Coveted (20 page)

“Because they don’t
bring people back to the pack, ever, unless they have a use for them.”

As much as she wanted
to deny what he said, it made sense. The way the men at the castle stared at
her, Aiden’s refusal to return her to town. Her heart gave a sickening lurch,
and she lashed out. “And you think you’re any better?”

Lassie’s eyes blazed
in the moonlight, and she saw his wolf rise. “The rest of my pack is waiting
for us back in town with your James. Finish the job I hired you to perform.
You’ll be paid handsomely for your trouble and free to go.”

“How can I trust you?
You lied to me.”

Lassie met her
accusation with a shake of his head. “You came of your own free will.”

“Because you pretended
to be one of his men and lured me out here. Take me back to Aiden. They’ll be
searching for me.” She refused to believe Aiden could make love to her with
such passion if he didn’t care.

Lassie looked away
from her then, but not before she saw the pity. “Aiden is an alpha. You are a
human. Even if he does come to retrieve you, what then? Will you go back to his
castle and live happily ever after?”

Shayla hated him a
little bit right then. “And if I refuse to help you?”

His head snapped
toward her, and his eyes went hard and shiny. “Then you will be responsible for
the deaths of a lot of innocent men.”

That was the last
thing she expected him to say. They stared at each other in stubborn silence
when an enraged howl shook through the air. Shayla wanted to smirk at Lassie,
but he was right about one thing.

She and Aiden came
from different worlds. She didn’t fit in his life, no matter how much she might
wish it otherwise.

 Chapter Twenty-one

A
iden stormed into the
castle with his prize slung over his shoulder. Everyone parted, eyeing the hostage
like a tasty treat. He dumped the unconscious man in the middle of the room,
glad to be rid of him.

What put his wolf’s
fur on end was the lingering scent of Shayla on the man. Was this her friend,
the one she spoke of with such fondness?

Jealously corroded
his guts that this human would try to take Shayla away from him. By rights, he
should’ve just killed the bastard for stepping on his land and attacking his
men. As he paced, he contemplated all the ways he could get rid of the body,
his claws flicked out and retracted again and again in agitation.

Only one thing stayed
his hand.

Shayla’s displeasure.

Like a good dog, Aiden
had dragged this human back for her, proof that he could protect her.

Be domesticated.

Or at least try for
her.

Resisting the urge to
kick him, Aiden waited for the guy to wake so he could make it clear that
Shayla would remain at Avamoore…remain with him. He tore his gaze away from the
human, swallowing the rumble in his chest. When his wolves had first located the
intruder, a tang of fear scented the air like perfume.

It vanished quickly,
and Aiden reluctantly gave the guy credit for being a cool customer.

Then he’d insisted on
seeing Shayla as if he owned her.

Aiden cold-cocked
him, putting an end to his pitiful demands. The man little resembled what he’d
envisioned as Shayla’s type. He’d expected someone a bit less contained and
calculating. Someone less…ordinary.

Aiden despised the
bastard on sight.

Only one thing saved the
human’s life…if Shayla had loved him, she wouldn’t have allowed Aiden to make
love to her.

Dread continued to
gather around him. Something about the entire evening didn’t sit right.

“I failed you, my
alpha.” McHenry stepped forward with a heavy limp, his head bowed in shame. “I
was expecting a human. By the time I realized my error, it was too late.”

Aiden stared at the
old wolf uncomprehending. “Too late?”

Blood soaked his
clothes, dripped to the floor, leaving behind perfect bloodstained prints of
his feet. His shoulder and leg were shredded, severe but not life-threatening
to a wolf. He’d been injured just enough to be taken out of the picture but not
killed.

Pressure built in Aiden’s
chest as he slowly processed the truth. A wave of fury and pain collided in
him, threatening to consume him. “Where is she?”

“Gone. They
disappeared through the tunnels. They must’ve had a boat waiting.”

Aggression electrified
the room. Chairs screeched across the floor as every man in the room jumped to
their feet, ready to do battle.

A roar of rage ripped
from Aiden’s throat. She couldn’t be gone. She wouldn’t have left without at
least telling him off first. That meant someone had taken her when his back was
turned. He took the stairs two at a time, blood pounding in his head, trying
not to think what might be happening to her.

Helplessness left him
dazed, the world around him slowing to a crawl. When had he fallen so
completely in love with her?

He would guess it was
the first time he’d laid eyes on her in the tunnels, soaking wet and covered in
mud.

Aiden cursed,
sickened that he hadn’t claimed her when he had the chance.

Fucking chivalry.

He refused to even
contemplate that he might have lost her forever.

The only thing that
made it bearable was Shayla was a fighter. She’d stay alive long enough for him
to come for her.

