Chapter Three

 

Adam stopped in his tracks when he scented Hannah and her friend around the corner. He leaned against a locker and pretended to wait for someone while he eavesdropped on his former friend. His wolf urged him closer, to get a look and say hello, but he forced the compulsion down. He couldn’t risk it. He sent his wolf images of Hannah’s broken body, and his wolf reluctantly backed down. With his preternatural hearing Adam could hear the girls’ hushed whispers.

“I tried to warn you those guys weren’t nice.”

“I know, but I didn’t really think he was like that, Stephanie. He seemed so nice. I mean, it’s like he’s become a completely different person or something. I’m worried about him.”

Adam’s chest hurt, and he wanted to vomit. He reminded himself this was what he wanted. Members of his pack walked up, and he joined their group as they made their way to the quad. He swallowed down bile and forced the words out of his mouth.

“Watch it, skanks.” Adam gritted his teeth while the guys in his pack laughed. He pretended he couldn’t see the pain and confusion in Hannah’s eyes as he walked away.

Adam pushed the painful memory away and looked over to see Hannah slumped in her seat, fast asleep. A vacancy light flashed ahead, and Adam pulled into the parking lot. He’d been driving for eight hours, and he needed a few hours of shut-eye if they were going to make it. Keeping the truck within view, he jumped out and procured them a room towards the back of the motel, out of sight of the main road.

Careful not to wake Hannah, he carried her into the room and laid her on the bed before he stepped back. He felt like a creep watching her sleep, but he didn’t want to look away. Every fiber of his being buzzed with want, but he needed her to want him back. The urge and compulsion to breed with her had nearly overwhelmed him in the truck, and it scared the shit out of him how close he came to giving in. If he claimed Hannah without her permission he’d never forgive himself.

Adam forced himself to turn away, but his wolf reared up and he nearly doubled over as he fought him for dominance. Now that his wolf had his mate, he refused to be apart from her, and Adam started to lose himself. He, too, craved her touch, wanted to hold her, fuck her, and mark her as his. He reluctantly turned to see she still slept, oblivious to his inner struggle. He pulled at his hair and despaired. She wasn’t just in danger from his father.

Adam fought and pleaded with his wolf as he was losing control. I’m a fucking monster. He railed at himself for being so stupid. He’d meant to get her out of harm’s way only to put her right into it.

****

Hannah blinked her eyes, disoriented by her surroundings. Where am I? Her last memory had been the inside of Adam’s truck, not a dingy motel room. Hannah glanced down at herself, relieved to find she still wore her work uniform and shoes. Movement caught her eye, and she kept still as she surreptitiously watched Adam pace back and forth. He pulled at his hair making it stick up as he muttered incoherently to himself about his wolf.

His behavior scared Hannah. She’d known Adam to be a complete asshole, but she hadn’t ever thought he was schizophrenic or delusional. She wasn’t sure how to deal with this. He suddenly stopped and slowly, almost reluctantly, turned. His blue eyes glowed yellow like they had in the truck, and Hannah began to wonder if maybe she was the delusional one.  He took a step toward her, and Hannah scrambled backwards on the bed. Her head banged against the headboard, but she ignored the pain and futilely pushed herself against it. The room filled with a low inhuman growl, and Hannah swallowed hard. It was coming from Adam.

“Stop! Don’t hurt yourself. You’re going to upset him.” Adam’s voice no longer his own. “Don’t run.” He grunted out, and he bent at the waist as if in pain before he fell to his knees beside the bed. Hannah’s eyes bulged, and her heart raced. She held her breath when he reached out with claw-tipped fingers. “Please, I’m not going to hurt you, but—” He groaned. “We—I just need to touch you right now.”

Hannah had never physically been afraid of Adam. He’d hurt her with his words not his strength, and even though his eyes glowed and his fingernails were razor sharp, her fear started to dissipate. Whatever he was, she believed him when he said he wouldn’t hurt her. He’d had plenty of opportunity already. Hannah let out her pent-up breath as he reached out to touch her. His movements were jerky and tentative, and he kept his head lowered so she couldn’t see his eyes. She stayed still until his large hand covered her foot and ankle, the pad of his thumb gently rubbing circles, making it hard for her to concentrate.

“You were horrible to me,” she said quietly. One moment they’d been friends and the next he’d turned on her like a rabid dog.

“I’m not that person, Hannah. I never was. I never wanted to hurt you,” he bit out. “I didn’t have a choice.”

“Why should I believe you, Adam? You hated me. Hate me,” she corrected. He’d made his feelings crystal clear all through high school.

He shook his head. “You couldn’t be more wrong. I’m sorry, I’m so sorry for everything. Every hurt I ever caused you. I wish I could take it back, but it was all I could do to keep you safe.” He gasped. “I missed you so fucking much, Hannah.” His voice broke.

A lump formed in her throat. Hannah reached out, grabbed his t-shirt, and pulled him to her. She couldn’t bear his pain. Meeting her halfway, he dragged her sideways across his lap. He wrapped his arms around her and buried his face in her neck as he pressed himself against her.

