Moonlit Rescue (3 page)

“I should have planned better. We must leave.”

“I can’t just leave with you.” None of this made any sense. The world was out of order. This had to be trap, or was it? Everything he said seemed true, but nothing was ever how it appeared. She needed time to think.

“You must.”

Silver sparkled on the table at the far end of the small room. “Take the element back to your pack then we can stop this. They won’t want to kill me if I don’t have anything.”

“They will still want you, and I want you alive.”

She needed to try another way. “Let me see your arm.” His injury bought her time.

“I’ll be fine,” he repeated.

She examined the long, crooked cuts. “This needs stitches.” Stitches would mean a hospital, a public place and protection beyond one lone, half-wolf.

“I promise I’ll be fine.” He held her at arms length.

“We need to stop the bleeding.” She grazed his arm with her fingertips and the wounds began to heal. First, the blood stopped and dried up and then the skin on either side of the gash fused together. She held her breath as the skin smoothed out and blended into the rest of his skin as if nothing had happened. “Unbelievable.” No schooling, nothing, could have prepared her for anything like this.

“You have a healing touch.” He hid a small chuckle with a cough.

“That’s impossible.” Visions of the hospital dashed away. She pressed her hand to her forehead, formulating her next move. “I suppose we have to be thankful you’re all right.”

“I would have thought you would want me dead.”

“That’s not true.” After all, the silver man had risked his life for hers. She didn’t want him harmed. All she wanted was her freedom. She took a moment to study him. His features could have been carved from stone

“It’s a little true.”

She went to shake her head, but stopped at the way he simply stared at her. She licked her lips. “I don’t want you dead.”

“That’s good to know.” He kept his eyes on hers and then blinked. “You need to change. I brought some of your clothes with me.”

“Oh.” She glanced down at her filmy nightgown meant for a warm summer night, and back up to Vale.

Vale looked her over, inspecting her like a prized jewel, his gaze stopping at her breasts.

She pulled the nightgown away from her body, feeling undressed by the wicked twinkle in his eye. Still, that distinctive tingle when a man noticed her landed in her belly, and she swallowed to get rid of it. “You can’t take me.”

He bent down close to her face. “Trust me.”

For one second she swore he was going to kiss her, and she stiffened. She didn’t think she was still under his spell, but she didn’t stop him.

“Now you must change.” He straightened up.

She didn’t move, only stood there, mesmerized by his grandeur and silver skin.

“Kira! Go change, more will be here soon. We have to hide until the full moon.” He waved his hand in front of her face. “Kira!”

His yell cut through her mind like sharp silver shears. “The moon?”

“It’s when I transform.” He strode across the room and thrust her clothes into her arms.

“Right, transform.” She brushed her hair away from her face. Werewolves changed forms...of course they did.

He motioned her away. “We have to go.”

Void of any other options, she hurried back to the bathroom to change.

****

Outside, the telltale, midnight blue sky showed Kira only a few hours remained before sunrise. A light breeze cleared her chest of the musty motel room air, and she wished it could just as easily clear her mind.

Vale held her arm and pulled her close as he guided her through the motel parking lot to a late model sedan. No matter what she had seen tonight, or how he made her feel, she needed to escape.

She stopped suddenly and held her ground. Letting him take her would mean surrendering her control. Despite the dangers she’d seen, and what he’d told her, she had to believe that his pack only wanted the rock, and if she surrendered it, she would be safe. She would not go with him, anywhere.

“Kira, we have to leave.” He gave her a light tug.

“Where are we going? Why can’t you just give them the element?” She straightened up, holding herself steady to mask her trembling.

“Because you know about us. You are a threat with or without it and you’re mine. I will keep you safe. They won’t stop hunting until they find us.” He opened the car door. “I am taking you where I should have gone in the first place.” He opened the car door.

“You know, if we have these monsters chasing after us, maybe we should go to the police.” She pushed his hand away, liberating her arm.

“The police can’t help, trust me.”

“You should have given me a heads up. There are things I need. I have a life here.” Maybe reasoning would work, although, with the urgency burning in his eyes, she doubted it.

“We will buy you anything you need or want once we’re safe.” He reached for her. “I took all I could.”

“No.” She stepped back, vying for more time. “My rock collection.” As the words left her mouth, she wanted them back. She wasn’t asking for family mementos, only her lifetime of stones and fragments. “I need my collection.”

“We’ll start anew.” He captured her hand and pressed something warm and hard into her palm. “Start with this.”

She curled her fingers around the solid rock, allowing the jagged corners to dig into her skin. He’d given it back. Vale had returned her treasure.

His gaze caught hers. “I promise you’ll have everything. I’ll always provide for you.”

He made everything too easy. She needed to escape, and spied her opportunity in the form of the motel office. If reasoning wouldn’t work, maybe the fact that he wanted her would. “I didn’t think there were any men out there who wanted to provide for women anymore.” She slipped her rock into her pocket and placed her palm on the center of his chest.

“I’m not just a man.” He glanced down at her hand.

“I can see that.” She peeked at him through her eyelashes, hating the way her stomach fluttered with his heart beating under her touch. Although different, he was handsome, or maybe she’d find any man who displayed such chivalry attractive. She raised her voice, mimicking a damsel in distress. “You went to so much trouble to keep me safe.”

“Always.” He swallowed.

Using Vale for leverage, she stood on her tiptoes. “You deserve something.” She went to join their lips, figuring she would catch him off guard enough to push him away.

Before she kissed him, or pretended to, Vale turned his face, took her by the waist and shoved her into the car.

