Chapter Nine
Adonis woke up on his couch. He didn’t realize how tired he was, but he did need to get some rest if he was going to take on an opponent such as Asher. He didn’t know when or where he would attack so he had to be ready at any time. He glanced at his phone to check the time and saw he had missed quite a few calls from Eira and Jett. An eerie feeling swam in his stomach. He knew something was wrong, he just knew it. His thumb flew over the numbers to dial her back, hitting every wrong key as panic began to seep into his chest. The phone rang over and over and over with no answer. He tried several more time before calling Jett. He picked up on the first ring.
“Where the hell have you been Eira’s been calling you. I’ve been calling you. You haven’t answered either one of us. She worried about you and I almost had to tie her down to a chair so she wouldn’t go back there.”
“She can’t come here. You better keep an eye on her. Where is she? She’s not picking up her phone.”
“Relax. She’s upstairs taking a bath.” He was silent for a few seconds. “Hmm.”
“What?”
“She hasn’t come out yet. She’s been in there for over an hour.”
“She’ been in the bathroom for over an hour and you haven’t checked on her. Go do it now!”
“Okay, jeez. Why would I go and check on her when she was going to take a bath? Women take forever in the bathroom.”
Adonis paced the floor as he waited for Jett to climb the stairs to Eira’s bathroom. Each tap of Jett’s feet hitting the hardwood floor sounded like a sledgehammer hitting a brick wall in Adonis’ ears. Bile began to rise in his throat and the hairs on the back of his neck began to prickle. He heard Jett knock on the door and call Eira’s name, but she obviously didn’t answer because he knocked harder and shouted her name the next time.
The sound of wood splintering on the other end caused Adonis to scream into the phone. “What the fuck was that?! Jett?!”
“Eira’s gone. The window in the bathroom is open. She must have climbed down the side of the house and went back to you.”
“Well, there’s a little problem with your theory Jett, she isn’t here. Damn it. She could be out there in the cold hurt or worse.”
“I’m in the garage now. She took the snowmobile.”
“How did you not hear her start it up and leave?”
“Between the water running upstairs and Martin blaring the television downstairs, it was drowned out. Shit, I’m sorry.”
“Sorry doesn’t cut it. You better hope nothing happened to her. I’m going to go out and look for her. Maybe someone from the hotel saw her. You take the path she takes with the snowmobile and see if you can find anything.”
Adonis hung up, not giving Jett a chance to say anything further. He had to do something and there was no time to waste. He grabbed his coat and keys, running out the door and down the stairs to the main lobby. He stopped at the front desk and asked the concierge if he’d seen Eira, but he hadn’t. Of course he didn’t have that kind of luck. He threw his coat on and zipped it before stepping out into the cold air. The wind was blowing so hard he had a hard time keeping his hood on. Fuck, he hated the cold. But he’d endure any discomfort if it meant finding Eira.
He put his nose in the air, trying to catch any sign at all of her scent. Nothing. He walked toward the wooded area off the main road to the hotel and made his way to path she would’ve taken with the snowmobile. A couple of minutes later then faintest scent of her floated into his nose. He followed the spicy aroma for a few feet and in the corner of his eye his caught a glimpse of something red hanging from a tree branch. As he got closer he realized what it was. It was her jacket. He ran over to the dangling fabric and ripped it from the tree. He brought it to his nose and closed his eyes. The metallic scent of blood mixed with her fragrant perfume caused him to double over and vomit all over the snow at his feet. She was hurt. She was hurt and it was all his fault because he had to send her away instead of keeping an extra close eye on her himself. Fucking Jett. One thing he asked him to do, just one thing and he was incapable of rising up to the task.
Adonis wiped his mouth and lifted his head. Now was not the time to be weak. He had to be strong for her. He had to be strong for them both. He followed the dots of blood spotting the white snow like a trail of breadcrumbs meant to take him home. Yes, Eira had made him finally feel like he had a home there. She made him feel loved and that he actually belonged somewhere. He didn’t feel like an outcast around her. For the first time in his life he had a chance to be part of a family he always wanted.
