Hadley Werewolves, page 5
“What happened to her?” Kyle asked.
Emma closed her eyes. “The witch must have bound herself to the wrong victor.”
But Emma hadn’t. She was bound to Kyle, and her torment was finally over.
Another drive again, but this time, Emma looked forward to the journey.
A hand enclosed hers and stroked her palm. “Have you heard from Meg?” Kyle asked.
“Yeah, she told me the others have emerged from their homes looking lost and scared.”
Kyle nodded. “It looks like we have some work to do.” He brushed his lips over her hand. The sensation traced up her left arm and left her eager to make up for their missed time.
She glanced at the horizon up ahead. Another hot day in Arizona, but with a new start for them, she’d thrive in the desert.
She leaned in close and ran her fingers down his thigh. “Pull over.”
A slow grin spread across his face. “We have a long drive ahead of us.”
“A few more hours won’t hurt.” Her fingers drew circles closer and closer to the hardening swell between his legs.
The SUV stopped by the side of the road. Not a single car passed by on the lonely highway. Plenty of privacy for what she planned to do to him. She unbuttoned his jeans and prepared to reach for his length, but he pulled her hand away. “As much as I want you to touch me there,” he growled, “I prefer to have you with me in the driver’s seat.”
She purred as he reclined the seat. Rough hands grasped her waist and pulled her to straddle his hips. She pulled up his shirt to run her eager fingers down the hard muscles of his stomach. They clenched under her hands.
Oh, my. I could definitely get used to this.
He took off her shirt. She bit her lip as he nipped at her bra. “I have a year’s worth of work to catch up on.”
“Yes, you do.” She arched her back to give him access. He didn’t linger long, creating sparks of heat on her skin.
She wanted all of him. No inhibitions, no barriers. Only their bodies intertwined—seeking and exploring until the ultimate pleasure could be reached. Discarding their clothes in the car’s confines required acrobatics that left them laughing and smiling. But the grins ended as their mouths met.
“Please,” she whispered against his lips.
Kyle pulled her hips up, not needing to ask if she was prepared to take him. A sweet shiver passed through her as he plunged inside. Then he lifted her again—only to make her cry out in ecstasy when he brought her back down along his length. He stretched her body, filling her as he controlled the pace of her ride.
She thought her skin would burst from the seams, but he continued to torment her as he nipped at her neck. Her hips bucked twice, but he held them in place as she climaxed. Then with a shudder and hiss, his entire body tightened against hers. He held her close as the rapturous moment unfolded before them.
She could do this again and again.
He breathed into her neck. His next words were so soft, she barely heard them. “I love you, Em.”
She brushed her lips against the tip of his nose. The bliss of the moment left her heady.
“I love you, too.”
She released a deep breath, and everything came out. All the doubts, all the pain. Only them together forever, heartbeats matching.
“About time you claimed me,” she whispered.
He cocked a grin that made her smile back at him. “I claimed you a long time ago.”
* * *
THE END
Bitten by Terror
Part II
Chapter 1
“Run, Meg, run!”
Those were the last words Meg heard her sister say as a faint whisper. A mature werewolf didn’t just stand there and wait to find out what was wrong. They took action and fled, but at that moment all she could do was stand there looking through the open window into the house she shared with her sister. An icy fear crept over her and she couldn’t do anything but gape.
Five men crowded her sister into the living room corner. One man in particular, with handsome dark features, stood taller than the rest and loomed over Emma.
The mid-morning Arizona sun beat down on Meg’s shoulders, but she ignored the heat. What she saw couldn’t be real.
That couldn’t be Liam, their pack leader. Also, that couldn’t be Hadley’s town mayor or one of the farmers from outside of town. Even two guys from her high school were there. What were they doing here? Even from where she stood, she caught the dark glint in the pack leader’s face. The ashen appearance of his skin and the light blue veins jutting across his neck.
What the hell was wrong with him?
“Get your hands off me!” Emma growled.
The muscles in Meg’s legs jerked, but the wolf within her locked her in place. Don’t move.
She was prey now.
And that was when Liam snatched her sister’s arm and bit her. Em didn’t even cry out. Maybe she was too shocked. Hell, Meg was too. He’d bitten deeply. Deep enough for the coppery scent of blood to permeate the air and linger on Meg’s tongue.
“The pack is under my control now and soon enough you’ll be mine like you were meant to be,” Liam said.
Hearing those words filled Meg with shock as well. All these years she’d wanted him for herself. She might’ve been eighteen, but now that she was done with high school she’d hoped to express her interest.
But the man she admired wasn’t the one who’d hurt her sister.
Em wrenched herself free and scampered backward, her hand reaching for the oak chair in the corner. Her hand trembled on the chair handle. When the mayor got too close, she swung the chair at his face.
That was when Meg remembered her sister’s instructions, “Run, Meg, run!”
As she sprinted away from the backyard toward the desert that loomed beyond Hadley, she couldn’t ignore the sounds of broken glass, the splinter of wood, and slammed doors. Em never went down without a fight.
