Lover's Instinct: A Moon Shifter Novella (10 page)

The door swung open and Mike finally realized what she was doing. She fell back into the snow and he lunged at her. But his seatbelt snapped him back into the seat.

Rolling over she scrambled to her feet and started running. Or tried to. Her boots pressed into the white thickness as she struggled to make it up the steep embankment to the road, away from the forest they’d almost plowed into.

She heard him shouting behind her but she kept going. It was dark but if she could flag down a car before Mike caught her she knew she’d be okay. She tripped and fell but clawed at the icy ground and pushed herself back up. Her heart hammered against her ribs and her skin crawled as she fought to get away.

Even though she wanted to look behind her she didn’t dare. It would only slow her down. When her boots touched the asphalt a new burst of energy detonated through her. As fast as she could she ran along the icy edge of the road. Her coat and jeans were dark so she prayed anyone driving had their lights on.

She’d only gone a few feet when two bright headlights shone in the distance. Waving her arms around like a madwoman she continued running. She slipped again and tumbled backward. The ground was icy and hard but she barely felt the impact on her hip.

Her survival instinct told her to haul ass if she didn’t want to be killed. Or worse. As she started to push up strong hands gripped her arms and pulled her to her feet.

A scream tore from her throat. Twisting around she tried to break free until she suddenly recognized Liam towering over her in the darkness. She stared at him in confusion.
Why was he there?
“What are you—”

“What happened? Are you all right?”

Her heart thumped a staccato beat against her chest as she stared into Liam’s dark eyes. “Where did you come from?” She started to involuntarily shake and his grip tightened. He was warm and safe.

“I saw you running down the side of the road. What the hell happened, December?”

She frantically glanced behind her expecting to see Mike running at them but no one was there. Turning to Liam she opened her mouth but no words came out. Instead, the shaking intensified. She didn’t know
what
had happened exactly. It had all been so fast. Suddenly she needed more air. It was as if her lungs had shrunk. She sucked in a deep breath, trying to steady herself, and Liam frowned.

He took one of her wrists and his frown deepened. “Your pulse is erratic,” he murmured.

Of course it was. Her date had just tried to kill her. Or maybe he hadn’t wanted her dead. He might have wanted to . . . “My date,” she gasped out. “I told him I wanted to leave the restaurant. He had a syringe. He tried to stab me while he was driving and I kicked him and the wheel. I didn’t even think about it. We flew off the road and I escaped . . .” She shook her head and turned around again. It was too dark to see how far she’d run. “I don’t think it was far from here. I just started running.”

Still holding onto her wrist he looked past her into the darkness. “I want you to stay here with Ryan, okay?”

No! She grabbed his arm. “Who’s Ryan?” She felt disoriented and a little confused. And she couldn’t stop the chills skittering over her skin.

“I won’t let her out of my sight.” The male voice from behind her made her jump, but when she turned to face the other shifter, all she saw was compassion in his dark eyes.

* * *

Liam hated leaving December but he hurried down the embankment to find the piece of shit that had attacked her. Other than the fresh smells of the forest, he scented slightly burned rubber and December’s date. His canines throbbed just thinking about her out with someone else, but knowing she’d been attacked made his inner wolf almost blind with rage. He’d tried to warn her that members of the Antiparanormal League might target her because of her association with him. Not that he had the kind of “association” he wanted with her. He’d recently discovered that the APL somehow
knew
he cared for her so they wanted to use that against him or his pack. Or both. It didn’t matter that they weren’t physically involved—or involved at all really. Which was why he’d been watching her. Even thinking about what might have happened if he hadn’t been nearby tonight . . . His inner wolf rattled dangerously, so he shut down those thoughts.

As he neared the car he frowned when he saw the passenger and driver’s doors open. December’s footprints led back the way he’d just come but there were another set leading away into the woods. He stared toward the tree line, fighting back the primal growl trying to claw its way out of his throat. The key was still in the ignition, the car still running. Leaning over and careful to take it by the edges, he slipped the key out and dropped it into his jacket pocket. The contents of December’s purse had been dumped onto her seat. A small makeup bag, a book and a planner. No wallet. His frown deepened.

