her a split second before the source stepped into view. He didn’t sneak or creep, he merely filled the doorway as if he had every right to be in the house.

A wolf in the bears’ den.

A wolf with blood staining his clothing and obvious claw marks marring the fabric.

“Baby, you won’t be the one screaming,” the newcomer drawled and
that
touched something inside her.

That
had her bear suddenly paying close attention to the world around her. It’d distanced itself from her human consciousness, separating as the pain grew to consume every inch of her body. It had the animal willing to endure the agony for the chance to get a better look at the wolf who’d managed to take down the clan’s Itan.

Zeke spun. “Who the—”

And that was it. That was all her uncle said before a single strike sent him reeling. She got a good look at Zeke’s face as he turned. Blood flowed freely from the new wounds. Four deep furrows from forehead to chin destroyed the left half of his face and he kept going until he collapsed at Evelyn’s feet.

One strike sent her insane uncle to his knees.

Just for giggles—because she’d lost her mind at some point—she spat on him again.

Ezekiel pushed to his feet, a snarl on his lips as he glared at her. Red liquid bathed his left eye, but it was still effective.

Too bad the pain coursing through her and the elation at the wolf’s presence made her not give a damn.

She only prayed he’d deliver and make them
all
scream. And cry. And beg. And sob. And…

Zeke attacked with a roar in one blurring move, but the wolf… didn’t budge. Hell, he didn’t even brace himself to take her uncle’s weight. He simply held fast and pushed back. It was enough to send Zeke stumbling once more. The retreat gave the stranger room to step forward, and in two strides, he stood before Evelyn. One booted foot to the seat of her chair sent her skidding over the tile until she struck the far wall. The legs screeched against the tile, metal leaving deep gouges in her trail as she was shoved to safety.

Then it got real.

Evelyn’s move was the catalyst, permission to her uncles to begin the fight in earnest. Which they did.

Ezekiel was first, his fury tangible and obvious as he pounced. Daniel and Sean were right behind him. All three attacked at once, fangs bared, claws out as they went after the wolf.

The wolf smiled widely at their approach. And it was that hint of crazy, the sparkle and tinge of enjoyment that graced his lips that made her breath catch. She knew insane. She saw it every day across the breakfast table and experienced it herself when the world crowded around her.

This… was worse. It was more. It was harsher. It was unforgiving. It was…

When the wolf caught all three of them in one fluid move, she realized it was beautiful. It was elegant in its simplicity, the careful duck and graceful arc of his arm with his claws bared. She watched as if he moved in slow motion, the male taking his time and making the most of each strike.

And he smiled. It wasn’t in grim satisfaction, but pure joy. Then there was the laugh, and the elation in the sound was unmistakable. The edge on it, the balanced beast and human, frightened her as much as it intrigued her. She refused to acknowledge that she
liked
it. That she was
attracted
to the male.

Because that was fucked up. Not just because she was in no shape to get frisky but also because she was pretty sure she watched him nearly gut Uncle Daniel. Bile gathered in her throat at the sight, rising from her stomach, and she fought to push it down. They’d destroyed her, hadn’t they? They’d hurt, maimed, and killed so many. She shouldn’t feel bad or be disgusted by what she saw.

Not when Daniel landed a punch.

Or Sean got in a good swipe.

Or Ezekiel…

Where the hell did Ezekiel go?

The knot of bodies continued their battle, males performing a bloody dance that had to end at some point. They would die—the wolf or her uncles. That was the only outcome, there was no other. Then they turned, the brawling mass shifting from one side of the room to the other as the stranger chased Daniel while he planted a boot in Sean’s middle. Daniel crawled toward the single door, a wide stripe of blood staining the pale tile. And while Sean struggled to his feet, the wolf pounced onto Daniel’s back. Two hands, a yank, and then it was over; her uncle’s lifeless body collapsing to the ground in a dead heap.

Which left Sean. Sean the reluctant participant, Sean the uncle who always patched up others, Sean… who’d never attempted to get anyone in the clan help. She’d made a call—one—and she’d been beaten. But at least she’d
tried
.

So when the wolf flicked his attention to her as if to ask permission, she said the only two words in her mind. “Do it.”

He did. One more throw, one more punch, one more pounce, and one more wrench of a head.

Now she was left with a panting male standing above two dead bodies, his chest heaving with the exertion, but she noticed something else about him. Not a hint of fur peppered his skin and his eyes remained human. Yes, the strength of his animal was present, but the beast’s presence was nowhere to be seen.

The wolf let her uncle’s body fall to the ground, his head banging against the tile, and he stepped over Daniel.

His steps didn’t falter, each one firm as he strode through the puddles of blood—hers and theirs. When he was close enough, he crouched and reached for her bindings. A quick tug had her arms free and then the restraints at her ankles disappeared. He didn’t attempt to touch her or help her from the seat. He simply remained in place, brown eyes focused on her.

“E-E—” she licked her lips and winced with the sting. “Ezekiel got away.”

He shrugged. “I’ll hunt him in a little bit.”

She nodded and then voiced the only question banging through her head. One both her human and bear wanted the answer to. “Who are you?”

“Your new Itan.”

“You’re a wolf,” she rasped.

“Ain’t that the truth, but Terrence doesn’t give a fuck.” He shrugged.

“Terrence?” She swallowed hard. The Southeast Itan was named Terrence.
He couldn’t mean…

“Yup, the bear needs someone to do his dirty work, and baby,” he licked his lips, gathering a few droplets of the blood that lingered there. “I love dirty.”

Women. God. Damned. Women.

Screw that. It was one. One, battered, bloodied, curvy, and sexy as hell even when she looked like she was gonna die, female.

The werebear currently scaring the shit outta him also made him want to commit murder. The need to kill something didn’t really bother him. The scaring him though… that wasn’t cool. He was Reid Bennett, alpha asshole, badass motherfucker, and homicidal wolf. Nothing scared him.

Except the aforementioned battered, not-quite-so-bloodied, curvy, sexy, half-dead woman.

“What the fuck?”

He didn’t have to yell. Not when all conversation quieted at his appearance. Everyone froze in place, wide eyes trained one him as he slowly strolled into the room. He pretended he wasn’t covered in dirt and grime, blood drying on his skin and soaked into his clothes. Mud crumbled and littered the ground with every step, leaving a line of filth in his wake. Memories of his mother scolding him for trailing grass and crap into the house reared up and he kicked it back down. He didn’t have time for a painful walk down memory lane. He still needed an explanation for the shit in front of him.

Mainly a—was that wound seeping blood?—half-dead Evelyn puttering around the kitchen.

She hadn’t looked at him yet, continuing to pad from the stove to the granite-topped island and back again, attention on her task. The only sounds in the room came from her, from the soft shuffle of her feet and the occasional hitch in her breathing. It was enough to nearly send him over the edge. His wolf wanted out to rip them into small pieces for letting her do anything but lay in bed and recover.