Untamed Hearts (BBW Biker Werewolf Romance) (6 page)

“Look, it’s not that hard to find someone’s phone number, and then find out where they are by calling that number and running a trace on it. That’s what Adrian, or his father, did.”

“Oh...great.”

“Get dressed. We’re going to need to leave here. Soon. We don’t know how close he is.”

She nodded, picking up her clothes. Gunner grabbed his backpack, and she watched him stuff clean clothes into it as she got dressed.

From the floor, Gunner’s phone began ringing again. Claire froze, eyes locked on Gunner. He dropped the shirt he was holding and scooped up the phone.

“Yeah?” Brows furrowed, his eyes were on Claire’s, and for a moment she read uncertainty. Then a slight bit of tension left his body and he mouthed the word Reece, even though he guessed she already knew that.

“Gunner, you’re in a world of hurt, and I’d appreciate it if you didn’t hang up on me this time.”

“Reece, I really don’t have time...”

“Yeah, Gunner, you do have time to listen to me. Things have been happening here, calls back and forth, and Malone’s been by to visit.”

“And?”

“And he’s got a message for you: back off. Leave her where she is and come home.” Gunner turned to the big window, watching the pines swaying in the breeze. Something in Reece’s voice made the hair on the back of his neck stand up. The last thing Gunner needed was someone telling him what to do. Even if that someone was Reece.

“Why the hell does Malone care about what I do?”

“Has she told you who she is? Who her Alpha is?”

“Why the twenty questions? I know her name. What the hell do I care who her Alpha is?”

“Well, Malone cares. Her Alpha heads one of the oldest packs on the East Coast, someone who is still highly connected back in the Old Country. And he doesn’t take kindly to strangers interfering with family business.”

“He made it my business when he came after Claire. She may not be my family...”

“Gunner, you’re missing the point. Malone doesn’t want to go digging around where you shouldn’t, digging up stuff that should remain buried. He wants you to back off.”

“Or what?”

Reece was quiet, and the silence went on far too long for Gunner’s liking. “Or what, Reece? What are you trying to say?”

“There are things that happened before you came here. Things no one wants to dredge up.”

“And what does that have to do with Claire?” Her head jerked up at the sound of her name and he turned away, his back to her, even though he knew damn well she could still hear the conversation.

“More than you know. Gunner, Victor’s the guy who had your whole pack killed.”

Gunner’s face felt numb, his breath stalling in his chest. “And he had my father killed too, I suppose?”

Reece took a deep breath. “Yeah, I’m afraid that’s true. But it’s more complicated. He didn’t kill your father. He killed the man who you thought was your father.” There was another pause. Gunner closed his eyes, fearing the worst, not knowing what that could even be.

“The man you thought was your dad? He wasn’t your father. Gunner, Victor is your father.”

* * *

G
unner had been sitting on the edge of the bed for a long time, staring out the big window. Claire knelt beside him, aching to do something, anything, to help him. But her mind was just as jumbled as she supposed his was. If someone had told her that her father wasn’t really her father, she’d be a basket case. And to learn who your father really was, that the man you were trying to get this girl away from was your brother, or half-brother...well, for Claire, it was all too much.

“Gunner?” She laid her hand on his shoulder. He didn’t move.

“Gunner, we need to go.”

He drew a deep breath, looked down at the phone in his hands, and then threw it across the room. It bounced against the bathroom door, skittering away across the tile.

“You heard, I guess? What a mess. What a fucked up mess.”

“Gunner, I’m sorry. Really...I don’t know what else to say.”

He turned, and she saw the pain and confusion in his eyes. “All these years, the man who raised me, I thought he was my father. Now I find out it’s the guy who sired that prick Adrian...who’s my brother...” His laugh was sharp, painful.

“I can’t believe it myself...”

“Did you know?” Gunner turned to her suddenly, his eyes searching hers. “Was that why...”

She was shaking her head before he even finished. “How could I? I had no idea Adrian wasn’t Victor’s only son. No one ever talked about any other sons.”

“Yeah, how could you.” He shook his head absently. “We’ll just chalk this one up to fate...or bad luck.”

Claire sat back, wishing she had the magic words that would make this all go away, or at least make it something they could understand. But even if she believed in magic, she didn’t think there was enough to fix this situation.

