Stranded with a Cajun Werewolf (13 page)

“Are you ready to leave with me then? Stop your useless escapade?” She saw Burke take a kick to the chest, stagger back a step. His coat was ripped from their claws. Pursing her lips, she turned back to Carl knowing what she had to do. The decision she had to make. If he’d call off his goons, leave Burke unharmed, she’d go with him.

She wiped furiously at a tear. Then she nodded.

Carl was at her side in an instant, grabbing her by the arm and turning away from Burke. He dragged her along.

“Wait. Call off the fight.”

“Not a chance.”

“You promised,” she said hotly, tugging away from him. His thin fingers bit through her clothes into her flesh.

“I did no such thing.”

She quickly retraced his words. Then swung at him with her free arm, crushing his nose with the side of her fist. Adrenaline surged through her veins and she felt a brief satisfaction as his head popped back and he looked at her in surprise. While she’d always seen her stature as a detriment, finally being tall and athletic made sense. Made her feel powerful.

But the look of fury that replaced his surprise made her take a step back.

“You ungrateful little whore.” He grabbed her arms, hauling her inches from his face.

“Your father should have taken a heavier hand to you when you were still trainable.” Kendall’s gaze dropped to the medallion that had bounced out of his shirt collar in the tussle. The purple stone in the center held her powers.

He narrowed his gaze. “You’ll never get them back you know. From now on you’re a simple little human.”

Simple little human?

A stupid woman would stay in a situation…
Burke’s words drifted through her mind.

She wasn’t stupid.

She was a fighter. A woman in control of her destiny. Not the wallflower Carl expected her to be.

Kendall smiled then. A happy joyous smile. Pieces of the puzzle fell into place.

“Why are you smiling?” Carl asked in his superior way.

From the corner of her eye, she saw Burke break Gent’s neck. Three Dirk bodies lay at his feet. She’d been so worried about him minutes ago, but the man was a fighter. It surprised and pleased her that he could take such good care of himself.

As Carl started to follow her gaze she whipped her head forward, smacking her forehead against his bloody nose. A loud crack echoed in her ears before he toppled backward.

Burke materialized at her side, a long, strong leg kicking. His boot landed against Carl’s middle sending the man hurtling over the cliff in front of the house. She grabbed Burke’s arm to pull him back to safety.

They peered over the edge together, arms around each other. Carl’s body landed against a jagged bolder. It was a gruesome sight and yet Kendall’s spirits lifted. He was dead, unmoving, his head practically detached from his body. He would never bother her aga—

A loud blast rang across the mountain top. At her side, Burke sucked in a startled breath. As if in slow motion she turned, saw him gaping down at his chest. His knees started to buckle and she used every ounce of her height and strength to push him back away from the edge of the mountain. He landed in a pile of soft snow.

Burke stared up into Kendall’s incredible blue eyes, gasping for air. He had to change.

But he couldn’t. Wouldn’t.

A shadow fell over them. The first sniveling
werecoyot
he’d sent careening backward peered over her shoulder now.

“Get up.” Kendall was right. He did had a pitiful Jersey accent.

When Kendall made no move to rise, the
coyot
reached for her. “Now bitch.”

“You’re not taking her so you might as well leave,” Burke growled.

“She’s not yours to keep, dog.”

Burke spared Kendall the briefest of glances. Yes she was. He hoped.

Kendall cried out as the
werecoyote
grabbed her by the hair and hauled her to her feet.

Tears sprang to her eyes and she kept her gaze focused on Burke as she fought the man holding her. Pain flooded his body, not just from the bullet pressing against his heart, but from the thought that he really could lose her.

That smarmy asshole could drag her down the mountain and he’d never see her again.

He had to. Oh God, he had to.

An incredible roar filled his ears. Blood, terror, a jet plane overhead, he didn’t know where the sound came from but the beast inside would no longer be denied. He’d lived a lonely life since Annabelle.

He’d lost her.

He would not lose Kendall. Not now.

The roaring stopped and sounds collided around him. Gin barking. Kendall crying. The wind howling.

We end this
, his beast snarled.

