Lizzy's Lessons (The Hunt Family Series) (7 page)

Chapter Four

Liz woke with a fright as something banged in the other room. It took her a few minutes to remember where she was, but when she did it came crashing down on her and she just lay there staring at the ceiling.

Suddenly, someone pounded on the bedroom door.

“Supper is ready, come eat before it gets cold,” came giant-guys voice through the wooden door.

Liz slipped out of bed and padded slowly to the door, thinking to herself that she really needed to learn his name.

When she opened the door, the scent of chicken noodle soup hit her nose and made her mouth water. Vampires didn’t need to eat human food to live, but it was very delicious and Liz had never turned down chicken noodle soup, since it was her favorite.

She walked into the kitchen /dining room, watched as giant-guy filled two bowls of soup, and then brought them to the table to set them down.

He gestured toward the chair at the table and commanded, “Sit and eat.”

For once, this was one of his commands she felt happy to comply with. She sat down and picked up the soupspoon he had placed next to the bowl, but she didn’t start to eat until he sat down too and started in on his soup.

She felt like something was off. Of course, the entire situation was wrong. She’d been kidnapped by a man who was commissioned to kill her and also happened to be her destined mate. However, there was something else, something in the way he was acting.

He refused to meet her eyes when he looked up to see if she was eating and he looked nervous and uncomfortable. He was eating awfully fast, as if he were in a hurry to be done to get away from her.

Since when did he want to get away from her?
She’d been the one trying to runaway since they met, and now it seemed that’s what he wanted to do.

She took a bite of her soup, but couldn’t enjoy its salty goodness. Giant-guy was acting odd.

“What’s your name?” she finally remembered to ask.

He choked on his soup and looked up at her in surprise, “What?”

“Your name,” she repeated. “You know my name but all I have to call you is giant-guy, and I feel weird calling you that.”

His lips twitched as if he were fighting back a smile, “Giant-guy?”

“Well yeah,” she blushed, and looked down at her soup. “You are so tall and muscular, you remind me of some giant warrior or something.”

She looked up to see a strange expression pass his face, “Giant warrior?”

“Yeah, you know, like those ones out of romance novels? The men are always so big and strong and sweep the heroine off her feet with their dashing good looks and protective strength,” she explained, but then felt embarrassed for having admitted she read those books.

“And do you think I have dashing good looks?” he asked.

Liz took a moment to just look at him, which she really hadn’t done up to this point. His hair was a long and wild mass of multiple reds, browns, blondes, and blacks. His jaw was square and strong, with just the right amount of stubble covering it, his eyes were chocolate brown, and his nose a bit crooked, as if he had been in one too many fights. His lips were a lush, cherry red, and Liz wanted to suck on his pouty lower lip. She met his eyes and batted her lashes coyly, then wondered why she did it, “You’re not hard on the eyes if that’s what you’re asking.”

She saw the unmistakable heat in his eyes and her whole body tingled. She didn’t know why she suddenly decided that she wanted to flirt with him. It hadn’t been in her plans.

She had decided before she fell asleep that she would try to be nicer to him and listen more. He had decided not to kill her and was now protecting her; the least she could do is not argue with him. Even so, she hadn’t intended to flirt with him.

He suddenly jumped up from his chair, startling her, and picked up his dishes to fling them into the sink, Liz was pretty sure he had broken the bowl. He leaned against the sink for a moment, with his back to her and just stood in silence.

“I am going out,” he stated after moments of tense silence. “I need to scout the area and make sure we weren’t followed. I suggest you eat and then go back to bed and get some more rest.”

With that, he walked to the front door and left, slamming the door behind him.

Liz looked at the bowl of soup in front of her and didn’t feel hungry anymore. She stood up and carried it to the sink, noting that he had in fact broken the other bowl. She picked out the broken pieces and threw them in the trash, and then washed what was left in cold water. Apparently, hot water was another luxury around there that he didn’t think was needed.

After she was done drying the dishes, including the pot, and putting them away, she cleaned up the mess on the table and pushed the chairs in, and then she went back into the bedroom, leaving the door open this time as she curled onto the bed and let her tears fall freely again.