His most primal side wanted to hunt this guy down and tear him apart limb from limb. Slowly. But he couldn’t leave December. Liam still wasn’t sure what had happened but she’d been close to going into shock. If she hadn’t already.

Pushing down the need to hunt and protect what was his, he gathered her stuff and shoved it in her purse. After checking the glove compartment to see if he could find some paperwork with an address on it he came up empty, so he headed back to the road.

Ryan had already taken her back to the truck. From their silhouettes he could see December sitting in the middle of the bench seat and Ryan in the driver’s seat. Normally Liam preferred to drive, but right now all he wanted to do was comfort her.

She kept pushing him away but he didn’t think she would now. She might try to deny she wanted him but every time she fixed those baby blues on him he could see lust and confusion battling inside her. He didn’t care that she was human and he was a lupine shifter. Differences like that didn’t matter. At least not to him. Obviously some people cared enough to want to hurt her.

At the moment she was vulnerable and he knew she actually might let him comfort her. Maybe he should feel guilty about taking advantage of her emotional state but he didn’t. He’d touch and hold her any way he could get her.

As he slid into the seat next to her she immediately scooted closer to him. Reaching out he tucked a red curl behind one of her ears. Her ivory skin was soft, slightly flushed, and her breathing was still erratic. Brushing his hand against her cheek, he let one of his fingers stray to her pulse point below her earlobe. Still erratic. Not good.

“Honey, look at me.” He waited until her eyes focused on him. “Have you called your brother?” He might not get along with the sheriff but Parker loved his sister and had more resources than Liam did at the moment.

“No. And I don’t want to.” Her voice shook but it was still strong.

“Some guy just attacked you. We need to report this.”

She stuck her chin out mutinously but he didn’t miss the raw fear that had bled into her eyes. “I’m
not
going down to the station.”

He sighed and looked at Ryan over her head. “Go to her store,” he murmured. Then he refocused his attention on December. “We’re still calling him, Red.”

“Don’t call me that,” she snapped.

The burst of annoyance that rolled off her was exactly what he wanted. She didn’t seem to be in actual shock but after what she’d been through she’d be coming down from an adrenaline high. She needed to find a balance. And he needed her to answer some questions. “Where did you meet this guy?”

“Uh, my store. He’s just a tourist on a short ski vacation—or he told me he was. I’m sure that was a lie. I thought it would be a harmless date and a way to . . .” Her blue eyes widened as she trailed off.

“A way to what?”

“A way to convince you to leave me alone.” Her cheeks flushed, staining her ivory cheeks a deeper shade of red.

Her words stung. He didn’t want them to, but they did anyway. All he wanted to do was protect her. Yeah they came from different worlds but it shouldn’t matter. His inner wolf growled at him and in that moment he hated his primal side. The side that told him to just take what he wanted. His human side cared a hell of a lot more about December to ever hurt her and he didn’t like the turn his thoughts were taking. Veering the conversation in a different direction he said, “Your purse had been dumped out and I didn’t see a wallet. He probably has your address anyway, but you’re going to need to cancel your credit cards.”

“I don’t carry a wallet. I keep my driver’s license and credit card on me. Parker drilled that into me years ago. In case I ever got mugged or something. He’s really particular about stuff like that.” She patted her coat pocket then frowned, presumably as the rest of his words sank in. “What do you mean he probably has my address? He picked me up from my store.”

“You were attacked in your house a few weeks ago.” Even thinking about that got his heart racing. If her brother hadn’t been there and scared off the guy, anything could have happened.

“Yeah, so?”

“Your date and that guy are probably part of the same organization.”

She lifted an eyebrow. “Are you going to start in with that APL stuff again?”

“After tonight I wouldn’t think you’d need as much convincing. This is a small town and it’s not hard to find out where someone lives, anyway.” With enough money anything was possible.