Gin leapt through the air, his mouth latching around the coyote’s forearm. Burke shifted. A shot ricocheted against a rock behind him.

His muscles rippled, bones popped and he took pleasure at the fear in the
coyot’s
eyes.

Between Gin’s grip and the werewolf bearing down on him, the weasel let Kendall go and she fell to the side.

Blocking out everything but his prey, Burke attacked. Viciously.

He was on the
coyot
a second later, knocking him into the snow as his jaws closed around his throat. He squeezed slowly, feeling the life drain out of the creature beneath him.

Then he gave a quick shake, severing skin, muscle, and tendons.

Covered in blood, Burke collapsed in the snow beside the body. Death had a peculiar scent. He’d lived without it so long he’d forgotten.

Chest heaving, he tried to slow his lungs. Tried to shift back. But the beast resisted, rarely getting to run free. To do the job it was created for. It was not as sure the threat was over.

But Burke pulled back on the leash. His muscles contracted. Bones snapped. Fur disappeared.

Cold and snow bit at him. But, neither the frigid temperature nor the gun shot had hurt as badly as knowing he was about to lose the woman he loved.

She stood but a few steps away, trembling, eyes large. The sheen he saw there made his heart plummet. She was terrified.

He didn’t blame her one bit.

Throwing back his head he let out a howl of fury. Not again. He had to send her away.

Far away where no one would harm her. Dammit, he should be able to protect her, but how would he protect her from himself? From what he truly was? Given the option, he’d give up everything for her.

She sank to her knees next to him. Started to reach out. But he stopped her with a shake of his head. “Leave Kendall.”

Chapter Eleven

His words sank into her heart like a double-edged knife.

The fantasy she’d built in her head was bursting around her. It didn’t matter if the Dirk brothers were dead, if Carl would never bother her again. If…no. It had all been a fantasy. She swallowed back a sob and pursed her lips.

Fresh tears sprang to her eyes and she blinked them back. She had to be strong, not give in to her grief. “Burke…we need to get you inside.” He was human again. And naked.

All this time—Damn Carl. She’d been living with a werewolf and not even known it.

And with her powers bound… she stared down at the broad shoulders she’d come to depend on.

He didn’t seem to notice the biting cold. If she stood here long enough, perhaps the frigid temperature would freeze her breaking heart and she wouldn’t hurt so bad.

She slipped off her coat and draped it over his naked shoulders.

“You knew what they were?” he asked, sounding dazed. His shift should have fixed the bullet wound. But perhaps he had other injuries…that didn’t make sense either.

“Of course.” The truth would come, but not this instant.

He was silent for a long moment. Fresh tears coursed down her cheeks.

“You should probably be on your way. Those weasels won’t bother you again.” And just like that the trance was gone and his voice was crystal clear. His eyes stared up into hers. And her heart shattered into a thousand pieces.

How did you think this was going to end, Kendall?

She pulled her shoulders back. At the very, very least he deserved her thanks. And an explanation.

Seems they’d both been keeping some important secrets from each other.

“No. They won’t,” she said, “But if Carl hired anyone else…” She swallowed back the tendril of fear. It was over. Carl was over. He didn’t have the power to hurt her anymore. And it wasn’t Burke’s responsibility to keep her safe. “At least this time I’ll have a head start.”

She stood there, feeling very unstable. Her knees felt like they were made of gelatin, not tendon and bones.

“Come on. You’re gonna freeze out here.”

“Impossible. I’m a werewolf. Or didn’t you notice?” He raised his head then and pegged her with look that took her breath away. It was all in his eyes, everything he was feeling: despair, dejection, disgust, anger, hopelessness.

“Of course I noticed,” she whispered. That sort of thing was hard to miss. But he’d made up his mind.

“Then why are you not screaming your head off?” His voice was savage. Instinctively, she took a step away from him. He shook his head as if he were disgusted with himself. Then he cleared his throat and stared out at the magnificent valley below. “Just go.” She took another step away from him. The fairy tale was dissolving right in front of her.

“Do you mind if I keep the clothes?” she asked, looking away.

