Primal Possession (18 page)

Liam shot out of his chair. “What the fuck?”

Connor took a menacing step forward and slightly bared his already protruding teeth. “Sit and
listen
.” The words were spoken so low, but the underlying authority in them jolted Liam straight to his core.

The anger flowing through him didn’t subside, but the subtle reminder that Connor wasn’t only his brother but his Alpha wasn’t lost on him. So Liam did as he said. He might be an alpha in nature, but his brother was pack Alpha for a reason.

Connor’s canines retracted as he stepped back and leaned against the counter. “Have you talked to December about her past? Her family history?”

Liam shook his head. Talking was the last thing on his mind when he was around her.

“You should.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

His brother sighed in the way only a big brother could. “Damn it, Liam. I know you’re pulled to her like nothing you’ve ever felt. Believe me, I get it. But you need to get to know her before you mate and bond with her.”

Liam snorted. Mating and bonding? All he’d done was kiss December. As his brother’s words sank in, a sliver of concern wedged its way inside him. “What do you know about her that I should?”

Connor shrugged and shook his head. “Ask her yourself.”

Liam understood him well enough that he knew his brother was through answering questions. And he really hated that Connor was right. What
did
he know about her? He knew that she smelled like jasmine and that her breasts were soft and fit perfectly against him. He also knew that when he finally stripped her naked and had his way with her, it still wouldn’t be enough. But the truth was, he
didn’t
know much about her. Her likes and dislikes. No wonder she kept pushing him away. Ignoring the fresh pain in his upper arm and the fading discomfort in his side, he grabbed his keys. It was time to take her on a real date and treat her the way she deserved.

Joseph tossed his cigarette onto the icy sidewalk and stubbed it out under his boot. Even wearing a thick down jacket, he was still chilled. The sun was setting and taking the limited warmth with it. Pausing by a light pole across the street, he bent down and retied the laces as he watched December’s Book Nook. It was a few minutes until five. She should be leaving soon.

When his phone buzzed in his pocket, he glanced at it,
then silenced it. Edward thought he could tell him what to do, but that bastard had turned into such a pussy lately. Whatever that blond slut Brianna said, he did. Joseph wasn’t even sure where she’d come from, but he didn’t trust her. She hadn’t been part of the APL long enough, yet Edward still deferred to her. Not overtly, but it was so obvious he cared what she thought.

It was disgusting.

Concentrating on the task at hand was the most important thing. The two women inside the bookstore talked and laughed as they started shutting off the lights and blowing out the candles.

Edward wanted him to tail Katarina back to the ski lodge, but that was some
stupid
shit. He didn’t care what his boss or even what Edward’s boss ordered. Going after her was like asking to bring all the heat of her father down on their organization.

Edward talked to him like he was some stupid thug, but he didn’t have a death wish. Katarina Saburova’s father was far more terrifying than any shifter or vampire ever would be. No, he’d take the sheriff’s sister. Edward might be pissed at first that he’d disobeyed orders, but he’d get over it. And if he didn’t, fuck him.

The sheriff’s sister was a good bargaining chip. The local pack leader’s brother was all into her, so they could use that against the Armstrongs. Edward had told him that getting that pack out of Fontana and the region was their number one priority right now. Doing it this way made more sense. If they tried it Edward’s way, it would just bring more violence into the area and more heat on the APL.

That was the last thing he wanted. When he’d joined the APL, it wasn’t to bring violence to humans. It wasn’t like he was a terrorist. He just wanted the shifters gone.

His brother had been killed by one of those animals in a bar fight. Over a stupid table. And the judge had let the shifter off on some sort of technicality. His brother might have run his mouth from time to time, but no one deserved to die like that. It wasn’t fair.

Joseph’s breath quickened as the women exited the store. The redhead looked around as if searching for someone. Not wanting to get caught staring, he slowly headed down the street away from them and toward his parked truck.

But she didn’t pay any attention to him anyway. He slid into his vehicle and turned around to watch them through his tinted back window. A few people carrying colorful shopping bags walked past him on the sidewalk, but no one noticed him.

