“The blonde woman betrays you.”
The tall, thin man crouched until he was eye level with
the woman on the floor and narrowed his eyes. “How?”
Gwen Anderson refused to answer. How could she? The
future was always uncertain. Even if a vision was clear,
something small could happen in the present and forever
alter it.
Eric grasped her chin and pulled her face within inches
of his. “Tell me!”
She jerked away from his bony fingers and closed her
eyes. Tired, so tired. How long had she been kept
in this makeshift cell underneath the casino? Hours had
turned into days, then weeks. For all she knew, she
could’ve been down here for years.
The sting from Eric’s slap exploded across her cheek.
“What did you see? I have to know. Does my sister betray
us?”
Us. There was no us. Not now, not
ever. At one time Gwen thought that maybe she could be part
of an “us,” but not anymore. After she was kicked out of
her own werewolf pack and rejected by all the others, the
hope of having a family, a home, was nothing more than
fantasy. Now there was only loneliness and pain, interrupted
occasionally by Eric’s frantic questioning.
“I know you saw something important. Amos said you were
mumbling in your sleep.”
Gwen looked up into her captor’s face. Eric Wright,
leader of the Wright pack and in charge of all the
werewolves who lived in the Northeast. Eric Wright, the one
she had turned to when she had nowhere to live and was out
of options. At first he dismissed her, but once werewolf
leader learned about her “gift” for seeing into the future,
he kept her caged down here like some animal.
At least he didn’t lie to her. The abuse she could take.
It was the false kindness of the Kyron pack, the pack who’d
abandoned her, that hurt the most. She still remembered the
look of pity in the leader’s eyes as he shut the door in her
face --
“Useless twit.” Eric straightened and brushed his long
blond hair over his shoulder. His eyes looked bloodshot, as
if he hadn’t been sleeping. Good. He had brought
her nothing but pain and disillusionment. The thought that
he might be suffering pleased her. Maybe now he’d treat her
better, more like a human than an animal.
“Let me try, boss. I can get the information out of
her.”
Gwen’s gaze flew to the brute in the doorway. He smiled
at her, a slow, evil smile that turned her blood to ice.
She lifted her chin and tried to hide her fear.
“Ah, a weak spot.” Eric smiled, showing most of his
perfectly white teeth. “Come here, Amos.”
Gwen scrambled closer to the wall. The last time Eric
gave Amos free rein, she hadn’t had enough strength to use
her magic to heal herself. It had taken her days to
recover. Eric would never allow him to -- not when he still
needed information from her… Would he?
Amos slapped the handle of a long, thin whip against his
hand and approached them, his gaze never leaving Gwen’s
half-naked body.
As he got close, she pulled her torn shirt over her
breasts and spit at his feet. “When I get out of here, I’ll
make sure you’re both punished. What you’re doing is immoral
and against the werewolf code.”
Eric laughed. “Nobody will enforce the code for a freak
like you.” He grabbed her shoulders and shook her until her
brain rattled in her head. “You want to be treated better?
Then tell me how my sister, Lydia, betrays me.” His beady
blue gaze pierced her skin as he spoke. He was getting
angry. She couldn’t deal with this right now. Her bruises
still hadn’t healed from her last beating, and she was
malnourished. If she could just buy herself a little more
time, she could figure out a way to get out of here.
Her chains rattled as she lowered her hands and
straightened her spine. “The vision was fuzzy. She hasn’t
made up her mind yet. I only saw a possibility --”
“Tell me.”
Gwen glanced at Amos, and a shiver raced down her spine.
She didn’t want to give the bastards any more information,
but she didn’t want to get beaten again either. “The Kyron
pack leader persuades Lydia to betray you.” She had seen
more but held her tongue. Eric didn’t have to know about
the other part of her vision. It didn’t have to do with his
sister anyway. It had to do with her future, or at
least what was left of it.
“Bitch.” He slapped the other side of her face.
She refused to react to his outburst. She knew through
experience that it would only encourage him. “If you don’t
like the truth, then don’t ask me. Let me go, and I’ll --”
“And you’ll what? Go to the other packs? My dear, no one
would believe an outcast like you.” He straightened and
began to pace. “Josh Kyron is proving to be a thorn in my
side. First he harms what’s mine; then he denies it.” He
stopped in front of her and rubbed his chin. “The selfish
whelp thinks he’s above were-law. My own people grow weak
while his pack grows fat and lazy. Now he wants to take my
sister out from under my nose. If Lydia turns her back on me
for that arrogant wolf --”
The basement door flew open and slammed against the
wall. Cool air rushed in from the hall, creating goose
bumps over Gwen’s pale skin. The fresh breeze brought life
and hope -- a welcome change from the stuffy, stagnant
atmosphere in her cell. Eric and Amos whirled around. Gwen
stared at the door.