He sped up his pace, her scent getting stronger with each passing second. In the distance, he could make out movement, but couldn’t see that well because of the freezing wind drying out his eye. As he got closer another scent mixed with hers hit the sensitive tissues of his nose. It was Asher. His brother went and kidnapped her out of spite because he knew she belonged to Adonis. Well, there was no way Asher was going to get out of this alive if he laid one hand on her.
Adonis ran over to where his brother was standing over Eira. She was shivering, arms around her body, teeth chattering, and her lips were turning blue. He attempted to go to her side but was pushed back and blocked by Asher. He growled. “She’s going to die if she doesn’t get warm. This is between you and me Asher, keep her out of it.”
“Unfortunately, she is part of it. I plan on making her my mate. I was going to make her mine earlier, but I figured it would be much more enjoyable if I brought you to the brink of death and had you watch me do it.”
“You sorry piece of shit! If you touch her again I will make you suffer far more than you could ever imagine.”
“I’d love to see you try my spineless brother.”
“A…Adon…is, I’m so cold.”
Eira’s strained voice filled his ears, breaking him in two. He wanted to run to her and scoop her up in his arms, but he couldn’t chance Asher hurting her again if he didn’t get to her on time. So he comforted her the only way he could, with his words. “I know you are love. This will all be over soon okay.” Adonis held out his arm with her jacket in his hand. “Asher give her this. She’s freezing to death.”
Asher snatched the coat from Adonis’ hands and threw it at Eira, hitting her in the face because her reflexes were non-existent in the cold. Oh yeah, Asher was going to fucking die before the night was over. There was no way he was going to treat his mate like that and get away with it without suffering the consequences. Asher snarled at Adonis, getting ready to lunge until Eira stopped him.
“Wait! You have to tell Adonis the truth.”
Asher scoffed. “Pfft. I don’t have to do anything of the sort.”
“Tell him!” Eira insisted. “He’ll understand.”
Adonis straightened, the middle of his forehead forming a deep V. “Tell me what?”
“Fine, I’ll tell you, but it’s not going to change the fact that I’m still going to kill you.”
“Just fucking tell me Asher!” Adonis bellowed, his voice echoing through the thick brush of trees.
“Your parents never told me to send you away. That was all my idea to get rid of you.”
Adonis double backed, shocked with the information that was just thrown at him. “What?”
“Mommy and Daddy loved you so very much.” Asher mocked. “It was a shame really, but rather amusing that they believed me when I told them you were dead, and you believed the whole story about nobody wanting you around because you were so different. It was so damn easy to fool all of you.”
An anger Adonis had never felt before began to blaze through his vein and bubble to the surface. He lunged at Asher knocking him to the floor. He got in a few good hits until Asher was able to get to his feet and kicked Adonis in the stomach. Adonis doubled over on the hard ground and Asher took the opportunity to kick Adonis in the stomach again.
Adonis coughed, gasping for air. The pain stretching across his abdomen was almost unbearable. He rolled face down into the snow and was grateful for the white stuff for once in his life as it helped to numb the ache in his belly. He lifted himself onto his knees and looked over at Eira who wore a worried expression on her face.
Chapter Ten
The feel of Asher’s tongue on her skin made her sick to her stomach. She didn’t know why she tried to convince Adonis to spare his brother’s life. She believed everyone deserved a second chance, but she was now questioning her decision. From the look in Adonis’ eyes she could tell his mind was already made up. His eyes grew dark as he stared in her direction. He ripped his coat open, threw it on the ground, then rid himself of the black t-shirt he was wearing underneath. Eira’s eyes went wide as his well-defined human form began to transform into his animal form. It happened so fast she didn’t have time to process it all. Before she knew it, paws had formed, teeth lengthened, and his jeans tore in two. A loud roar sounded in the still night air. It was so loud Eira had to cover her ears for fear she would bust an eardrum.