Katarina stood there waiting with December. Finally the redhead shook her head and shooed the other woman to her car. Looked like she didn’t plan to wait around for her man.

Joseph smiled and kicked his truck into gear. He already knew where she lived, so he didn’t plan to follow her. He’d simply wait for her to come to him.

Taking side streets, he reached her block quickly. The neighborhood had quaint, historic-looking homes and was exceptionally quiet. A far cry from where he’d grown up in a crowded city in a loud, run-down apartment building where his family had been the only whites.

He parked a few houses down from December’s place and scanned the neighborhood as he got out. No blinds open and no kids playing in the front yard. He slipped on his gloves and zipped up his coat as he hurried across the street.

His opportunity to strike would be limited, but getting her out of the house should be easy. He needed to
subdue her, tie her up, then pull his truck into her drive and deposit her into the backseat. He could risk trying to drag her to his parked truck, but then he wouldn’t be able to bind her without taking a huge risk. And that left more opportunity for her to fight back or make a scene, or for someone to notice them.

Glancing around once more as he strode up the stone walk toward her front door, he breathed a sigh of relief that no one was watching. Unless she’d stopped somewhere, she should be home soon.

Instead of going all the way up to her front door, he ducked behind one of the bushes by the entrance and withdrew his gun. Not perfect cover, but with dusk falling it was good enough. Just as he got into position, he watched her steer past the house. Without standing, he couldn’t see, but he could hear when her car door slammed.

When he heard her boots clacking against the walk, he tensed, ready to spring. With his gun ready, he knew he’d have only one shot at this.

As she neared the small step before the covered entrance, she jerked back as she noticed him. Before she could scream, he brandished his gun high enough for her to see.

“Say a word and I’ll shoot you in the gut. You’ll bleed out before the cops arrive.” He wasn’t actually going to shoot her, but she didn’t know that.

Color drained from her already pale face. She dropped the plastic bag she was carrying.

He cursed under his breath. “Pick it up and act natural and unlock your damn door.”

A battle waged in her head. He could see it in those pretty blue eyes. He guessed she was trying to figure out if she could make a run for it.

“I’ll empty my gun into you before you’ve taken three steps.”

She swallowed hard. Her keys were clutched tightly in her hand, but she still hadn’t made a move to do as he said. “What do you want from me?”

“I don’t want to hurt you, but if you make me, I will.”

“That’s not an answer.” Her voice shook and her entire body began to tremble as she stared at his gun.

The longer they stood out there, the bigger chance he had of getting caught. He went for semihonesty. He didn’t want to hurt a human, even if she was seeing a shifter. “Listen, I don’t want to hurt you. My boss just wants to talk to your boyfriend and taking you is the only way. You’re just a bargaining chip. You won’t be hurt if you cooperate.”

She shook her head. “I don’t have a boyfriend.”

Being nice obviously wasn’t going to work either. Standing, he jabbed the gun into her side. She cried out but he ignored it. “Open the fucking door. Now.”

With trembling hands she eventually opened the door. As soon as they were inside, he bolted it shut. “Sit.” From the foyer, he motioned toward one of the couches in the living room.

Still clutching her purse and keys, she did as he said. “If you take me, you have to realize he’ll kill you.” She didn’t say who, but it didn’t take a genius to figure out whom she meant.

“I thought you said you didn’t have a boyfriend.” He pulled out the flex-cuffs he’d brought and tossed them to her. “Put these on.”

She dropped her purse to catch them. “He’s not my boyfriend, but that doesn’t matter to him. You take me, you’re dead. You haven’t done anything wrong yet. If you walk away now, no one has to know about this.”

At her condescending voice, something inside him snapped. He lifted the gun at her again. “I’m not some fucking child. Put. Those. On.”

A surge of adrenaline rushed through him as she obeyed him. He was tired of taking orders from everyone. Once she’d secured her wrists in front of her, he tucked his gun in the back of his pants, then pulled out the tape he’d brought.

“Wait, what are you—”

He secured a piece over her mouth. “I’m sorry I have to do this.”