Two large men marched into the room, carrying a third
man between them. “We caught him snooping around.”
Gwen silently thanked the gods for the reprieve from her
interrogation. She pulled her knees up to her chest and
wrapped her arms around her legs. If she could make herself
invisible, then maybe they’d forget about her and an
opportunity for escape would present itself. She huddled
against the wall and tried to blend in with the background.
Eric approached the prisoner. “Who are you?”
Silence. The man was large, over six feet, with thick
hair the color of night. Muscles rippled as he growled like
an animal and tugged against his captors. She tried to get
a look at his face, but he kept his head low to the ground.
“Look at me.” Eric grabbed a fistful of ebony hair and
pulled the prisoner’s head up for all to see.
“Fuck you, Eric,” the prisoner spat.
Gwen flinched as the were leader pulled harder. It must
have been so painful, but the prisoner didn’t cry out.
Instead he hissed and flashed his sharp teeth.
“Werewolf.” Eric let go in disgust. “But not of my pack.
Where did you find him?”
The guards glanced at each other. “Up in the casino.”
“What was he doing?”
“He was dressed as staff and flirting with one of the
cocktail waitresses. He asked her where the casino records
were held.”
Dressed as staff. Gwen squinted at the tears in
the maroon pants and white polo shirt the man wore. The thin
cotton clothes clung to every muscle of his body like a
static-filled sock, outlining his broad shoulders and narrow
hips. The air around him was charged with energy. Awareness
tingled over her skin. Gwen shivered as a sliver of heat
raced up her center. This was the man from her vision; she
was sure of it. There was no denying the savage power that
radiated off his body or the sexual energy that filled the
room. If her vision was accurate, this man would bring hope
and life to her world.
And she would bring death to his.
Fuck. Her vision was becoming reality. It would
have been so much better if he were never caught, if they
had never met. She never wanted to hurt anyone. All Gwen
ever wanted was to be accepted and loved. How did
everything end up such a mess?
The prisoner raised his head and snarled at Eric. “That
waitress would have given me all the information I wanted
if you hadn’t interrupted us. Your pack isn’t as loyal as
you think.” His deep baritone vibrated through Gwen like a
caress. The prisoner frightened her, yet something about
him excited her too.
“Whose pack do you belong to?” Amos asked.
The captive pressed his lips together and stared at
Eric.
“Kyron,” Eric announced. “He carries the same arrogance
as his leader. I should have known Josh would try to
retaliate.”
“You’re the one who’s arrogant,” the stranger said. “You
let the members of your pack live like savages while you
obsess over something that never happened.”
“Shut up, you Kyron whelp.” Eric grabbed his hair and
yanked his head up to meet his gaze. “You have no idea what
you’re talking about.”
“Josh never did anything to your mate.”
“I said shut up!” A loud crack echoed through
the room as Eric slapped him across the mouth. “You weren’t
there. You have no idea what you’re talking about.”
The prisoner’s chest heaved as he caught his breath.
Gwen’s heart skipped a beat. Eric was so volatile; there
was no telling what he was capable of. One false move and
both she and the stranger could be beaten within an inch of
their lives.
The prisoner looked up and noticed her for the first
time. His expression changed, first softening, then
becoming more intense. Power and confidence fell off him in
waves. Her body responded. Lust wove her stomach in knots
and dampened her thighs. Need rose in her chest and stole
her breath. She had been alone in this world for so long and
had gone without sex for even longer. Gwen longed for
someone to hold her, to want her. For just a little while,
she wanted to remember what it was like to lie in a man’s
arms and feel loved.
She saw something flicker in his eyes. The air became
electrified as his deep amber gaze pierced through her skin
and heated every inch of her body. His features shifted and
became darker, more possessive.
Sexual hunger swept over her skin and set every nerve
ending on fire. Her gaze flicked down to his tented pants,
and she knew the same sensations ran through his body too.
Her womb tightened at the thought of pulling down his
zipper and exploring what lay beneath. Gwen eased her hand
down her waist and hips, outlining her curves. She longed
to go to him but knew her chains would never reach. The
gentle throbbing intensified, and her hand slipped between
her thighs to relieve her frustrations.
