Secret Seduction: BBW Werewolf Romance (Wolf Pack Protectors Book 1) (2 page)

Chapter 2

Ryker placed his palm on his chin and pushed his neck to one side. A satisfying crack released the tension caused by the shift.

He sniffed the air. If the woman hadn’t been hurt, he would have chased the man with the gun and ripped out his throat. Instead, an overwhelming need to protect her forced him to stay. He’d try following the scent trail later, but for now, he needed to stop the woman’s bleeding.

He dropped to his knees and pulled the hem of her dress up enough to reveal the wound. He’d seen injuries like this on other wolves in his pack when they encountered hunters. They were rarely life-threatening as long as they were treated immediately.

Instinct told him to carry her back to the den, but he’d be breaking the number one law in the pack—no humans were allowed in the den, ever. As alpha, he’d instituted the law, and for very good reason. If he violated this law, then what would stop the other wolves from violating the other laws he’d set down?

On the ground, the woman moaned. She was losing blood fast. He had no other choice; he had to break the law.

He’d make it back to the den faster in his wolf form, so he shifted. His muscles stretched and grew. To transform from human to wolf was much less painful than transforming from wolf to human.

With his nose, he nudged the woman. Out cold.

He gently wrapped his mouth around her, then lifted her onto his back. She fell forward, her arms dangling, one on each side of him.

Satisfied that she was sufficiently balanced, he took off at a quick pace. He carefully measured each stride so she wouldn’t fall off. He didn’t want to cause any more damage.

The trip back to the den took just under an hour. He hoped she’d wake up, but she was still out when he reached the den.

Akila met him at the entrance. “It smells like death.”

Her eyes went wide when she saw what he carried. She quickly looked around, but no other wolves were present. “You brought a human here?”

In his wolf form, he couldn’t respond. Akila slid the woman off his back and held her up while Ryker shifted.

“She’s got a gunshot wound.”

The gray-haired wolf snorted. “Obviously, but she shouldn’t be here. We all agreed to abide by the rule. What made you think you could violate it?”

He glanced around. No other wolves were present to witness her questioning him. “She’s severely injured, so screw the rules. Are you going to help me or not?”

Akila passed the woman to Ryker, who scooped her into his arms.

Alex, another member of the pack, stepped out of the shadow of the cave and stretched. “What’s all the commotion out here?”

Shit. Ryker thought he’d be able to sneak her in since the other wolves slept during the day.

Akila tilted her head toward the woman. “He found a stray.”

Alex scurried to her side. “Can I help?”

Ryker stared him down. “Why aren’t you out hunting with the others?”

“Gwen wasn’t feeling well so I stayed back.”

Ryker couldn’t fault him wanting to take care of his sister. “How’s she doing?”

"She’s still recovering from the bites, but I think she’ll pull through.”

“Good. Any news from the trackers? Have they found out anything about where the human who attacked her went?”

“They haven’t been back yet. So, can I help?”

The young wolf showed an aptitude for healing, so Ryker nodded. “You can help, but you must keep her a secret.”

“Consider it done.”

“All right, let’s get her in and get to work.”

Akila took his cue and started barking orders at Alex. “I need water and wood to make a fire.”

Alex grabbed a gourd from a shelf just inside the cave. He sprinted off in the direction of the river.

Akila turned to Ryker. “Carry her to my chamber.”

He carried the woman into the cave. Cool air dried the thin sheen of sweat on his skin. He rarely got cold, but when he did, he was usually in human form.

The cave split into two tunnels. Light filtered into various parts of the den through holes in the rocks, but the tunnel to the healer’s chambers was completely devoid of light. He followed Akila down the path.

Five years ago, when he’d first become alpha, there was no need for a designated healer. But as the hunters encroached on their territory, more and more wolves returned from hunts with injuries. No one but Akila, Alex, and Ryker traveled into this part of the den, so it was the perfect place to hide her while she healed.

Ryker entered the chamber and noticed a new dais in the back corner of the room. “You added another bed.”

Akila nodded. “Two wasn’t enough. Leah and I carved the third while you were gone during the last council meeting. We need to be prepared for hunting season.”

She grabbed a blanket from the built-in shelf that ran the length of the room. She unfolded it and draped it over the bed.

He set the woman down and placed a feather-stuffed pillow under her head. A hole in the ceiling allowed moonlight into the room.

The woman’s makeup was streaked down her face, but under all the muck, she was beautiful. Long ebony hair framed her oval-shaped face and curled around her shoulders. Her flushed cheeks and lush red lips were so tempting, he wanted to brush his mouth across them with feather-light kisses.

A shoulder strap had slipped off of one shoulder, exposing even more of her flawlessly tanned skin. Her wickedly sexy curves made his mouth water. The rise and fall of her chest made the barely exposed swell of her breasts even more visible.

The sudden urge to touch her overwhelmed his senses. He clenched his hands at his sides. He didn’t even know the woman, but a powerful attraction tugged at the heated place between his legs.

He forgot Akila was in the room until she spoke. “Where did you find her?”

“The meadow just off the old logging road. Some psycho was chasing her with a gun. He shot her and would have killed her if I hadn’t heard the commotion and gone to investigate.”

“Humans. I swear. They can’t get along for more than five minutes without trying to kill each other.”

Ryker nodded in agreement. “That’s why we have to stay away from them.”

“And yet you brought her here.”

The muscle in his jaw twitched. He didn’t like being questioned about his decisions. As alpha, he could do as he pleased. “Look at her. Would you have left her in the woods?”

Akila sighed. “No.”