For a moment she looked confused; then she started to struggle. When she kicked out at him, he cursed and did what needed to be done. Clocking her hard across the jaw did the trick. Her head lolled to the side as she slumped against the couch.

Now all he had to do was carry her to his truck. He could move it to her driveway, then quickly load her in. So fucking easy.

“Who’s fucking smart now?” He smiled to himself as he slipped out her front door. As he hurried across the street toward his truck, he nearly stumbled when he spotted that shifter driving down the road. The giant hulking bastard eyed him briefly, then dismissed him.

Joseph watched as he pulled into December’s driveway. His heart beat a staccato drumbeat and a flash of cold fear snaked down his spine. He’d been so close. It was too late to attempt anything now. He didn’t have any silver bullets and he didn’t have enough training to take him on. And he sure as hell didn’t have a death wish.

Unlike most APL members, he didn’t think of himself as some invincible badass. Hurrying, he jumped in his truck and sped away. At least no one would know about his failure. There was no way he was telling Edward
about this. He’d just make up some bullshit story about how Katarina had been protected and he hadn’t been able to get close to her. No one ever needed to know about this blunder.

As he glanced in the rearview mirror, the last thing he saw as he turned the corner was the shifter walking toward the front door. He certainly had a surprise waiting for him.

Liam knocked on December’s door for the second time. He’d tried calling her a couple times, but she wasn’t answering. Her car was in the driveway, so maybe she didn’t want to talk to him. His brother was right. He’d been going about everything all wrong. Pushing himself on her and not bothering to get to know her.

He’d been so driven with the desire to mate he kept forgetting she was human. Sighing, he tried again. “December?”

When she didn’t answer, he pulled out his cell. She knew he’d planned to stay tonight. As the phone rang, he heard the jingle of her phone from inside. Then he heard something that sounded like a soft moan.

A surge of alarm shot through him like lightning. Snapping the phone shut, he tried the handle. When the door swung open, he cautiously stepped inside. He’d already been ambushed once today. This could be another trap.

As he moved farther inside, he realized she was the only person there, but he faintly scented something—someone else had been there recently. A male. The mix of cigarette and whatever cologne the man wore lingered. An icy fist clasped around his heart. “December?” he called again as he stepped farther inside.

Following her scent, he started for the living room, then froze. Tied up and with tape across her mouth, December
had a bruise forming across her face. Her eyes were closed and she was softly moaning. And he could hear her light breathing. She was alive. A red, burning rage started deep inside him.

He didn’t even realize he’d moved, but suddenly he was kneeling by her side. With one quick pull he snapped the plastic bands off her wrists, then slowly eased the tape off her mouth. His throat seized as he checked her pulse. It was strong.

“December?” Her name was barely a whisper on his lips. What the hell had happened to her?
I should have been here.
The thought reverberated loudly inside him.

As he cupped the back of her head, her eyes fluttered open. In confusion she stared at him for a moment before lashing out. Her hand struck his face, but her scream died on her lips as her eyes focused on him.

“Liam?” She tried to push up farther, so he helped her to a sitting position. “Where…?” She looked around at her surroundings before staring at him. When she did, she touched the side of her face and winced.

“Who did this to you?” To his own ears his voice was guttural, more animal than man. His inner wolf tore at him with sharp razor’s-edge claws, begging to be set free.

When she flinched, his human side took over dominance. His body shook with the need to draw blood. Whoever had done this would die. The scent that lingered in the air would be forever cauterized in his mind. “Are you hurt? Physically?”

“No.” The word was scratchy. Then more started flowing. “He had a gun. He said he was going to use me as a bargaining chip against you. I should have fought harder, but he had a gun.” Her voice cracked on the last word. Taking him completely by surprise, she lunged at him and threw her arms around his neck.

For once in his life he felt useless. Absolutely. Fucking. Useless.

December cried silently against his neck. No big wails or sobs from her. Just heartbreaking little gasps as her slim shoulders shook and she trembled in his arms. She buried her face against his neck and the wet tears streamed down his back.