 How had other wolves
learned about her so quickly? If they even suspected what a treasure they’d
stolen, how precious she was to them…

Aiden didn’t bother
unlocking the door, just hurled himself at it.

The bolt snapped with
a ping.

Metal clanked to the
floor.

Even before he
stepped into the room, he knew she was gone. The room was empty and lifeless
without her presence.

Without her there
waiting for him, his life would revert back to the way it was before, the bleak
future stretched out endlessly in front of him. He couldn’t go back to that
hollow existence.

Already, her scent had
begun to fade, and the wolf in him gave a mournful howl. Aiden barely held off
the change. He needed to stay human to figure out what had happened. Where things
had gone so wrong.

There was no sign of
struggle. He’d heard no scream. It was as if she’d walked out on her own
accord. The discovery was devastating, and Aiden had trouble breathing past the
crushing pain that riddled his chest.

Not that he could
blame her for running after the last few days. He was surprised that she’d lasted
this long. Mac had warned him about keeping her prisoner, but Aiden hadn’t
listened. He couldn’t bear to let her go.

He would’ve sworn
that she’d begun to care for him.

Apparently not enough
to stay.

With leaden feet, Aiden
made his way toward the bed. His gaze latched on her satchel, and he picked it
up reverently. Hope plowed through him so painful that his next breath strangled
in his throat.

She wouldn’t have
left without her belongings.

The trickle of relief
that she hadn’t left willingly died brutally, fear uprooting the fragile
emotions before they could take hold.

Someone had taken
her.

He’d messed up. He’d
been so confident in his ability he’d gotten cocky.

And Shayla would end
up paying for his mistake.

Swallowing hard
against the self-loathing, he yanked on the strap of her bag until it snapped
loose. He wrapped the token around his wrist and up his arm, her scent easing
the tight knot that had taken up residence in his stomach. The strap of leather
reminded him that he was still human, and that she was still alive. He strode
from the room, determined to get her back in the only way he knew.

War.

Aiden joined Mac in
the hallway. Cobwebs and dust covered his clothes. Mac shook his head in answer
to Aiden’s unspoken question. “They’re gone. The footprints looks like it was
done by a lone wolf.”

Resolve hardening, Aiden
turned toward the stairs when Mac stepped in his path. “There was no sign of
struggle. She went willingly.” He ended in a hoarse whisper.

A sharp stab of pain
struck hard and fast. “You’re wrong.”

“If she chose
another, there is nothing we can do.”

Aiden grabbed Mac by
the throat and slammed him against the wall. “Shayla is in trouble, and I have
no intention of leaving her to her fate. She’s my mate.”

No one else would
ever satisfy him but her.

“Finally. I was
wondering how long it would take for you to admit it.” Mac smiled, his eyes
glowing as his wolf swelled, pushing under his skin. “Now let’s go rescue your
Beloved.”

Aiden gave a fierce
smile and dropped him to his feet. Adrenaline pumped through his system, and he
slapped Mac on the arm.

They bounded down the
steps, entering the hall to see the men waiting for them. Aiden passed silently
through the large group until he stood before McHenry. “It’s not your fault we
lost her. It’s mine.” Aiden laid a hand on his shoulder. “See to your injury.
I’ll need you when we get her back.”

The old man’s eyes
gleamed yellow. He stood taller, shoulders back, head high at the chance to
redeem himself.

“I need two teams.
This ends tonight. One group will remain here to guard the keep and contact the
other alphas. The second team is with me.”

“Bring me the
prisoner.” He cracked his knuckles in anticipation. “We’ll find out where
they’ve taken her and get her back.”

 Chapter Twenty-two

A
iden ran along the shore,
outdistancing the rest of the wolves, hoping to catch a glimpse of Shayla or
the mysterious boat. Unfortunately, the bastard had too big a lead. Time
stretched, the run to town interminable. Dawn began to color the sky when he
finally reached the docks.

Nails clicked on wood
as he trotted by each boat, frantically trying to catch the scent that had haunted
him since he’d discovered her gone. When he reached a small wooden boat at the
end of the pier, his heart bottomed out. So much blood. It was splattered in
the bottom of the vessel, the carnage making him almost lose his wolf form.

She’d been here.

He began to shake. It
took his brain longer than normal to sort out the smells. The blood wasn’t
hers. Aiden sniffed the ground until he caught her trail. It was hours old. He
whirled and sprinted the last two miles into town, pushing his wolf to his
limits.

At the outskirts of
town, Aiden reluctantly shifted forms, as much as his wolf would allow, his beast
refusing to relinquish complete control. Too much was at stake. 

Even in human form,
Aiden easily followed Shayla’s enticing scent to the inn. He expected a trap of
some sort. A challenge.