He stood abruptly. “You’re right. We have to leave.”

Claire got off the bed, pulling on her shirt. Gunner grabbed the backpack, strode across the room, scooped up his phone, and shoved it into his pocket. 

“Gunner, where are we going?”

“I’m not sure...”

Gunner’s words cut off abruptly. His head jerked up, eyes locked on the door, and he went completely rigid, the backpack falling to the floor. And then she heard it. The soft thud of a single footstep on the steps.

Claire whirled, still fumbling with the buttons on her shirt, breath coming up fast and shallow, her heart in her throat.

Before either of them could react, the door abruptly splintered inward. Adrian stood in the ruined doorway, hands doubled into fists. His nose was a swollen, bloody mess, his eyes sporting huge black rings beneath them, and he drew ragged breaths through his open mouth. Claire stumbled backward with a half-strangled cry. Adrian had never been her idea of good looking, but now he was horrific.

“How...how...what are you doing here?” She was still reeling from seeing the damage Gunner had done to Adrian’s face, and her voice was little more than a timid whisper.

“Claire...you should know by now never to doubt what I say.” His voice was cold but his eyes were animated, almost dancing with some evil inner light. Claire knew that look. It was the look he’d get before he’d hit her. Only now, with his ruined face, he looked ten times scarier.

“Adrian...”

“Get out of here.” Gunner moved in front of her, somehow managing to look taller, shoulders broader, towering over Adrian.

Adrian’s laugh was high and maniacal. “Like I’m going to listen to you, you animal. Get out of my way. I’m here for what’s mine. She is mine, you know. Not yours.”

“She doesn’t belong to you. Or me. But I’m not going to let you hurt her.”

For a split second, the men glared at each other. Then Adrian erupted with a growl, lunging across the room toward Gunner. Claire stumbled backward as Gunner shielded her with his body, easily sidestepping Adrian’s clumsy rush as he charged past them. The smaller man smashed into the kitchen table, spun around, and slammed into the counter. The empty wine bottle from the night before hit the floor with a crash, leaving a welter of shattered glass.

In that instant, Gunner began to change, shifting into his animal form. She’d seen shifters change; hell, she changed herself. But with Gunner, it was a force of nature, strangely beautiful, mesmerizing. His shift was more like a magician’s illusion, and where Gunner had been, a huge black wolf now stood in the middle of the small cabin. 

Adrian was crouched by the counter, breathing hard, lips pulled back over his teeth. He seemed just as shocked at the rapid transformation as Claire, although she didn’t think he was quite as taken with Gunner’s shift as she was. He looked enraged, angrier than she’d ever seen him.

Gunner lunged at Adrian, nails gouging the hardwood floor. He hit Adrian low, just above the knees. The blow dropped Adrian to the floor, with Gunner scrambling to remain on top, pinning Adrian on his back. Even with his greater body weight, Gunner had difficulty controlling Adrian.

Claire waited for Adrian to change. She expected him to and wondered why he didn’t, what he could be thinking. But he remained in his human form. He was crazy if he thought he could win a fight against a massive wolf who outweighed him, could out maneuver him, and could easily tear out his throat with one bite.

Adrian’s hands were around Gunner’s throat, his fingers buried in the black fur. There was no way he could do any harm to Gunner, but Claire saw that he was able to keep Gunner’s snapping fangs away from his own throat.

“Gunner! Look out! He’s...”

Before she could even finish the words, Adrian pulled his knees up, planted his feet in Gunner’s midsection, and kicked hard. Gunner grunted, his back legs lifting, scrambling above the floor. That was all Adrian needed.

Gunner lost his advantage, his front legs slipping. Adrian yelled, a terribly loud primal sound in the small space. He straightened his legs as far as he could against Gunner then rolled over, pushing Gunner away. Gunner landed heavily on his side, a deep growl tearing from his throat.

Adrian was on his feet, heading toward Claire. She backed up, hitting the edge of the bed with her legs. Before she had a chance to catch her balance or even consider shifting, Adrian had an arm around her waist, pulling her toward the door. She kicked, pulling at his arm, scratching him with her nails, trying to hit his damaged nose. But his grip was like steel, and he lifted her feet off the floor as he moved toward the door.