She had truly done something very wrong to deserve this, and he still hadn’t told her his name.

*****

Cole raced through the woods as if the hounds of hell were on his tail. His blood boiled, and his body hummed with pent up sexual need that he needed to slake soon if he were going to be able to go back and face Elizabeth without fucking her silly.

Memories of her flirtatiously batting her eyes at him as she told him he reminded her of some romance hero made him want to turn back and take her. He’d smelled her arousal and he knew she’d want him to, but he couldn’t if he wanted to keep himself safe from her ripping out his heart.

He darted left and ran toward a small cove where he knew a shifter female he mated with before would be, and as he cleared the trees and came upon the cove, he heard the unmistakable growl of said female. He knew the growl well, knew he was not unwelcome, so he continued toward the cave without breaking speed.

As soon as he was near enough, he could smell her arousal and knew she was ripe for breeding. She met him at the entrance of the cave and bared her hind end to him in invitation to take what he wanted, before she changed into her human form.

As a human, she was much taller than Elizabeth was. Elizabeth stood at around five foot eight, where Belinda was six foot one. She was also much fuller in the bosom and bottom, having more curves and stock to her than Elizabeth. This was the kind of woman Cole was used to being with.

He changed into his human form and wrapped his hand around his hard cock, rubbing it as he walked toward his intended mate.

As soon as they met, their bodies tangled together and their mouths crashed into each other, tongues thrusting in and out, just as Cole intended to do with his cock very soon.

He grabbed her dark hair and twisted it in his fist, forcing her head back and latching onto her large breast, sucking her nipple into the back of his mouth. She whimpered and submitted to him, and he couldn’t help the thought that this was how Elizabeth should be with him.

As soon as she entered his mind, he reared back and snarled, frightening his intended lover. He suddenly didn’t want to see her wide brown eyes looking up at him as he took her, so he turned her around and forced her on her hands and knees. Then he got behind her, still holding her dark hair in his hand, and positioned his cock at her leaking entrance.

However, he couldn’t bring himself to go any further. He looked at her back and noted how much wider it was than Elizabeth’s, and he looked at her hair, wrapped around his hand and noted how much darker it was. Everything in him screamed that what he was about to do wasn’t right and his body wouldn’t cooperate with him. His cock went limp and no amount of manipulation was bringing it back to life.

He growled again and let go of the woman underneath him, pushing off the ground and turning into his lynx form before he turned and ran away from the stunned woman lying on the ground watching him.

Why couldn’t he do it? Why couldn’t he just slake his lust with a faceless female, and not have to think about her again?
He hated himself for not being able to control his body and just take what he needed from someone who didn’t mean anything to him.

He hadn’t even known this woman for more than two days, and they’d argued more than spoke.
Why did he care so much? Why had his heart already decided that it only wanted her and would settle for nothing else?

*****

Liz woke up to banging pots again and wondered what the hell he could be up to at this time of night. Not that she knew what time it was, gods forbid he have at least an alarm clock.

She got up to inspect, only to find him naked and standing next to the stove, boiling something in a big pot. He then got a big sponge and poured dish soap on it before he dipped it in the pot, she hoped was filled with water and not soup, and then began to wash himself.

She’d seen the tub in the bathroom and hoped that wasn’t just for show and this was how she would really have to bathe herself.

She didn’t know whether or not to leave the doorway of the bedroom, but she found herself inching closer, curious about his activities. As she got within a couple of feet, she heard him growl a warning not to come closer and his entire body went rigid.

She stopped in her tracks, not realizing she had gotten so close to him, and that’s when it hit her. The scent of female arousal poured off his skin and hit her square in the chest, knocking out her breath. He hadn’t been out patrolling as he had said. He’d been out prowling and by the smell of it, found what he was looking for.

Her heart twisted in her chest and she felt the tears burning the backs of her eyes again. He hadn’t been just being mean when he said he would never want to be with someone like her. He’d been telling the truth.