“I missed you, too, Adam,” she whispered. “What’s going on? What happened? I thought we were friends. Why did you turn on me like that?”

“I failed you.” He growled against her neck, and he held her tight as he gently started to rock her.

“What do you mean, you failed me?” She was tired of these non-answers.

He raised his gaze to meet hers, his expression pained. “Do you remember the dirt bike accident I had your freshman year?

“Yeah, I remember. You were pretty banged up,” she said slowly, afraid of where this was going.

“I didn’t really have a dirt bike accident, Hannah. My dad found out I was hanging out with you, that we were friends.”

“So? Why would he do that, Adam?” she whispered, horrified by what he implied. She remembered he’d been black and blue all over, his arm in a sling. It had also been the day he’d started being nasty to her. At first, she’d chalked it up to him not feeling well, but when he healed and continued his verbal assaults she’d realized he wasn’t who she thought he was.

“Because he hates humans and he didn’t want me being friends with one.”

“If you’re not human, Adam, then what are you?” She frowned, confused.

“I’m a wolf shifter.” Adam took a deep breath. “There’s a wolf inside of me, and sometimes, he comes out.”

Hannah shook her head. This was crazy, but she couldn’t refute what she could see right in front of her. “Your yellow eyes?” she asked, staring into them.

“My wolf,” he growled, his wolf staring back.

“Why does your dad hate humans?” she asked, bewildered.

“I honestly don’t know. But he does. With a vengeance and when he found out about you and me, he showed me how he felt about it. He told me he’d hurt you if I didn’t stop being your friend.”

“You could have told me and we could have pretended, Adam.” She recalled all of the hurtful, nasty things he’d said to her throughout the years.

“No, I couldn’t. My pack had to sense the hurt and smell the fear on you. If not, my father would have known,” he told her. “He’d have found out. He’s powerful. That’s why I had to be so fucking horrible to you. Someone else in my pack had an issue with it and ratted me out.”

“Adam, we could have gone to the police.” There had to have been a better way.

“No, Hannah, the police wouldn’t have been able to help. My dad and the pack are too strong. The only thing I could think of to keep you safe was to make it look like I hated you.”

“Well, mission accomplished,” she said flatly. Adam shut his eyes and cringed. Hannah was sorry and not sorry. She got it, but she didn’t, and that angered her. “Why are you back in my life now, Adam? Why did you come into the diner tonight? Why didn’t you just stay away? I was at the point where I was almost not thinking about you every day.”

“Almost?” He grinned.

Hannah shook her head. “Adam,” she warned. “I wasn’t exactly thinking happy thoughts.” His face fell. “You need to tell me what’s going on right now or I’m calling the police.” He nodded and swallowed.

“The police can’t help us, but I’m taking us somewhere I think we’ll be safe.”

Hannah snorted. “You think we’ll be safe?”

“Trust me when I tell you at this point we’re better off risking it.”

“Awesome. This just keeps getting better. Tell me why, Adam? Why now?” What in the world Adam had gotten in her into?

“Um, well, when shifters, wolf shifters come of age, we, ah, we become sexually active, and it’s customary to start looking for your mate.”

“Mate?” She decided to ignore his sexually active comment. She didn’t want to imagine him being with anyone else. She shouldn’t care but it irritated her, and then it irritated her because she did care. He’s scrambling my brains.

“When our wolves choose our other halves it’s for life,” he told her.

“Okay?” She shook her head. She wasn’t sure what this had to do with her. He’d never regarded her as anything more than a friend and then she’d believed for years that he’d hated her.

“When I turned eighteen my father started bringing girls home for me. Or he’d take me to them. But nothing worked. My wolf wasn’t interested.” He looked her dead in the eye. “Ever. Not one. I thought we were on our way to see another pack for my father to parade more girls in front of me when he had me pull into the diner. But now I know it wouldn’t have mattered.” Adam’s voice was matter-of-fact.

“Why wouldn’t it have mattered?” Hannah asked. The idea of women being paraded in front of him sent an irrational stab of jealousy through her. She really hated Mr. Atwood.

“Apparently, my wolf already chose his mate.” He slowly moved up her body so he lay beside her. “A long time ago.”

“How do you know?” Hannah whispered, and her heart raced. She was afraid to believe she understood what he implied.

He groaned and shook his head before he wrapped his arms around her. “Because.” Adam rolled his hips, and she gasped when the evidence of his arousal pressed against her. “My cock has never been this hard, and I’ve never wanted to fuck so badly in my life.” Groaning, he rolled his hips again. “And I can feel it here,” he patted his chest, “and here.” He touched his temple. “My heart and my wolf are telling me you’re mine. You’ve always been my most favorite person, Hannah. I feel pretty stupid for not having realized why.” 

Yellow eyes stared down and burned into her soul. Her stomach fluttered with excitement when he reached out to tuck a lock of hair behind her ear. His eyes lowered until he stared at her mouth, and Hannah self-consciously licked her lips. There was a low rumble in his chest when he lowered his head.

“Tell me to stop and we will,” he whispered before he pressed his lips against hers.

We? Oh God, he means his wolf. Hannah’s insides clenched and melted when he tilted his head and deepened the kiss.