A werewolf never abandons their pack. Just thinking about that very fact made her slow down. Her head whipped around to look at the house. Two men stood on the back porch. One of them looked at her.
Oh shit.
She ran across the field—destination unknown. The wolf within her continued to urge her on to run faster. Worry about where you’re going later. Em can find you. Must find cover. Finding cover with nothing more than tall cacti, tumbleweed and dead grass wasn’t gonna happen. Maybe in wolf form after she ran awhile. She vaulted over a spindly cactus and continued her escape. Her senses blossomed as the wolf inside primed her to fight.
They’re still coming for you, the wolf within warned her.
She didn’t need to turn around. The thunder of their footsteps in the dirt was loud and clear. Tap tap tap. Not two sets of footsteps, but one. One person chased after her. The need to face her enemy and tear them apart nagged at her. The footsteps belonged to a man.
He was getting closer. Fear should’ve been her companion, but anger took its place. This was her territory. Her home. Her claws itched along her fingertips and her incisors elongated in her mouth. Her heart sped up faster and faster, making it hard for her to hear the man behind her. She dared to look behind—and shouldn’t have. With a snarl, the attacker swiped hard on the back of her leg and tripped her. Meg was sent sprawling. She flipped across the dirt and hit her back hard against a thorny bush. Pain blossomed from the pinpricks, but she ignored it to crouch and face whoever had come for her.
Recognizing the lanky, dark-haired fellow werewolf wasn’t too hard.
Jimmy? They’d both graduated from high school no more than three months ago. Compared to most guys at school, Jimmy had the height to leave this tiny speck of a town and run track at Arizona State. He wasn’t too big, but he was for damn sure taller than her.
“Why?” she whispered. Was he crazed like Liam now?
Jimmy leaned a bit forward, his skin ashen like Liam’s. He stank of death, too. Almost as if he rotted from the inside out. Streaks of blue veins marred the sides of what had been perfect cheeks. His mouth formed a sneer and he growled deep in his chest. “Come back here…” he hissed.
“Come get me.” She never was one to follow orders. Getting bitten like her sister wasn’t gonna happen.
Long before their parents had died, her dad had told her something that made her all the more eager to be better than Em. Have more than her. “Megan, Emma has what it takes to be an alpha female. There’s nothing you can do to change that. Be there for her when she needs you.”
But Meg didn’t want to just be there. She was just as powerful as Em and she’d show Jimmy such.
He lunged for her first, scrambling across the dirt to grab her leg. He missed and caught her boot in his face. Like a wild animal he chased after her, mouth snapping open and closed with darkened teeth.
He moved far faster and leaped on top of her, his knee crashing hard into her side.
“Ahh!” The explosion of pain along her ribs stole her breath.
They rolled across the dirt, scrambling with mad limbs for control. Any moment now she expected to feel his sharp teeth on her neck. For him to crush her windpipe. But all he did was wrestle for her arms to hold her down. All the while she squirmed, her hands wrapped around Jimmy’s wrists to keep him from grabbing hers. She lost one grip in the mad scramble and he managed to grasp her neck with his free right hand.
“You’re gonna bend to his will, bitch…” he grated. His voice rattled in his chest as if he had a cold.
Shit.
All she got out was a strangled growl. Not today, you crazy fucker. Hair sprouted along her arms as spittle from his open mouth dripped down the side of her face. With a hard swing, she clocked him hard across the jaw. Stunned for a moment, Jimmy loosened his grip. She wasted no opportunity and shifted her weight to roll on top. Teeth bared, she threw hard hooks into him and tried to block his punches in return. She didn’t care where she hit his face or how jarring it was every time her fist connected with bone.
When her hand struck a piece of wood near his head and her skin split, she didn’t flinch. Matter of fact, she picked up that petrified mass and walloped him on the side of his head. Crunch! The side of his face crushed inward like a soft melon. Finally, his grip faltered before he let go.
“I don’t answer to anyone,” she choked out.
Meg rolled off Jimmy and shuffled backwards to add some distance between them. Even with rapid werewolf healing, her throat burned on the inside and out. Tender spots all over her ribs sang out in pain. He’d punched her good a few times.
If she had any internal injuries, she’d have to be careful.
A soft crack—from two rib bones mending—on her left side told her the worse. If there were more of these guys roaming around town, she’d need to be armed.
A snap to the right made her jump so she listened. Had they found her?
She froze, even holding her breath no matter how much it hurt. The fight in her melted away. In its place preservation reigned. Sweat dripped down her forehead, but she didn’t budge.
The source of the sound didn’t come her way. No footsteps. No heartbeat other than her rapidly beating one. Not far from her, Jimmy stared with blood-shot, vacant eyes in her direction.
You should’ve closed them after you did him in.
By the time she was forced to release the breath she held, the desert was quiet. She wobbled to stand on unsteady legs and looked around. To the south she spotted a fleck. That had to be Hadley. She took a step and sucked in a breath when a flaming needle of pain stabbed her side. Could she make it in her condition?
What if Em needs me?
She stared at the blood coating her hands. All of it belonged to Jimmy.
Was she in any condition to roll in with guns blazing?
Fuck yes, I am.