Why, oh, why, was she being punished like this?
Sure, she’d been mean to quite a few people, and had been spiteful to those who loved her. But, did that mean that she would have to spend the rest of eternity being shunned and rejected by her destined mate?

She didn’t say anything. She just turned on her heels and walked back into the bedroom slamming the door behind her. She looked around the room and wiped a stray tear off her cheek. She was not going to cry over this anymore. She was getting out of there as soon as possible. She would not allow herself to be trapped there with this hateful man, especially when she didn’t even know his name.

Tomorrow she would find a way to get out of there and never look back. She didn’t care there was someone out there that wanted her dead. She would rather die than spend the rest of eternity being hurt by him.

*****

Cole didn’t even try to go into his room for the rest of the night. He had lay on the couch instead and just listened as she cried for most of the night.

He wanted so badly to go in and comfort her, but figured she was probably too afraid of him after he’d growled at her when she walked in on him bathing the stench of Belinda’s arousal off his skin. Instead, he just lay there staring at the dying fire in the fireplace and trying to figure out a way to fix this. Because he had to fix it, he wouldn’t allow her to walk away from him now. He was going to fix the mess he’d created with her and convince her to stay with him. He needed to.

He knew now, even though he didn’t want it to be, his heart had already become invested in her. He’d instantly become taken with her and the thought of ever losing her made him want to pound something, and then cry like a baby, and Cole did not cry. He hadn’t cried when his mother died, or when his father died, but he knew that if Elizabeth Hunt ever walked away from him, he would probably break down and cry.

Finally, around early morning, her crying ceased and he was able to get some sleep for a couple of hours before the sun came up.

Then he got up and dressed, deciding to carry on with his plan to go into town and talk to some people to investigate why someone wanted Elizabeth dead. He wasn’t doing it to get rid of her anymore, though. He was doing it now to get this matter settled so he could work on the more important issue of convincing her to stay with him.

He fixed her some breakfast, leaving it on the warm stove top, wrote her a note, warning her not to leave, and locked her in when he left.

Chapter Five

Liz woke to a blaring sun that burned her swollen and dry eyes. She had promised herself she wouldn’t cry anymore, and she had lied.

She slipped out of the large bed that smelled of giant-guy and went to the bathroom to relieve herself and then wash her face in the sink. After washing her face, she looked at herself in the mirror and groan. Her hair was in disarray, her eyes were red and puffy, her cheeks were blotchy, and her lips even looked swollen. She was a mess.

She went back into the bedroom and rummaged through her suitcase until she found her brush and a hair tie. She brushed her hair and pulled it back in a ponytail, and then hunted for her toothpaste and toothbrush.

After going into the bathroom and brushing her teeth, she put the things back in her suitcase, changed into a pair of jeans, a t-shirt, and a thick cashmere sweater, and decided she may as well go out and face ‘him’.

However, when she left the room he was nowhere to be found. She went to the front door and tried to open it, just to look and see if he was outside, but it was locked, from the outside.

“That jerk locked me in,” she muttered to herself.

She turned and went into the kitchen, where she saw the warm plate of food and a note.

Elizabeth,

I have gone into town to get supplies and do some investigating in to who would want to kill you
.
Stay here.

Cole

“I’m sure you’re investigating,” she snorted. “With your cock.”

Well, at least she knew his name now. Not that she would ever use it, since she was breaking out of this joint.

She decided to eat the food he offered. It wasn’t enough to take the edge off her hunger, only blood would do that, and she hadn’t had any in the last two days. She needed to get out of this place before she became too weak to even stand, let alone fend for herself.

She washed the small amount of dishes and cleaned up the mess she made. Then she went in the bedroom and deciding her suitcase would be too heavy to carry, put some clothes in her large shoulder bag. After donning her thickest socks, she put on her snow boots, her large down-feathered, coat, her hat, and gloves, and went in search of another escape route. Cole might think he had locked her in, but Liz had been sneaking out of her parent’s house for years. She knew how to get out, if she really wanted to.