He looked down at the injured woman. Humans and wolves could never live side by side in harmony, so staying as far away as possible was their best option for survival. As soon as the human was stable enough to move, he’d take her back into town and drop her off in front of the hospital.

Alex panted as he rushed into the room carrying the gourd in one hand. A huge pile of wood was tucked under the other arm.

He skidded to an abrupt stop. Water sloshed over the side of the gourd and landed on the dirt floor. “I got the water and wood.”

“Good. Put the water by the bed and get the fire going.” Akila instructed.

After carefully placing the gourd on the ground, Alex dropped the kindling in the center of the room. He set a small ball of tinder in the fire pit. He struck a match, then cupped his hand around the flame as he brought it closer to the tinder. Smoke curled up toward a hole in the ceiling. As the fire grew, he added a few small sticks. He continued to add larger pieces of wood until the fire cracked and hissed.

While Alex built the fire, Ryker grabbed a pot and filled it with the river water. He hung the pot over the fire. Once the water reached a rolling boil, Akila tossed a few surgical instruments into the pot.

Ryker asked. “Do you think you can save her?”

Akila inspected the wound. “It’s not life-threatening. It’s actually much better than it looks. I have something special that will fix her up in no time. You should be able to get rid of her by tomorrow night.”

Relief flooded his body. For the first time since he’d encountered her and the hunter, he relaxed. He rolled his neck to release the tension.

Akila sniffed the air. “Strange.”

“What?”

“She has a scent on her that seems familiar, but I can’t place where I’ve smelled it before. Her blood is everywhere, so it’s hard for me to detect the other scent.”

“Maybe it’s a city scent.”

Akila shrugged. “Speaking of the city, I’m running low on supplies. We’re going to have to send Leah on a run soon.”

Ryker eyed the dwindling supply of gauze and made a mental note to send Leah to a hospital to steal more supplies. He’d buy them, but in a town the size of Full Moon Bay, someone would notice his frequent trips and start asking questions. He couldn’t afford to draw attention to the pack. As far as he knew, no human knew werewolves roamed the forest, and he intended to keep it that way.

The fire crackled and thick black smoke wafted up through the skylight.

Ryker turned to Alex. “Go check on your sister.”

The younger man hurried to the other side of the chamber. Ryker glanced at a stone dais to the left of the entrance. Gwen lay on her side facing the wall. The soft rise and fall of her chest was a good sign.

She’d spent the last two weeks moaning and crying out during the day. She wouldn’t tell anyone what happened. The marks on her body left no need to inquire. Every time he looked at the scratches and gouges, rage bubbled up from his gut. As soon as he was sure Akila could help the woman he found in the meadow, he’d leave to join the trackers. Whoever mauled Gwen would pay with his life.

Ryker watched Akila clean out the new patient’s wound. At least the bullet hadn’t lodged in her body. The faster she recovered, the faster he could return her to the town. He brushed a strand of hair from her face. Yes, she needed to leave before anyone in the pack became too attached to her. The last time a woman stayed with the pack for longer than a month, her life ended in tragedy. His heart clenched to remind him of the dull ache that never went away. He wouldn’t go through that again.

***

Diana groaned as she regained consciousness. Her body felt like it had been run over by a truck. She pushed herself up using what little strength she had left.

She peered into the dim room. In the center of the room, a shaft of sunlight illuminated the remnants of a fire. Red coals glowed from within a pile of ash.

In an instant, the events from the previous night rushed in. She slapped a hand over her mouth to suppress a scream. The last thing she remembered was being shot by Zane.

Her gaze darted around the room. No one lurked in the shadows. She breathed a sigh of relief and tried to remember how she ended up in a cave.

The wolf.

She shook her head to clear it. She must have passed out after the wolf saved her from Zane because the last thing she remembered was the wolf transforming into a man. A very naked, very sexy man. It had to be a hallucination.

Diana swung her good leg over the edge of the bed. A sharp pain radiated down the leg which had been shot. She stared at it. A bandage held a thick piece of gauze in place. She peeled back the edge of it and stared at her leg. The deep wound had a scab on it. She’d expected it to look much worse. Who could have healed her so quickly?

She slowly stood, putting most of her weight on her good leg. Her injured leg didn’t hurt nearly as bad as she thought it would. As she hobbled around the room, she pushed one hand against the cool stone wall for support.

Two stone daises were set several yards apart. Each platform was covered with a clean white sheet. The only other feature in the room was a shelf carved into the stone. Bottles in all shapes and sizes littered the shelf. Some of the bottles were filled with liquid and others with what looked to be dried herbs. None of the bottles were labeled.

A cool breeze stirred dirt into a mini dust devil at her feet. She staggered away from the wall and hobbled toward the only exit in the room, a curtained door.

She took a breath and then pushed the heavy fabric back. The other side was pitch-black. She hesitated. At least she was relatively safe in the room. She could defend herself if there was only one entrance. But the need to escape overrode her preservation instincts.

She stepped into the void.

Her hands scraped along the wall. She used it not only for purchase, but to find her way back to the room if necessary.

When she’d traveled about ten yards, she turned and looked behind her. Darkness enveloped her in every direction. As a wave of panic set in, she hurried down the corridor. She was just about to panic and run when she spotted a thin shaft of light streaming from around a bend.

The tunnel took a sharp turn to the right. As she rounded the corner, she slammed into a solid wall. She jumped back. The naked man from her hallucination filled the space, his exquisite body bathed in golden sunlight. She yelped and backed away.

“Don’t be afraid.” His commanding voice did nothing to calm her nerves.

“Who are you? Where am I?”

“You’re in my den.”