“Excuse me?” She thrust her hand out to stop him from closing it. He was the one who claimed he wanted a mate. He should be panting for more.

“Never touch me unless you mean it,” he growled through gritted teeth.

“Vale!” This time she reached for him, not sure what she was reaching for.

“If you run, I will catch you, and you won’t like the consequences.” He pushed her hand inside and slammed the door.

With no doubt he would make good on his threat, she watched him shake his head as he stomped around the car and got in, forcing the key in the ignition. He thrust the transmission into gear, and her body hit the back of the seat as he sped away, leaving her struggling to get her seatbelt on.

An hour later, neither had spoken a word. With plenty of time to process her situation, her mind couldn’t focus. She squeezed the bridge of her nose hoping to prevent a headache.

The heat in her cheeks refused to dissipate as her mind replayed the stupid tactic and embarrassing display she had performed for Vale after he had risked his life to save her. She loathed women like the one she’d tried to emulate. She pressed her forehead against the window, knowing she shouldn’t have lowered herself to that level.

He didn’t glance in her direction during the entire drive. The steering wheel was his outlet, and he clutched the plastic as if he were trying to choke it and leave it for dead. They headed along a winding two-lane road up into the mountains, and, after miles upon miles, he jerked the car to a stop.

“We’re here.” With no additional fanfare, he exited the car.

The morning sun peeked through the mountain ridge, highlighting a little stone and log cabin hidden between regal pine trees.

He opened her door for her. “Come.”

She stepped out, planting her feet in the gravel driveway and giving the area a quick scan, trying to assess her options. Vale cut off her line of thinking when he picked her up. “What are you doing? Put me down.”

“I’m exhausted and spent from protecting you, I need to rest. I don’t have enough energy to chase you around.” He slung her over his shoulder and trudged to the cabin.

He may be able to steal her away, take her off to nowhere, but there was no way she would allow him to force her to do anything else. She shut her eyes, centering herself as they entered. Suddenly, he dropped her.

“No!” She flinched, expecting to hit a hard surface, but instead, she bounced on a cushion.

“Be quiet.” His tone was flat, tired and lacking emotion.

She opened her eyes to find she was on a small four-poster bed, complete with a quilt, fluffy pillows and a crocheted afghan.

The bed dipped when Vale got in next to her and took her into his arms.

“Vale.” She balled her fist, preparing herself to fight. She would not be his mate.

“Go to sleep, and no, I don’t need a good night kiss.”

“We can’t sleep like this,” she whispered and pushed on his arm, noticing his soft skin, a complete contrast to his appearance.

“I have given up everything to save you, and while we sleep you will be in my arms where I can ensure you will stay alive. Now, be quiet.” With a slight shake of his head, he exhaled and closed his eyes.

She begged herself to stay still, use this time to think her way out of this. Funny, when she tried not to move, all she wanted to do was toss and turn. The heat radiated off Vale into her and she studied him while he slept.

His face appeared to have been carefully carved using angles and lines rather than circles and curves. He was interesting, if not exotic, and she hated to admit it, but he had an underlying sexiness. The silver stain of his skin made him more mysterious.

He rescued her, or believed he did, and he didn’t force himself on her. She took a breath. All his actions seemed genuine. Maybe he was the one person in her life who told the truth. Maybe she needed to listen to him. Maybe she was really in danger.
Maybe.

At last, she closed her eyes, and instead of planning an escape route, she concentrated on how to apologize to her kidnapper.

****

Vale awoke to pins and needles racing up his arm. “Kira.” He sat up, heart seizing, mind clouded and disoriented with sleep. He’d lost her.

A small coo of protest next to him jolted him into consciousness and he turned to find Kira still asleep on his arm. After freeing himself, the sudden icy hot sensation of blood circulating made him realize she must have been lying on him for hours. The image caused a slight smile of satisfaction to creep across his face.

Part of him wanted to claim what belonged to him and finish what she falsely started in the parking lot. Kissing was something the wolf half of his bloodline did not partake in and something he’d always wanted to experience. That same part of him wanted to dominate her by putting her right over his knee for a spanking. That punishment catered to both his instincts.

Instead of doing either, he shook his arm to get the blood flowing, and lay back down. He needed to keep her safe. He only hoped she would understand. She was as beautiful as she was untrusting, even with the evidence he presented to her.

He leaned in, wondering if her dark blue eyes would ever look at him with something other than hate and fear. He took a moment to admire her lips that were especially red and luscious when swollen from sleep. Before he caught on to her trick outside the car, his body had flooded with intense need. He had never experienced such an instant reaction to the females of his pack.

Kira moaned. Her eyes fluttered open and she shut them again the second she saw him. “I keep thinking this is a dream.”

“Probably more like a nightmare.” Her revulsion was evident and he swallowed. He wanted her to desire him, want him and need him. He wanted to be more than her kidnapper or her escape route.

“You have to be regretting your decision to rescue me. Why don’t I leave and take my chances out there?” Her voice strained as she lifted her arms above her head and yawned.

“With what you know, is that truly what you want?” He glanced at her as she propped herself up on her elbow. Death was better than him.

“You took me forcefully.” She held up a finger. “You gave me no choice.” A second digit rose. “I won’t–” She shook her head, cutting herself off.

His jaw tightened and he narrowed his eyes as he waited for her to finish listing his many sins.

“I won’t leave my work for someone else to take credit.” She held up a third finger.

“Your research will fail. You will never be able to break through our protective layer.” He raised himself up over her and countered each one of her accusations. “Your death is only the beginning of what my pack will do to stop this.”