No. Gwen jerked her hand away and shrank back
against the wall. A quick glance around the room told her
that no one had noticed her momentary lapse of common sense,
at least not yet. She hadn’t seen this attraction in her
vision, but then again, her powers were fickle, showing her
only pieces of a puzzle.
The prisoner held her gaze, immobilizing her with their
dark depths. His face was thin and angular, his jaw hard,
but there was a spark in his eyes, something savage. Gwen
moistened her lips as lust dripped slowly through her
middle, hardening her nipples and pooling between her
thighs. She shifted her legs and caught a scent of her
arousal. If she could smell it, the rest of the wolves in
the room could smell it too. Yet she didn’t care. Her
passion overwhelmed every other emotion and focused her
thoughts on the man before her. All she cared about was
kissing each of his wounds, licking his bruises while she
rubbed her hips against his…
The prisoner pulled against the guards, trying to reach
her. Shouting erupted, and one of the guards slammed
something against his back. The noise broke the spell, and
Gwen blinked as she huddled closer to the wall.
What was she thinking? Acting this way would only draw
Eric’s attention.
She schooled her features into a blank mask and tried to
appear disinterested in the prisoner. It was hard. Never
before had she felt anything so strong. The man awakened a
craving in her she had thought was dead. And so intense!
There was only one reason why a wolf could become so
aroused, so emotional.
Oh God, it can’t be possible…
Eric rubbed his chin. “Looks like our old friend Josh
Kyron is up to his tricks again.” He nodded at the
prisoner. “Was he alone?”
“No, there was another.”
Eric waited, but no one spoke. Crossing his arms over
his chest, the were leader narrowed his eyes at one of the
guards. “Well? Where is he?”
Silence blanketed the room.
“Amos,” Eric said. “Make these two talk.”
“Gladly.” He cracked his whip in the air as he
approached.
One of the guards adjusted his stance and jerked his
head from Eric to Amos. His eyes widened with fear. “He got
away. We didn’t mean to --”
“Got away?” Eric let his arms fall to his sides and
curled his fingers into fists. “Of all the --”
“It was his fault.” The other guard kicked the
prisoner in the shin. The captive grimaced but said
nothing.
Eric droned on about the lack of good help, and Gwen
shifted her gaze back to the prisoner. The man’s hungry
stare consumed her. It brought with it warm heat, chasing
away the chill in her bones.
Shifting her legs, she became aware once again of the
dampness between them. Her need grew stronger every second,
yet she had to resist. If she could deny her libido, then
maybe she could save the prisoner the pain of her vision.
She had to try -- for his sake.
Gwen broke eye contact and pulled her knees closer to
her chest. She had heard of such strong sexual cravings
happening in the werewolf community. First came a desire so
great it was impossible to ignore. Then, after sex, an
instant connection would form. With each coupling the
connection would deepen, and the moon-rage that threatened
every one of her kind would dissipate.
Such was the way of mates.
But it couldn’t happen to her. She was different. Her
psychic magic made her a freak of nature. Unlovable.
Despised. Alone.
She glanced back at the prisoner. He held her gaze and
nodded, as if he understood her despair and loneliness.
Understood? No one understood. The stale air in
this basement must have affected her brain. How long had it
been since she had been outside on the boardwalk, breathing
in the fresh sea air? Too long. She couldn’t even remember
what the sea smelled like anymore.
The glow vanished from the prisoner’s eyes as he glanced
at Eric. “Only a bastard would keep a woman locked up down
here.”
Eric pointed at Gwen. “Her? She’s nothing but an
animal.”
And you’re nothing but a bully. Gwen tightened
her jaw to bite back her retort.
Eric crouched down to her level and smiled. It was a
slow smile of someone who was in on a secret. “You’re a
feisty, savage animal who will save my clan. Isn’t that
right, sweetheart?”
“Go to hell.”
His smile faded, and his eyes narrowed. “You’ll pay for
that later, I promise.” He straightened and turned to the
guards. “Leave the prisoner in here. He’ll make a good
test.”
Test? Test for what? Not… “The full moon,” she
whispered as realization washed through her.
Eric fixed his gaze on her. “Yes, my dear. The full
moon.”
Gwen tried to school her features as horror knifed
through her chest. The full moon brought the moon-rage.