She started to say something then snapped her mouth shut. A frown marred her pretty face as her eyebrows knitted together in concentration.

“What is it?”

“He said something about you being an animal. I can’t remember exactly what it was but I never said anything about you being a shifter. Still, he
knew
you were. Right after he said that he pulled out the syringe. Then everything sort of went crazy.” Shuddering, she wrapped her arms around herself and he couldn’t help it. He wrapped an arm around her shoulder and pulled her tight against him. She needed comforting. Whether she admitted it or not. To his utter surprise, she didn’t fight him. For a brief moment she stiffened, then melted against him.

Like warm silk, she sank into his side and buried her head against his neck. Her jasmine scent twined around him, making him dizzy for a moment. The feel of her warm breath on his skin made the ache between his legs impossibly painful. Reaching out his other arm he pulled her completely against him. The position was awkward for him but he didn’t give a shit.

Liam battled his disappointment as Ryan steered into the parking spot next to December’s car. He didn’t want to let her go. Wanted to keep holding onto her like this as long as she’d let him. But he needed to get her home.

When she realized they’d stopped she pulled back and frowned.

Sighing, he fished out the car keys from her purse and handed them to his packmate. “Follow me back to her place.”

“What do you think you’re doing?” she asked.

Liam ignored her as he rounded the vehicle and slid into the driver’s seat. He didn’t want to move her and he didn’t want her driving. She might not be in shock, but she was shaken up pretty bad.

“Liam, what are you doing?”

“What does it look like? We’re going back to your place and I’m calling your brother.” He’d have already made the call if he hadn’t thought it would upset her.

Instead of moving into the free passenger seat he found it interesting that she stayed where she was, in the middle seat. If anything, she actually moved a little closer toward him.

She might try to deny the chemistry they had but she instinctively knew he’d protect her. December might not even realize it but her most primal side trusted him. Her desire to be near him proved it. That knowledge soothed his inner wolf. And he would protect her. No matter the cost.

“You think it’s safe there?” Her voice was a whisper.

He gripped the wheel tighter. “Hell no, I don’t think it’s safe. But unless you want to come back to the ranch with me—”

“No!”

“All right then. We’re going back to your place and I’m staying over until we can figure out what the next move is.” He knew what
his
next move was. Convince her to move to the ranch with him. Temporarily at least. Then he’d convince her to stay long enough for him to prove to her once and for all that they belonged together. That was the plan anyway.

“What?” Shock laced her voice.

He stole a quick glance at her. She’d gotten most of her color back. “You think I’m leaving you alone tonight?” Not that he actually cared what she said. He was staying with her.

“Maybe we
should
call my brother,” she hedged.

He knew what direction she was headed and he didn’t like it. “We’re going to call him but I’m still staying over. Someone broke into your house a few weeks ago, then someone tried to kidnap you outside your store a week ago and now some psycho tried to stab you with God knows what.”

“The guy at the store just wanted to rob me. There’s not a conspiracy behind every door, Liam. I run a business and it’s one of the risks.” Her voice was defensive.

Liam snorted at her words. That guy hadn’t wanted to rob her. He’d wanted to kidnap her. Liam knew because he’d gotten the piece of shit APL member to tell him exactly what he’d been up to. All it had taken to get that information was a broken thumb. Then he’d threatened him about telling the cops the real reason he’d been at December’s store. Liam and his pack didn’t want the cops involved with the APL. Their involvement could scare the extremists into going underground. Liam and his brother Connor didn’t want that. They wanted to stop the APL before their influence grew and before they hurt anyone else. And they planned to do it their way. Humans and government agencies had too many rules and regulations. Something his pack didn’t have to deal with.

As they pulled into her driveway, another thought occurred to him. “Do you have your cell?”

“Yeah. I usually keep that on me too.”

“Can I see it?”

Frowning she nodded but at least she handed it to him.

When their fingers brushed he cursed himself for the shock that went through him. They barely touched and his entire body reacted. “Will you stay here while I search your house?”