CHAPTER THIRTEEN

 

“Stop the car!” Simone struggled to organize her thoughts, all thanks to mister eyeballs and his overly-complex word use. This was the mother of all misunderstandings.

“I will do no such thing.”

“You and your damn kind are loco.”

“My kind?”

“Wolves. You’re barking mad, every one of you.”

Adam reached over and stroked her thigh. Normally that would be more than enough to calm her. Or at least, switch her anger into other, equally hot, emotions. Not this time. She pushed him away before he could work his evil peenie voodoo on her.

“Come on, little one. Calm down.”

“Oh, you really are stupid if you think that would ever work on a woman. You expect me to believe I’m like you now?”

“I told you. One bite would change you. You run with the wolves now.”

Simone slapped at his shoulder like a drunken seal. “I thought you were being fucking romantic. Like, metaphors and shit! Now you expect me to believe I’ll grow a tail and howl at the moon?”

“Absolutely. And it will be the most liberating and exciting experience of your—”

“This is the same shifting you said was ridiculous, and primitive, and a curse on your life?”

His sigh was clearly disappointment more than frustration. “Okay, yes, I said all that. But you know now why I felt that way.”

“Yes, I do. But I now also know you’re a lunatic with no grounding in reality, otherwise you wouldn’t be spinning me this crazy line of bullshit. Now stop or I’ll get out anyway.”

Adam pulled to the side of the road and put the car in park. “Simone, listen. We’re nearly there. Can’t we just get to the glade and discuss this like—”

She spun quickly and put her hand into his face. “Talk to the paw, asshole.”

Simone let herself out, slamming the door so hard she expected the window to break. “You damn freak!”

Despite the tall trees and the shade they cast, Simone stormed off the road and into the forest. She didn’t plan to go far. Hell, she hadn’t planned anything further ahead than her next coffee in years. But since she’d dressed for a picnic and not a jungle exploration, she knew this would have to be a bargain basement pout. That jerk would just have to come apologize to her immediately, rather than in ten minutes like most guys.

It wasn’t like she was exactly against the idea of being a shifter. And maybe that was the whole reason she’d been feeling strong and vibrant all morning. It’s just that she hadn’t realized that’s what was happening.

The distant brush fires weren’t a danger, but the wind had brought both the smell and haze across to Blue Creek. She couldn’t see clearly for more than fifty feet in any direction, so despite her anger she still managed a thin vein of sensible thought.

Simone rounded a thick tree and leaned back on it, listening for Adam’s footsteps. Every man knew, whether he was human or shifter, it was his duty to follow and to apologize. Except those times he wasn’t supposed to, of course.

Any second now she’d hear him.

Any.

Second.

Finally, the crack of a twig beneath a heavy foot sounded from the other side of the tree and she swung herself around, hands on hips. “Well, it’s about…ohh.”

She had, of course, expected Adam, maybe on his knees and looking forlorn. Maybe even with big fat tears in his puppy dog eyes. What she hadn’t expected was the man mountain standing there, arms crossed, completely naked, and glaring at her like she was a morsel. Close to seven feet tall, and with arms as thick as legs, he was a giant of a creature. But it was that cold, predatory light in his eyes that gave her real pause.

In an instant she knew, he had to be one of the rogue shifters everyone kept yapping about. If size meant anything then surely he was a bear. At least it was only one, though. With the fresh feeling of wolf strength, she was confident she could get away from him. Hell, he didn’t have shoes on. Or pants. No way he’d be able to chase her through the thick underbrush without cutting up his feet. Or maybe dislocating his hip when that monster cock of his got swaying.

“Well now,” he said, his voice deep and gravelly, with a strong redneck lilt to it. Even over the smoke of the distant fires, she could smell the harsh chemical tang of bourbon. “Lookie what we got here, Mike.”

“Mm-mmm.” Another voice, with the same raspy hint of danger in it, sounded from behind her, sending her heart into overdrive. “A li’l ol’ lone wolf. What you doin’ all the way out here on your lonesome, pretty girl? Everyone knows wolves are pack animals. Why, one wolf on they own is ’bout as effective as a paper umbrella.”

She dared not turn around, but the way the second man’s heat washed over her back told her there was every chance he, too, was sky-clad. She closed her eyes as his unseen hands flicked at her hair, like a cat playing with a mouse. “So? Why you out here all on your lonesome, fur-ball?”

“Don’t call me a fur-ball.” Instinct told her she should keep her strengths secret. “I’m no wolf.”

The big guy in front of her scratched at his head, the movement echoed in the jiggling of his thick, now-semi-hard penis. He moved his head around, sniffing and sneering. Simone could hear the other one, Mike, doing the same. He spoke first, again making her jump.

“What you got, Clint?”

“Fuck, I can’t tell. Damn smoke. Can’t smell anything else.”

“Well, maybe you shoulda kept some a the sauce for later, dickwad.”

“Screw you.” Captain Cockwobble stepped right up to Simone, so tall her vision was filled with just belly and chest. Until he ducked and sniffed again. “Yeah, I can’t tell. You sure you ain’t wolf?”

“I’m human, and proud of it.”

The big one in front of her, Clint, stepped back, his eyes wide and his hands up as if she’d pulled out a gun. “Woah… you’re human?”

“Uh-huh.”

“Damn. Hear that, Mike?”

“Yeah.”

Clint scratched his chin. “You know what scares us about humans, girl?”

“N–no.”

Mike snaked his arm around her neck from behind, almost cutting off her air. “Not a single goddamn thing.”