Most werewolves were able to control the madness with sex,
but not her. Thanks to her freakish abilities, she had no
defense against her rage. Once the full moon hit, she
destroyed everything and everyone around her.
Eric marched to the door. “Send Eamon and Karl to my
office, and notify the rest to widen the search for the
escaped Kyron wolf.”
Amos moved in front of the door. “Leave him here? With
the girl?”
Eric glared at the brutish guard until he moved out of
the way. “Yes.”
“Shouldn’t we chain him?”
Eric turned back toward Gwen. The gleam in his eyes was
like icicles piercing her body. “No need. He isn’t going
anywhere as long as the girl’s here.”
The guards looked at him in confusion.
“Can’t you sense it? They’re mates. The air is rife with
their hormones.” He barked out a laugh. “A hell of a lot of
good it will do them.”
Gwen turned to the prisoner. If Eric could sense it,
what she was feeling must be real. A mate. Not
that it mattered. Having a mate changed nothing. The full
moon would still come. She would still change. Then the
handsome man before her would have to die.
One of the guards dropped the prisoner. “But won’t they
--”
“Let them have sex. It’ll just make it that much more
painful when the full moon hits.” Eric turned his back on
the room in dismissal. “Come on. We’ve got work to do.”
The second guard kicked the prisoner in the gut and then
dropped him. A growl sprang up from Gwen’s throat, but she
bit it back. She knew from experience that voicing
complaints only brought more pain. Amos and the other guards
laughed and shut the door behind them.
The captive clutched his gut and tried to stand. Gwen
wanted to go to him, but the chain and collar around her
neck prevented her.
Staggering to his feet, he made a fist and shook it at
the door. “Come back here, you cowards.” He took a step
forward, then stumbled to his knees. “Get your lazy asses
back here and fight like real wolves.”
She decided to let him yell. It wouldn’t do any good,
since they were essentially in a soundproof room, but she
sensed that yelling and cursing would make him feel better.
After he had shouted his vocal cords hoarse, he slumped
against the wall. Silence poured over them as he shifted
into his wolf form, presumably to heal whatever Eric’s
guards had damaged. His human form was handsome, but the
wolf was exquisite -- a large, magnificent animal with soft
gray fur that begged to be touched. It howled, a long,
awful note of one in pain, then collapsed on the floor.
Gwen reached for him, but the chain held her back. After a
few agonizing moments, the creature stood and shook its
head. It paced in a large circle, then paused and stared
straight at her. Once more Gwen held out her hand. The wolf
turned and snarled at the door.
“They won’t hear you,” she said. “Or they don’t care.
Either way, we’re stuck here.”
The wolf snorted and returned to his position along the
far wall. There he sat and watched her with curious eyes.
“It’s hopeless.” Gwen sighed and drew her arms around
her knees. “For months I’ve tried to find a way to escape.
If it was possible, I’d have found it by now.”
The wolf shimmered and changed back into his fully
clothed human form. When the last of the magic faded, he
raked his hands through his short, layered hair and swore.
Gwen swallowed the lump in her throat and remained silent.
What was he thinking?
After a few moments, he looked up at her. A black lock
of hair fell across his forehead as he winked at her.
“Don’t worry; the wounds they gave were human made, not
were. I’m regaining strength by the second.” He motioned
toward the door. “My brother’s still out there. He’ll call
our leader and get reinforcements to help us. The Kyron
pack never forgets their own.”
Ha. Gwen knew for a fact the Kyron pack leader
would never come to her aid. She wrapped her arms tighter
around her legs and rested her chin on her knees. “If you
say so.”
Without a word, the man stood up and ran toward the door
on the other side of the room.
“Don’t.” She started to stand.
He threw his weight against the metal slab. Hissing, he
jerked back and collapsed on the floor. “Silver,” he
gasped.
“Plated.”
His heated glance caused a stirring in her lower
abdomen. She itched to ease her fingers between her thighs
and relieve the torment -- or wrap them around his cock and
ease his -- but now wasn’t the time. With effort, she
forced back her craving.
What were they talking about? Oh yes. “The door -- it’s
silver plated. You can touch the knob, but the rest will
make your skin burn.” She shrugged. “Eric had it installed.
He would have made the knob silver too, but then he
wouldn’t be able to enter the room.” She smiled. “As it is,
sometimes he forgets and gets a nasty burn.”
The prisoner scrambled back to the door. “I’ll loosen
the knob, then.”
“You can’t. I’ve tried.”