Despite not being able to hear, she couldn’t take her eyes off Adonis. He was breathtaking. She’d seen lions of course, but that was only on television and in books. She’d never seen one up close and she’d also never seen any of the shifters in the area morph right in front of her. His white fur gleamed in the moonlight and she instantaneously got lost in the deep blue of his normally crystalline eyes. Adonis began to stalk over to where she was standing when Asher pulled her front of him by her neck.
“Don’t do it Adonis. You don’t want her to get hurt, do you?”
Adonis stopped and growled, lowering his head, but still keeping his eyes on her. She could barely breathe with Asher’s hand around her throat. He loosened his grip which gave her enough time to elbow him in the rib and duck before Adonis pounced on him, tackling him to the ground. They rolled down the hill behind the tree and were no longer in sight. All she could hear was snarling, growling, roaring, and branches snapping from below. She was tempted to peer over the side, but decided that probably wouldn’t be the best of ideas and thank goodness she didn’t because Asher came running back up the hill at full speed almost knocking her down.
Her heart rate sped up as she watched Adonis dig his claws into Asher’s back and pull him down onto the floor. They rolled over and over, each one taking turns pinning the other. She was panicking more and more with each passing second, not knowing who was going to come out alive. There was one fact she was aware of. One of them was going to die. She didn’t need to be a shifter to know that. She felt the tension in the air around her as they fought a few feet away. They were going to fight to the death and there wasn’t a thing she could do about it. Just then she heard loud howling in the distance, a dog’s howls; no a wolf. She turned her head and glanced around the tree as she saw two large figures running toward her. She straightened against the tree and one of the wolves stopped in front of her, but faced the fight still going on. The other wolf stood not too far from Adonis and Asher.
The humongous K-9 standing next to her turned his head and she recognized the topaz eyes staring back at her. It was Ronin; and if that was Ronin, then the other wolf had to be Jett. She’d never seen either of them in animal form and was shocked to see how large they were. Once she got over the surprise she wondered why they were just standing by watching the two brothers fight when they should be helping their friend who was in trouble.
Eira knelt beside Ronin and pulled a handful of his fur, causing him to yelp. “Go help him!” He sat down next to her and she yanked his fur again. “Help him!” This time he laid down next her. She stood and walked around him. “If you’re not going to help him than I am.” She raced toward Adonis, but was cut off by the black wolf. Jett growled, sending a chill up her spine. Fear wound its way around her throat and she suddenly couldn’t speak. Jett was her friend. She knew he would never think of hurting in her human form, but what if his personality was different in his animal form. After standing there for what felt like an eternity, she realized he wasn’t going to do her any harm; he was trying to protect her from walking into a mess she wasn’t qualified to handle on her own.
A loud roar rang out, causing her to snap her head in the direction it came from. Adonis had clamped his teeth down on Asher’s throat and the tan lion slowly laid on the ground gasping for air. A few seconds later Asher’s eyes closed and there was no other sound other than the heavy panting coming from Adonis. A sense of relief flooded her body as Adonis came slowly padding over and sat down. She reached out to him, touching the spot of blood on his perfect white fur. It wasn’t his and she was thankful he wasn’t injured. He shifted back into his human form, completely naked of course after he’d done so, but hell if she was going to complain because the man was gorgeous.
He scooped her up and squeezed her tight to his body, nuzzling her neck. “Are you okay. Are you hurt?”
A lump began to form in her throat as she swallowed hard to respond. “No. Are you okay.”
“I’m fine love. Let’s get you home and warmed up.”
“Will you stay with me?”
“I will never leave your side ever again.”
Epilogue
Three weeks later
The feel of Eira’s hair feathered across Adonis’ chest was nothing more than heavenly. If someone had told him years ago that this was where he was going to be, in a cabin in the middle of the woods with a beautiful woman gathered in his arms, he would have thought they were crazy. Hell, he hardly believed it himself. She stirred, her soft moan making its way to his ears. Tonight was supposed to be the night he would make her his mate. Though he already treated her as such, she still wouldn’t technically be his until he put his mark on her. Only between both of them having to work all day and Eira flying them to the cabin to spend the weekend alone together, they were exhausted and had passed out on the couch near the fire. Yeah, he actually got into the helicopter with her again even though he was terrified of flying. After the threat of losing her, he figured a little helicopter ride to be alone with her for a few days would be well worth it.