“Gunner!” Claire dug her nails into Adrian’s arm, straining to see over his shoulder. Gunner was on his feet, teeth bared, back legs coiled, ready to jump.

Adrian spun around, using Claire as a human shield. Against her back, she felt Adrian’s body begin to shift, his muscles rippling, growing tense and hot. He held up his hand, and Claire felt the blood drain from her face. It was covered with sparse yellow fur, the nails already starting to change into claws.

“Take that jump, and she dies.” Adrian’s distorted voice, half-human, half-growl, filled the room. “It’s that simple.” The hand closed around her throat, the claws digging into her skin, a warm trickle of blood seeping down her neck.

Claire struggled to breathe as he crushed her against his body. Gunner was still crouched on the floor in front of her ,and she met his eyes. She saw anger, confusion...doubt.

“That’s right, big boy. Be a good boy and sit.”

Adrian backed up through the ruined door into the cool morning air. Gunner advanced slowly after them, hackles raised, snarling through bared fangs. His eyes flickered between Claire’s and Adrian’s then locked on hers as Adrian dragged her toward the stairs.

“She’s mine, asshole. And don’t ever forget that.”

Adrian turned and jumped down the stairs, his arm around her waist. With surprising speed, he bolted through the woods, crashing down the same path she’d traveled with Gunner the night before. Brambles pulled at her, tree limbs scratching her face and hands. She beat against Adrian, but there was no stopping him.

Claire knew he was close to shifting. He was just barely holding on to his human form. He wanted something from her, or else he would have changed and fought it out with Gunner in the cabin before killing her.

Suddenly, they broke through the trees into a clearing. She didn’t see Gunner’s motorcycle, but instead saw a bright red Porsche parked alongside of the road. Adrian had taken a different trail, not the same one Gunner had used. He flung her against the car, pinning her with one hand as he yanked open the driver’s side door.

“Get in...don’t try getting back out. Do, and I’ll just run you over. And don’t bother shifting...you were always a slow shifter and a worthless fighter. I could kill you in a heartbeat.”

Adrian pushed her hard, and she clambered over the gear shift, banging her elbows and knees, ending up crouching in the passenger seat. She couldn’t resist reaching for the door handle, but Adrian grabbed her arm, twisting it painfully, his claws digging into her skin.

“I said don’t try getting out.” He leaned close, his breath hot and fetid against her face. She turned away, but Adrian grabbed her face with his other hand, forcing her to look at him. The pads of his fingers...paws...were rough against her skin, claws digging into her cheek.

“You think you’re getting away again? Not this time. This time you’re coming with me.”

“Why not just kill me and get it over with. We both know that’s what you really want.” She spat the words at him through clenched teeth.

Adrian’s eyes darkened, his face contorting into a mask of rage. He pulled her even closer and Claire cringed, desperate to get away from him. His breath was foul, as if he’d been eating something rotten, or he was rotting from the inside out. Something was wrong, really wrong, with this scenario, more than just being in a car with a guy she’d jilted who happened to be poised between human and shifter.

“My father...you remember him? He’s your Alpha. He wants you back. It’s not what I want...”

His bloodshot eyes bore into her, then slid down her face to her torn shirt. Something passed over them, or left them. Claire’s heart skipped in her chest. It took her only a second to realize the last shred of sanity Adrian had been clinging to had just deserted him. His mouth curled into a bizarre smile, fangs competing with teeth, a grin that would have frozen Hell.

“You know what? Fuck my father.” His voice dropped lower and became an almost seductive purr, his eyes raking hungrily over her body.

“Fuck you, too, while we’re at it.”

Claire’s breath froze in her throat. Adrian, half-wolf, half-human...the thought was repellant, and she struggled against the iron grip of his hand. But he was too strong and for a horrible moment, Claire saw her immediate future. It wasn’t pretty.

Adrian buried his head against her neck, his mouth hot against her skin, teeth raking across her flesh. She cried out, pushing at him, trying to kick at his body. But the car was too small and he was too strong. A sob broke from her lips as he tore the front of her shirt, the buttons skittering to the floor of the car. Closing her eyes, she went numb, giving herself over to the horror.