It wasn’t long before she was climbing through the small bathroom window, and once her feet hit the ground, she was off.

While she walked, she took in her surroundings. Large pine trees bordered the clearing of Cole’s cottage and snow blanketed everything around her. It was a winter wonderland and so peaceful, if things had been different between her and Cole, she thought she might have grown to love it there.

She wasn’t a real people person anyway. She preferred her solitude and only surrounded herself with people because of her job. She hadn’t wanted to be a fashion model. She’d gone to school to become a designer, ended up modeling instead, and then was stuck.

She remembered when her and Abby were small girls and would spend all their free time getting muddy, playing down in the forest that lined her parent’s property. She had loved it there and often fantasized about what it would be like to live in the woods. Living off the land and having a simple, peaceful life.

Liz made it half way up the drive when she heard a low, menacing growl and froze in her tracks. She looked to her right, where the noise had come from, and saw an Amazonian scowling back her. She had long thick dark hair, big brown eyes, lush pink lips, extremely large breasts, a slightly rounded tummy, flaring hips, and long legs.

Really? What is up with the giant cat shifters around here?
She thought, before waving at the woman, trying to act as if she didn’t feel the daggers the woman’s eyes were throwing at her.

“Hi there,” she said, backing slowly up the driveway, trying to get back to the cottage without looking like she was moving.

The woman just growled again, and then snarled.

“I don’t suppose you’re a friend of Cole’s?” Liz asked. “I was just staying here with him and decided to take a walk, while I waited for him to return.”

Liz didn’t mistake the look of jealousy that went across the woman’s features, and then the woman snarled again.

“You are the reason,” was all the woman said, and Liz felt confused.

“The reason for wha—“ Liz was about to ask what, but the woman suddenly launched herself at Liz, tackling her to the ground and knocking the wind from her lungs.

Liz tried to regain her senses, but the woman was already attacking, using her razor sharp claws to tear at Liz’s face, so all Liz could do was put her arms up to protect herself.

“He is mine,” the woman yelled, biting into Liz’s arm, causing Liz to shriek in pain.

The woman pulled back and smirked in triumph, as Liz lay underneath her holding her shredded arm. Liz felt the warmth of her blood seeping through the material of her coat and brought her arm up to her face to look. The woman had torn open her $5000 down-feathered coat and taken a rather large chunk out of her arm.

Oh, no that bitch didn’t
, Liz thought, not caring about her arm, but pissed about her coat. Her arm would heal quickly—the coat would not.

Liz used her other hand to backhand the woman off her and pulled herself to her feet when the woman flew against a nearby tree.

“You may be some Amazonian cat-shifter, bitch, but I am a fucking vampire and I will suck you dry before I let you get the better of me.” Liz declared before she launched herself at the dazed woman, grabbing her by the hair on the top of her head and yanking her head back.

The woman pushed at Liz, but all Liz could see was red as she used the last of her remaining strength to try to latch onto the woman’s neck. She didn’t intend to kill her, but she needed to get some blood if she hoped to fight back.

The woman got a grip on Liz’s hair and pulled her head back, then kicked out, pushing Liz off her. Then she tried to tackle her again, but Liz was ready for her this time and wouldn’t go down.

They fought, tearing at each other, hissing and snarling, neither gaining the upper hand, until the woman pulled a sneak attack on Liz, head butting her in the gut and pushing her against a nearby tree. The air left Liz’s lungs and the woman pounced on her, going straight for Liz’s jugular. Liz was certain she was dead and closed her eyes, so she wouldn’t see it when it came.

However, when the bite never came and the weight of the woman was suddenly lifted off her, she opened her eyes to see what was going on, and there, not ten feet in front of her, two lynx cats fought against each other, one large and male, and the other smaller and female.

Liz leaned against the tree she’d been thrown against and watched the cats fight, but as she watched, her body became very weak. She looked down at the place where the woman had taken a chunk out of her arm and saw that she’d begun to heal but she bled out quite a bit.

She let her body slip down the tree trunk as her eyes grew heavy, and before she knew it, the scene in front of her grew hazy.