He’d been awake for a while now, but didn’t want to disturb her so he let her sleep a little while longer. He’d never seen anything more beautiful than her, and her scent was absolutely drugging to him. There were so many times in the last few weeks where all he wanted to do was drive himself so deep inside her that he’d be lost forever. He nuzzled the top of her head and she moaned louder as her eyes fluttered open.
She yawned. “What time is it?”
“I don’t know but we slept through dinner and I think half the night.”
“Are you hungry?”
A mischievous smile crept across his lips. “Starving.” He lifted her higher up on his body and nudged her legs open so she could straddle him. His hands wound around her back, caressing her soft skin. His claws were itching to make an appearance so he could mark her. Yet, he also wanted to take it slow and give her an experience she would never forget for the rest of her life.
She crashed her mouth to his and bite his bottom lip hard. “Adonis?”
“Yeah love?”
“Make me yours now.”
“I plan to.” She ground her hips on his already aching erection, making him groan. “Mmm, I was trying to be gentle with you and go slow. I wanted to make it special for you.”
She leaned back and smiled, pulling her sweater over her head. “I waited three weeks for this Adonis. You’re not going to make me wait any longer.” She pouts. “Are you?”
“How can I say no to a beautiful face like that?” With lightning speed he tossed her onto her back and ripped her jeans from her body in one swoop. From the first moment he saw her, he wanted to take her the animal way, but now that she was laying on her back completely vulnerable to him, his need ratcheted up a few notches. He rid her of the lacey panties and bra and sat back on his heels to admire every delectable inch of her body.
After taking off his clothes, he laid between her and took possession of her mouth. He slid his hand from her stomach to her full breast, giving it a light squeeze. She arched her back into his hand, her body begging for more. He couldn’t wait any longer. He was just as desperate as she was, maybe even more so. He pulled her up by her wrists and onto his lap, his cock painfully swelling to its maximum capacity. He needed inside her bad or he was going to explode before they even got to consummate their union.
Adonis slowly pushed through her tight walls as he gripped the back of her neck. His teeth were on her throat before she had any chance to protest. She gasped at first, then the muscles in her body began to relax as she rocked her hips in a rhythm he couldn’t help but match. As he pushed her shoulder down with one hand, his other hand tightened the grip around the back of her neck, forcing his protruding canines to pierce her skin. She flinched, but he held her tighter, driving himself even deeper to distract her inside from the momentary pain. Her hands flew to his hair, pulling it in time with every pleasurable thrust of his cock. One mark down, one to go. He wasn’t only going to mark her one way, he was going to show everyone she belonged to him and only him by marking her both ways.
The hand on her shoulder slowly slid down her back, gently at first, then more savagely as his release was getting close. He kissed her roughly. “I’m going to scratch you. It’s my way of marking you. Even though I’ve already bitten you, I don’t want anyone to doubt my love for you and you will be mine forever.”
“Do it Adonis. I have never loved anyone as much as I love you. I would be proud to wear your mark.”
Adonis crushed his mouth to hers as their bodies moved in a perfect fluid motion. He’d never felt more loved, more alive than he did now. Eira was truly an amazing woman and he was lucky to have her in his life. There was nothing he wouldn’t do to make her happy. She was his best friend, confidante, and lover. Now, she was to be his mate. A gift he would never feel worthy enough to have, yet grateful for the opportunity to share his life with someone so kind-hearted. He gently nipped a trail along her jawline to the sensitive spot behind her ear. Just when he was about to come he ran his long nails over her shoulder and down her arm until they reached the bend of her elbow. He lowered his head and whispered against her neck. “Mine.”