Nothing.

He could smell them
inside. Four wolves. Their stink permeated the place. They’d obviously been in
the area for a while and he hadn’t known. Being a prisoner was no excuse.

Worse, they stole his
mate right out from under his nose.

He listened for a
whisper of her voice, the silence sawing away at his nerves. While waiting for
the rest of his men, he studied the entrances and exits, barely restraining
himself from barging inside and demanding her return. He would have if her life
hadn’t been at stake. He couldn’t risk her. When he heard the four-wheelers, he
couldn’t restrain himself any longer.

Before he could close
the distance to the building, Mac was there, holding out a bundle of clothing.
“You don’t want to be scaring your mate.”

Aiden grabbed the
kilt and hastily wrapped it around himself.

“It could be a ploy,
a trap to lure out the rest of the pack. It would be the perfect ambush.”

Aiden nodded grimly.
“The thought had crossed my mind.”

And he had no choice
but to spring it. Aiden thrust the door open and surveyed the interior. He
memorized the location of the few people. Then his gaze latched onto Shayla and
stayed.

Alive.

Safe.

Relief flooded him
seconds before every muscle in his body clamped down tight. It was all he could
do to stop himself from leaping the distance between them and inspecting every
inch of her for injury. To just touch her.

The dress was gone,
replaced by a much too tight T-shirt and jeans that revealed her every curve,
drawing the attention of each male. He wanted to take his plaid and wrap it
around her two or three or four times. Instead, he did nothing. Any action on
his part would reveal too much weakness in front of the other wolves.

Then his eyes
narrowed, noticing the human male who sat a little too close. It took all his
willpower not to charge over there and beat the crap out of the bastard. Only
Shayla’s reaction stopped him.

She’d turned when the
door had opened, her face brightening with relief when she saw him. Everything
inside him eased when she jumped to her feet and hurried toward him. “I knew
you would come. Let me explain what happened.”

Aiden almost caved.
He desperately wanted to wrap her in his arms, toss her over his shoulder and
take her away from here. Only a glance from the other wolves confirmed that it
wouldn’t be that easy.

“Explain?” The one word
was rough. He was lucky to even be able to speak past the lump in his throat.
He dodged her hands, afraid that if she touched him, he’d lose control and just
kiss her.

She made him
vulnerable.

If he wanted to get
her back, he had to stay in control.

All animation on her
face drained away at his rejection.

Her response stung,
and he swallowed a plea for her to understand. But he could give her one thing to
show her that he cared. “I have something of yours.”

She frowned.

Aiden turned and
nodded to Mac. The man leaned out the door and hauled in their prisoner. Aiden
shoved the man forward.

The last thing Aiden
expected was for Shayla to draw back her arm and cold-cock the man.

* * *

“How sweet, you
brought me my stalker. Well, if that just doesn’t top off the worst night ever.”
Shayla held her bruised hand, pain tightening the back of her throat. Pain that
had more to do with his rejection than her sore knuckles. She’d heard of
getting your heart broken, but she didn’t know it could actually crack and
shatter and still kept beating. When the priest dropped to his knees, Shayla
couldn’t resist taking another swipe, kicking him in the balls. She glared at
Aiden, wishing she could do the same to him as well.

Aiden had changed
back to the wild man from the cave, all hard core, his glowing eyes completely
devoid of emotion when he stared at her. Like what they’d shared had never
happened.

Everyone froze, then testosterone
filled the room. Aiden bared his teeth at the man clutching his family jewels
and rolling on the ground. It didn’t bode well for his life expectancy.

Shayla allowed
herself a grim smile and spun on her heel, refusing to admit how relieved she
was that they’d caught the man who’d been torturing her for the last few
months. As she approached the table with the wolves, James stood.

“Nice right hook. Let
me check your hand to see if you broke anything.” He gently cradled her wrist,
inspecting the damaged digits. Shayla ignored James and faced Lassie. He’d sworn
he hadn’t laid a hand on Aiden. She’d refused to discuss the job until she
could confirm it for herself. If anything, Aiden looked fitter, better than
she’d last seen him, and so good half-bared by the kilt that her palms itched
to stroke him.

She enjoyed men, but
never fell for one so hard or so fast.

She’d worked hard to
keep her work and personal life separate, but she wanted more now.

And if Lassie was to
be believed, more was something Aiden couldn’t give her.

He hadn’t claimed
her.    

She was there to
finish the job. That’s all. She needed to get it over quickly and be far away
from Aiden before the pain crippled her.

“Is he the one that
has tied you up in knots?” James barely breathed the question, and her head
snapped around to stare at him. Whatever he saw on her face softened his
expression. “I’m sorry.”

He knew.