He wasn’t listening. Gwen settled back down on the floor
and put her head between her knees. There was a time when
they hadn’t chained her. She’d tried everything to escape
this prison. Nothing worked. This space was werewolf proof.
Even during her moon-rage, she couldn’t escape. The only
reason why they chained her now was because the full moon
was close, and Eric liked to visit when she was in one of
her moon-rages. He thought that if he could control her
during her rage, he’d have the ultimate weapon against the
Kyron pack. So far he had been unsuccessful, but with each
month, Gwen feared he was getting closer to achieving his
goal.
Gwen looked up and saw the man had begun to pace. Her
lust ebbed and flowed through her body as he moved from one
end of the room to the other. Her heartbeat quickened, and
awareness rippled over her skin. Would he touch her? Did he
want her? When he passed by unseeing, emptiness and
disappointment seeped into her body and left her weak.
God, this is crazy. Women like her didn’t deserve
mates. She was broken, used. A misfit even among the weres.
After a while, the pacing stopped. Shivers of awareness
trickled down her spine as he moved to sit next to her. A
warm arm wrapped around her shoulders. “Everything will be
all right. My brother, Nico, will save us.”
She lifted her head to look at him. “Your brother will
be caught, like us.”
“Impossible. He’s too quick.” A smooth smile lit his
features. “You’ll see.”
The smile heated her cold body. Before she realized what
she was doing, she leaned closer and settled her head in
the crook of his arm. He felt so warm, so right. It had
been a long time since she had felt this good. Gwen decided
to enjoy the moment. She’d pretend she never had that
second vision, the one she kept from Eric. The future was
in a constant state of flux anyway. She didn’t know for
certain that Nico would be caught or that Amos would torture
them one by one. What good would do to tell her companion
she’d seen herself crying over his lifeless body? Nothing
would change, and he probably wouldn’t believe her anyway.
“Name’s Tony, by the way.” His kindness touched her. How
long had it been since someone talked to her? Really
talked, not try to get information.
She snuggled closer. “I’m Gwen.”
“Gwen,” he repeated, testing the word on his lips.
“Beautiful name.”
She pressed her cheek against his chest and closed her
eyes. His scent -- a mixture of coffee, spice, and
something distinctly male -- filled her nose.
He slid his fingers through her hair. She shivered as he
ran them along her skin and slipped them through her locks.
With each stroke, her tension eased. With each touch, her
pain and loneliness drifted away. Gwen pressed closer and
basked in his spicy male scent and warm body heat.
Heaven. She wished she could stay like this
forever. Kindness was rare in her world, and she found
herself hungry for more of it.
She glanced up and saw his faraway look and stiff jaw.
He was thinking, probably trying to figure a way out of
this hellhole. She closed her eyes and let her thoughts
drift. If she concentrated enough, maybe she could pretend
that her captivity was just a bad dream.
As she relaxed, she became more aware of his close
proximity. Desire sprang up from his touch and echoed
through the dark cavern of her soul. Ribbons of heat
wrapped around her and urged her closer to his strength. The
temptation to touch him was strong, and Gwen could no
longer resist. She slipped her hand up and brushed his
chest. It hardened under the smooth cotton of his shirt.
Gwen held her hand still. Did he notice? Would he mind?
When he didn’t respond, she slid her hand sideways. Her
fingers brushed over his nipple. He tensed and stilled his
fingers in her hair. She waited for him to push her away,
but he didn’t. Encouraged, she repeated her movements. He
hissed out a breath and placed his fingers over hers.
Slowly, he lowered their joined hands to her lap. She
couldn’t stop the flicker of disappointment in her chest.
“I suppose you heard what Eric said.”
“He says a lot of things. Most of it’s garbage.” She
lifted her chin and met his gaze.
“About us being mates,” he clarified.
Sadness filled her as she turned back to their joined
hands. “It can’t be possible.” She ran her fingers along
the inside of his wrist. More than anything, I wish it
could be true.
“Why not?”
I’m broken. She didn’t answer.
He cupped his fingers under her chin and raised her
head. “Why not?”
Tears stung at the edge of her vision. She opened her
mouth, but the words stuck in her throat.
He slipped his free hand from around her shoulders and
brushed her hair from her temple. “Don’t you feel it? The
heat between mates only happens once in a lifetime.” He
closed his eyes and inhaled. “I don’t sense that you’re
already mated.”
“No.”
He opened his eyes. “Then it’s possible.”