Clint bent his face right down to hers, his hot, wet breath coating her skin. “Well now, if you’re human, then you must be the one we’re here lookin’ for. Ain’t ya? Gunnarsson’s bitch.”

“Screw you. I’m my own bitch, bitch.”

“Yeah. You’re the one, for sure. Only you was meant to be over a ways. In Everson’s Glade.”

“What the hell? Who are you fuckers?”

Mike tightened his arm around her throat, completely blocking her airway, like a shot across her bows. He released it a moment later but the message was pretty clear.

At first, panic overtook Simone’s brain. She tightened up, her pulse raced and adrenaline had its way with her. If these guys were just plain humans, she’d still stand no chance against their strength. Physical power was not her answer. Maybe talk would do it.

“What did you mean, you were looking for me? I’m nobody.”

“Shut it. A mouth like yours is only good for one thing.”

Clint guffawed right into her face. “One thing at a time, anyway.”

Clearly, talk was useless, and against two men this huge she didn’t have the muscle to back up any fight she might start. So she closed her eyes and centered herself as quickly as she could, before wrapping her hands up around Mike’s neck and lifting her feet off the ground. If there was one thing she had, it was size. She might as well use it.

The rapid way she’d shifted her weight worked beautifully, pulling Mike down and forward. As she headed for the ground, Simone kicked her feet out, catching that big, flopping cock of Clint’s right in its heart. As he bent double in pain, his head slammed into Mike’s, and the two of them roared with pain.

Mike’s grip around her throat loosened, and as she hit the ground she was once again thankful for all the padding nature had given her ass. She rolled to the side, breaking free from the arm of the bully, and scrambling to her feet.

“Adam!”

She’d barely finished screaming his name when one of the bears clipped her foot, tripping her over. Knowing she was too far gone to save herself, she spun so she could land on her back and be ready for whatever came.

What came was a huge man she didn’t recognize, but she assumed was Mike. She curled her legs back against her chest, ready to lash out. The big guy lumbered straight at her, like he knew for sure she couldn’t hurt him that way. As he towered over her prone form she kicked at him, but he simply caught her feet and rolled her over onto her belly.

The impact knocked most of the air from her lungs, but then the big asshole landed on her back, finishing the job. His stinking breath poured over her shoulder, but rather than recoil, she spun her head toward the source of it, bringing her elbow up at the same time and slamming it into the side of his head, hard enough that he rolled off to the side.

Still fighting to fill her lungs, she clambered back to her feet. She couldn’t call Adam again until she had air to use, but she thought his name as hard as she possibly could.

Before she could run back toward the road, a massive hand grabbed her from behind, the thick fingers latching onto her blouse and pulling so hard it was torn from her body.

“Little fucking bitch.” It was Clint again. He clawed at her hair and pulled so hard her feet slid out from under her, and she landed on her ass for the third time. She stared up into the ice of his eyes. He was bent over, still with her hair in his fist. “You fucking see how this is going down? Two of us, both bears. And you, just a lonely little human—”

“Wait, Clint.” Mike had come up behind her. He seized her by the neck and bent her forward over her own legs. “Look at that.”

He dug an elbow-sized finger into her shoulder. The one Adam had marked.

Clint hissed. “You fucking little liar. They told us you was human.”

“I am.” She swallowed her fear. “Wait, who told you?”

“It was—”

“Hey!” Clint cut right across his buddy. “It was Father goddamn Christmas. Asked us to check you were still a naughty girl.”

“What the hell?”

Clint fisted her hair and pulled her up again. “Truth is, a thousand bucks buys a lot of hooch. And a lot of cooch.”

“Who the hell would pay you to attack me? What the hell have I done?”

“Bitch, I don’t know and I don’t care. ’Cause now it turns out you’re a wolf, the price just doubled.”

“I keep telling you, I’m not a wolf.”

“Then what the fuck is this? Huh?” As Mike barked out the words he twisted his fat finger in her flesh, his rough skin and sharp nail biting into her. “That’s the mark of a wolf.”

“No, it’s the mark of a psycho idiot who thinks stupid stuff happens.”

Mike looked over at Clint. “It’s still fresh. She’s wolf, but she ain’t never shifted.”

“I keep telling you. I’m not a wolf. I just happened to fuck a guy who turns into one. He got a little toothy, that’s all.”

Mike roared with laughter. “You simple little bitch. Don’t you understand what that bite means? Like it or not, you’re a fucking wolf now. Which is just gonna make this more fun.”

“Yeah. I like a chick who fights back.” Clint rolled her onto her front and pulled her ass into the air. “They get so fucking tight when they struggle.”

“Shame to waste all that fine, thick booty on a goddamn wolf. This slut is fucking built for bears.”

Simone tried to lift herself off the ground, but Mike pushed down on her shoulders with all his hefty weight. As much as she wanted to fight, to escape, it was all she could do just to tug in tiny breaths.

The moment Clint’s huge paws hooked into her yoga pants, she tightened up all over. She tried to scream, in frustration, in fear, just a call for help, but there was barely enough air in her lungs to make a whimper.

No! No! It sounded so loud in her head, but it wasn’t even a whisper in her throat. The only sound was the shriek of fabric tearing as Clint tore everything away, baring her ass.

Before she could make sense of the moment, Mike’s weight suddenly shifted off her shoulders, and Clint swore loudly. When Simone raised her head, she saw the reason.

A huge, charcoal wolf. And without ever having seen him in this form, she knew immediately who it was.

Adam!