Something fragile
inside her broke at his compassion. He lowered his eyes and pursed his lips.
“Bruised but not broken.”

Knowing he spoke more
about her spirit than her fingers, Shayla gave him a sad smile, not so sure
about his verdict. She tugged back her hand and nodded to Lassie. “Let’s
discuss terms.”

“You are aware of
what we are?”

Shayla nearly glanced
at Aiden. It was all she could do to sit still and not squirm. “Werewolves.”

“Holy shit.” James
spoke softly, the doctor in him taking over, and he studied the men closer. “Out
of the frying pan and into the fire. You really know how to find trouble, don’t
you?”

Aiden strode toward
the middle of the room in full alpha mode, drawing everyone’s attention.
“You’re on my land, invaded my territory and taken what is mine. By rights, I
should kill you.”

And he looked pissed
enough to do it. Her heart crashed. It made sense now, why he came after them.
She’d foolishly believed he came for her. Instead, he came to mark on his
territory.

Lassie stood as well,
his men peeling away from the wall to stand behind him. “In truth, we found her
first. She came to Scotland at my request. When she fell into the tunnel, I
went back to get help.”

Aiden crossed his
arms and narrowed his eyes. “She didn’t need your help. She managed to get out
all on her own.”

Shayla blinked…he
almost sounded proud.

Lassie’s smile was
more of a smirk. “Until a pack of wolfhounds nearly took you down.”

A snort escaped
Aiden. “Don’t fool yourself. Both of us would’ve gotten away.”

This time Lassie only
shrugged. “Maybe, but not without cost. Not without endangering her.”

Aiden’s eyes glowed a
deep green at the hit. Shayla’s followed the absurd conversation from one group
of men to the other. The last thing she wanted was for them to come to blows.
She turned toward Lassie. “Enough. You came to me for a reason. Why?”

“I need you to locate
my men.”

Shayla bit back her
immediate protest that she didn’t search for people. Instead, she took a seat
and nodded for him and his men to resume theirs. “Why don’t we start from the beginning?”

Lassie obeyed without
protest. He ran a hand down his face, staring at the table as if uncertain
where to start. “A convoy with my squad was hit with an IED. Those of us who
survived the initial blast were riddled with shrapnel. We were judged no longer
fit for duty and medically discharged.”

Shayla studied him
and the three men with him. She would swear they were in perfect health. “What
happened?”

“We learned of an untested
drug that would accelerate the healing process.”

James shifted behind
her. “You mean experimental.”

Lassie nodded once. “My
squad volunteered. All of us were broken, barely functional. We had to take the
chance, so we scraped together our money.” He ran a hand over his hair. “It
worked. Broken bones mended faster, bruises disappeared. Scars faded and even
vanished.”

Shayla surveyed him
again. She never would’ve guessed he’d been so grievously wounded. “Something
went wrong.”

Lassie laughed, the
sound devoid of any amusement. “You might say that. Out of nearly twenty of us,
eleven had an adverse reaction.”

“It turned us into
monsters.” The guy to the right of Lassie, the one they called Tylor, spoke for
the first time.

“The rest of the
survivors saw what was happening and opened fire on us. Three died, shot down before
they could turn. Until they started to heal. Those not infected lost it.
Started butchering them like animals.”

Lassie gazed at his
hands. “We ran. Then next day, we woke human and assumed the whole thing had
been a bad trip from the drugs. We tried to laugh it off, and went back to the
warehouse where the squad was staying.

“The survivors, those
unaffected, had been torn to shreds. One of the wolves, one of us, had circled
back and destroyed them. Pieces were missing from the bodies as if he’d fed on
them. We tracked Rogers down. He was covered in blood, vomiting up parts of…”

“We killed him.” Tylor
stared at her, shadows moving in his eyes of things that couldn’t be unseen.

“Some people can’t handle
the change.” Aiden shrugged. “The human brain just snaps, leaving behind a wild
beast. Bloodlust is nearly impossible to control. After only one bite, they
begin to crave human flesh. You did the right thing. Once they start, they’ll never
stop hunting humans.”

Aiden had wandered
closer without her being aware. She barely resisted leaning into his warmth.
The last thing she wanted was to reveal how pathetic she was to still yearn for
his touch.

Lassie released a
heavy sigh. “After analyzing the drug, we learned it contained contaminated
blood. Some of the men were fine, while others—”

“A hemolytic reaction,”
James murmured.

“What?”

James straightened
when everyone in the room turned toward him. “It’s like an allergic reaction.
When two different blood types are mixed in the human body, the immune system
kicks into overdrive, killing off the foreign blood type, and usually killing
the host in the process. In your case, my guess is the wolf blood activated a
mutation your human blood.”