She’d hike into town and figure out what to do next. Where had she left her purse?

Berry Blue ultra gloss would be the perfect color for such a gut-wrenching occasion.

He stopped her with a hand on her wrist.

“Where will you go?”

She shrugged.

“As far away from Florida as possible.” And you.

“Take the truck.”

She almost laughed at his offer, but couldn’t find the energy when every ounce of control she possessed was holding back the sobs trying to consume her. How had she managed to get herself shot, rescued, fall in love, married and broken hearted in less than a week? It sounded like a crazy fairy tale. But it was reality. Her life.

“No. Thanks for the offer, though.” She shrugged off his grasp and started toward his truck.

Get the purse. Come up with a plan. Get the purse. Come up with a plan. Funny, she hadn’t clung to the stupid old bag for the last few days. She’d found something else, some
one
else, to cling to. And he didn’t want her.

Turning back to him. He was so still, his tan skin in stark contrast to the white blanket of snow. The longer it took her to leave the longer he’d be out here in the cold. Wind whipped his long, dark locks around his face. Perhaps it was best not to see his face again.

“One question,” she said, hating the way her voice cracked between the words. She’d ask him because she needed to know the answer. And once she knew, she could move on. She would move on.

“Is it because I’m
werecoyote
?”

“Stay,” he said before she’d even finished her question.

Somehow the mountain seemed to go completely still. The wind stopped. The trees paused mid shiver as if awaiting his response. Or hers.

Or maybe it was all a figment of her imagination. Maybe she was dreaming.

“Say that again,” they said in unison.

Standing an arm’s length away now, she asked her question again, bolstered by his request, demand, call it what you will.

“The reason you want me to leave, is it because I’m a
werecoyote
?” Burke was off the ground and stalking toward her before she could blink. His towering height didn’t intimidate her and she wouldn’t have missed the beautiful expression of disbelief and hope on his face. His mouth hung slightly agape. And yet, at the same time she was incredibly nervous. Not two hours ago they’d been married.

To keep Carl away from her.

Carl was dead.

Passion still crackled between them, but she was terrified he’d reject her again. Not today. Or tomorrow. But next week when the adrenaline had worn off and this was all a faint memory. “I’m not really sure how it works with werewolves. I mean I haven’t really even dated that much—“

He cupped her face between his hands and slanted his lips across hers, silencing her rambling.

This…this was not a goodbye kiss. Of that much, Kendall was sure.

“I don’t want you to leave,” he murmured.

“Then why—“

He silenced her with another kiss, his arms tightening around her waist until her bones protested. “I have a rule. No humans. Ever.”

The light bulb came on. “And you thought I was human.”

“I can’t believe you’re not.”

“Carl bound my powers. I can’t shift.” Without her powers, without her ability to shift, she was essentially human. Smelled like a human. Her senses had been stripped too. She hadn’t been able to sniff out his secret…though there’d been that one time she’d wondered if he was, in fact, a werewolf.

Looks like she’d been right.

She’d been prepared to give up her powers forever so she could remain with him.

Looking at him now--

“I really hate that guy,” Burke uttered, kissing his way down her neck.

“Good thing he’s dead.”

“He’ll never bother you again,” he said, his voice so fierce she couldn’t help the love that blossomed in her heart. He tipped his forehead against hers and for a moment, everything was right with the world.

“If it makes you feel any better, I thought you were human too. I was actually kind of happy I couldn’t shift into some freakish monster and scare you away.”

“You’re not freakish.”

“Whatever you say.”

If this was a dream, she never wanted to wake up.

“I say kiss me.”

“Gladly.” She rose up on her tip-toes and met him half way. She couldn’t believe it. She was light headed from the ecstasy of being so close to him, inhaling his masculine scent, feeling his hands at her back urging her closer.

Burke could hardly believe he was able to kiss Kendall like this. This past week had felt like a lifetime. He just hoped it was the beginning of the rest of his life.

Her lips were soft beneath his, pliant, welcoming. Arms wrapped around his neck, she clung to him as if she never wanted to let go. That was more than all right by him.