A few agonizing steps and she staggered to a stop.
Eh, not so much.
She scanned the opposite direction. Nothing but desert, rocks, and heat. Until a glint of light caught her keen eye. Beyond the body, maybe a mile away, a derelict car continued to rust.
That place would be suitable shelter for a spell. By the time she ambled to what was left of a four-door sedan, she’d healed a bit, but not enough to face all those men. Each step required a breath and those breaths were laden with pains in her side.
Liam was the strongest werewolf in town—only as frightening as her sister’s former boyfriend Kyle when he was angry.
All the doors were open. She caught the scent of other animals like desert hares and coyotes, but none of them had been here recently. The dirty cushions were tattered and torn, but they offered her a place to sit and collect her thoughts.
Form a plan, Meg.
With some adjustments for comfort, she rested her head against the rough material. Mold permeated every inch of the place, but she didn’t care.
What should’ve been a minute or two to collect her thoughts turned into far too long. Her eyes snapped open. A dark red sun lay low in the sky.
She glanced about, wondering how long she’d slept. She didn’t have her cellphone or a watch. Maybe she’d slept for at least four hours or so—which meant countless things could have occurred. A quick stretch side to side revealed she’d healed enough to move properly.
As fast as her legs could take her, she raced back to the house. Maybe Emma had escaped, only to return home to look for Meg. By the time she reached the yard, she crouched low and skirted from shadow to shadow. Nothing stirred. Even the wind from earlier had died. The back of the house loomed again.
She was at an advantage moving downwind. The back door was open and she spotted no one moving inside. Time to face what happened after she left.
The kitchen was empty and had no signs of a struggle. The living room where Liam’s friends had confronted her sister was in shambles with broken furniture and picture frames scattered across the floor.
Spots of the blood on the floor—from Em and someone else—led out the front door. From the living room window she peered out to the front of the house. More quiet. Em’s car was gone, too.
So what now?
At first she stood there for a moment in the mess. Hadley was such a peaceful town. The most horrible thing that had ever happened had been when Liam had driven Emma’s boyfriend out of the pack.
Her stomach growled, jolting her focus back. Time to eat first to restore her strength and then she’d arm herself with whatever sharp or blunt object she could find.
Em had probably gone to the police station to round up help. That would be Meg’s next destination.
The walk toward Main Street should’ve been a casual stroll, but with the dead empty streets and still shadows, the town of Hadley had taken on a sinister presence.
Something bad had happened here.
Streetlights illuminated corners. The city’s water tower extended to the sky with the word Hadley across the middle in stark white. The green lights from stop lights continued to change. Everything that made the town normal was still there.
A shadow skittered behind a house to her left, forcing her to move faster. She’d jogged before, but now running seemed best. Another woman, with a child in her arms, was running from the east toward the intersection she approached. In the dim light she recognized the dark-haired woman. It was the coffeehouse barista, Julia, and her daughter. Not far behind them Meg spotted their pursuers. At least three of them. Her grip on the knife in her right hand and bat in her left tightened. Not much but it was something.
Why didn’t Em keep any guns in the house where she could find them?
Approaching hard and fast wasn’t wise, but at the rate she ran toward them, Julia’s pursuers would reach her first if Meg tried to sneak up. Time to show them what three years of softball could do to the side of somebody’s head. With a deep breath she rushed toward them, knife sheathed on her hip and the bat ready to swing.
The closer she got to them, the more they came into view. Each face she recognized and it made it all the more harder to prime the bat. She was about to attack a school bus driver, one of her former teachers, and another classmate.
One against three wasn’t a favorable odd. Especially after her fight with Jimmy, but there was one thing her pack taught since she’d been a pup: it wasn’t the bark, but the bite that made a werewolf. This was what alpha females did. They protected their pack. She rushed at them, growing hungrier with each second. They spotted her coming first and diverted their path. With a snarl, she screamed, “C’mon!”
With each step, she reminded herself she had no fear. Only a never-ending drive to protect. To drive away those who tried to stand against her.
The bus driver, who was far taller, went down hard with the swing of her metal bat. A loud clank from the weapon hitting his head echoed down the street. Swinging hard to the right exposed her left side and the school teacher pounced hard. The blow hit her hard in her kidneys as they slammed hard into the concrete. Her head thunked into the unforgiving surface. Stars danced behind her eyelids.
“Damn you,” Mr. Fredrick hissed. The white-haired man, most likely about as old as her father had been when he’d died, sank his teeth into her shoulder and shook hard.
Not far from her, her classmate grabbed at her feet and yanked backwards. They snapped at each other like two hyenas fighting over a kill.
“Get off me!” she roared.
In the mess of the bodies all she could think about was one resounding fact: dying here wasn’t an option. When another bite came, she released her wolf straining under her skin. The change began in her spine first, but the action wasn’t fast enough. Her classmate, with a mighty heave, tossed her across the street toward the closest building. The brick wall struck her hard in her other shoulder and took the brunt of the hit.
This fight isn’t going well.
She’d never experienced such pain. What the hell was she thinking? Wasn’t she strong enough to face them?
